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1. Analyst 1: A written IPS is part of the best practices for a portfolio manager.
Analyst 2: A written IPS ensures the client’s risk and return objectives can be achieved.
Which analyst’s statement is most likely correct?
A. Analyst 1.
B. Analyst 2.
C. Both.

2. Which of the following is the most appropriate reason for a written investment policy
statement? A written IPS:
A. provides investment managers with a ready protection against client lawsuits.
B. communicates a plan for trying to accomplish investment success.
C. allows investment managers to educate clients about the correct use and purpose of
investments

3. The section of the investment policy statement (IPS) that describes the client is:
A. Investment objectives.
B. Introduction.
C. Statement of purpose.

4. Saleem Sheikh, CFA, manages the portfolio of several clients. While preparing the IPS of
these clients, he is most likely to begin with:
A. the risk and return objectives of the investors.
B. the constraints of the investors.
C. the external circumstances affecting the investors’ portfolios.

5. Which of the following is the most difficult to quantify, while preparing an investment policy
statement?
A. Time horizon.
B. Willingness to expect risk.
C. Ability to take risk.

6. Mr. Amjad Mirza, director of Acme &Co. (a publicly listed company) cannot trade his
company’s stock at certain points of the year when disclosure of financial results are
pending. What step regarding this restriction is most appropriate for Salahuddin Shaukat,
who is managing Mirza’s fund, in preparing a written investment policy statement (IPS)?
A. The restriction should be included in the IPS.
B. The restriction is irrelevant to the IPS.
C. The restriction makes it illegal for the portfolio manager to work with this client.

7. Joseph Jackson, a fund manager at Hermes Global Equities, is preparing an IPS for his client.
Which of the following will he least likely place in the appendices of this IPS?
A. Procedures to update IPS.
B. Rebalancing policy of the portfolio.
C. Strategic asset allocation.
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8. An investment policy statement that includes a return objective of "No greater than a 6%
probability of a loss of more than $34,500 over any 12-month period" is best characterized as
having a(n):
A. arbitrage-based return objective.
B. absolute return objective.
C. relative return objective.

9. An investment policy statement that includes a risk objective of “Return should be within 4%
of the S&P 500 index return” is best characterized as having a(n):
A. arbitrage-based risk objective.
B. absolute risk objective.
C. relative risk objective.

10. Dean Jones is 43 years old and has a secure job with an annual salary of AUD 300,000. The
income is sufficient to cover his and his family’s expenses. He owns the house his family
lives in and has savings of AUD 1,000,000. Jones is reluctant to invest in the stock market
because he believes that stock market returns are based on luck. Furthermore, the thought of
losing money causes him to have sleepless nights. Based on this information which of the
following statements is most accurate?
A. Jones has a low ability to take risk but a high willingness to take risk.
B. Jones has a high ability to take risk and a high willingness to take risk.
C. Jones has a high ability to take risk but a low willingness to take risk.

11. Emily Rose is willing to take risk when investing. She is young and has a secure, well-paying
job. Her risk tolerance will most likely be characterized as:
A. high.
B. medium.
C. low.

12. Which of the following factors is most likely to affect an investor’s willingness to take risk?
A. Wealth.
B. Attitudes about investment.
C. Job security.

13. Which of the following factors is least likely to impact the risk-taking ability of a client?
A. Expected income.
B. Personality type.
C. Time horizon.

14. A financial advisor gathers the following information about a new client:
 The client is a famous physics professor at one of the biggest universities in New
York.
 The client owns a penthouse and two cars with currently zero outstanding debt.
 The client is currently working full-time and plans to continue this way for another
five years after which he will work part time for 4 years before retirement.
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 The client has accumulated retirement savings of approximately $ 1.75 million

through their employer’s retirement plan and anticipates retirement spending needs of
$80,000 per year.
 Despite the concern regarding the current condition of the global economy, the client
maintains to remain a long-term investor.
 The client follows numerous financial publications closely and is aware of the
evolving markets.

Based on the above information, which of the following best describes this client?
A. High ability to take risk and a high willingness to take risk.
B. Low ability to take risk, but a high willingness to take risk.
C. High ability to take risk, but a low willingness to take risk.

15. After interviewing a client in order to prepare a written investment policy statement (IPS),
you have established the following:
 The client has earnings that have exceeded $150,000 (pre-tax) each year for the past
four years and has no dependents.
 The client’s basic needs are approximately $49,500 per year.
 The client states that he feels particularly uncomfortable with his limited
understanding of securities markets.
 All of the client’s current savings are invested in short-term securities guaranteed by
an agency of her national government.
 The client responded to a standard risk assessment questionnaire suggesting that he
has low risk tolerance.
The client is best described as having a:
A. high ability to take risk and a high willingness to take risk.
B. low ability to take risk, but a high willingness to take risk.
C. high ability to take risk, but a low willingness to take risk.

16. Which of the following factors is most likely to impact an individual's willingness to take
risk?
A. Time horizon.
B. Personality type.
C. Wealth.

17. Which of the following is least likely to be discussed in the constraints section of an
investor’s IPS?
A. Liquidity.
B. Time horizon.
C. Level of risk aversion.

18. Which of the following is least likely an example of a portfolio constraint?

A. Significant spending requirements in the long run.
B. Higher tax rate on capital gains than on dividend income.
C. Minimum total return requirement of 10%.
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19. An investor with a long time horizon and low liquidity requirements is most likely to invest
in:
A. equities.
B. bonds.
C. derivative instruments.

20. All else equal, an investor with a short time horizon is likely to have a:
A. low risk tolerance.
B. high risk tolerance.
C. moderate risk tolerance.

21. All else equal, an investor with a low liquidity requirement is likely to have a:
A. low risk tolerance.
B. high risk tolerance.
C. moderate risk tolerance.

22. In a strategic asset allocation, assets within a specific asset class are most likely to have:
A. high paired correlations.
B. low paired correlations.
C. high correlations with other asset classes.

23. Returns on asset classes are a function of:

A. exposure to the failure of arbitrage.
B. exposure to sets of systematic factors relevant to those asset classes.
C. exposure to the idiosyncratic risks of those asset classes.

24. An investment manager in an asset management company is in the process of defining asset
classes. Which of the following activities would be most appropriate considering the paired
correlations of assets?
A. Assets with low correlations placed in the same asset class.
B. Assets with low correlations placed in different asset classes.
C. Assets with high correlations placed in different asset classes.

25. A portfolio manager decides to allot a certain percentage of portfolio, each to different asset
classes in order to achieve the client' long term goals. This decision is most likely an example
of:
A. rebalancing.
B. strategic asset allocation.
C. tactical asset allocation.

26. Patrick Dempsey, a portfolio manager, decides to temporarily invest more of a portfolio in
equities than stated in the investment policy statement because he believes that equities are
currently underpriced. This decision is most likely an example of:
A. rebalancing.
B. strategic asset allocation.
C. tactical asset allocation.
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27. Tactical asset allocation is best described as:

A. selecting asset classes with the desired exposures to sources of systematic risk in an
investment portfolio.
B. attempts to exploit arbitrage possibilities among specific securities.
C. the decision to deliberately deviate from the policy portfolio.

28. Sirajuddin Sheikh invests the majority of his portfolio on a passive risk strategy while
managing a minority of the assets aggressively in smaller portfolios. This approach is best
described as:
A. a top-down investment policy.
B. the core–satellite approach.
C. a delta-neutral hedge approach.

29. Which section of the investment policy statement (IPS) most likely contains the information
related to strategic asset allocation and portfolio rebalancing policy?
A. Investment objectives.
B. Appendices.
C. Procedures.
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Solutions

1. A is correct. The mere fact that a written IPS is prepared for a client, does not ensure that risk
and return objectives will in fact be achieved. Section 2.1. LO.a.

2. B is correct. A written IPS is best seen as a communication instrument allowing clients and
portfolio managers to mutually establish investment objectives and constraints. Section 2.1.
LO.a.

3. B is correct. The introduction describes the client and outlines what is covered in the
document. Often, the purpose and scope of the IPS is included as part of introduction.
Section 2.2. LO.b.

4. A is correct. A written investment policy statement will typically begin with the investor's
risk and return objectives. Section 2.2. LO.b.

5. B is correct. Measuring willingness to take risk (risk tolerance, risk aversion) is an exercise
in applied psychology. Instruments attempting to measure risk attitudes exist, but they are
clearly less objective than measurements of the ability to take risk. Ability to take risk is
based on relatively objective traits such as expected income, time horizon, and existing
wealth relative to liabilities. Section 2.2. LO.b.

6. A is correct. When a client has a restriction on trading, such as this obligation to refrain from
trading, the IPS “should note this constraint so that the portfolio manager does not
inadvertently trade the stock on the client’s behalf.” Section 2.2. LO.b.

7. A is correct. Appendices contain information on strategic (baseline) asset allocation and

permitted deviations from policy portfolio allocations, as well as how and when the portfolio
allocations should be rebalanced. Procedures to update IPS are a major component of the IPS
that is not a part of the appendices. Section 2.2. LO.b.

8. B is correct. Absolute return objectives can also be stated in terms of the probability of
specific portfolio results, percentage losses or dollar losses, rather than strict limits on
portfolio results. Section 2.2. LO.c.

9. C is correct. The risk objective is expressed relative to a benchmark. Section 2.2. LO.c.

10. C is correct. Give the high income and savings, his ability to take risk is high. However, his
attitude towards the stock market and the possibility of losing money indicates that his
willingness to take risk is low. Section 2.2. LO.d.

11. A is correct. Given that she is young and has a secure, well-paying job, her ability to take risk
is high. We are told that she is also willing to take risk. Consequently, her risk tolerance will
most likely be characterized as ‘high’. Section 2.2. LO.d.
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12. B is correct. It is important to distinguish between the willingness to take risk and the ability
to do so. An investor’s willingness to take risk is based primarily on the investor’s beliefs
and attitudes towards the investment. The other two factors affect the person’s ability to take
the risk and not the willingness. Section 2.2. LO.d.

13. B is correct. An individual’s ability to take risk is impacted by such factors as time horizon
and expected income. Personality type is most likely to impact an individual’s willingness to
take risk. Section 2.2. LO.d.

14. A is correct. The client is in a strong financial situation (stable job, no debt), has a reasonably
long time horizon before needing any liquidity (10 years), and reasonable retirement
spending needs relative to total assets. These factors indicate a high ability to take risk. In
addition, the client’s knowledge of financial markets, experience, and focus on the long term
also indicates a high willingness to take risk. Section 2.2. LO.d.

15. C is correct. On one hand, the client has a stable, high income and no dependents. On the
other hand, he exhibits above average risk aversion. His ability to take risk is high, but his
willingness to take risk is low. Section 2.2. LO.d.

16. B is correct. An individual’s willingness to take risk is impacted by factors as personality

type. Wealth and time horizon are most likely to impact an individual’s ability to take risk.
Section 2.2. LO.d.

17. C is correct. Remember the five constraints using: LLTTU. Liquidity, Legal and regulatory,
Time horizon, Tax, Unique circumstances. Section 2.2. LO.e.

18. C is correct. Return objectives are part of a policy statement's objectives, not constraints.
Section 2.2. LO.e.

19. A is correct. An investor with a long time horizon and low liquidity requirements has a high
risk tolerance and is more like to invest in equities. Section 2.2. LO.e.

20. A is correct. If the time horizon is short the investor is likely to have a low risk tolerance.
Section 2.2. LO.e.

21. B is correct. If the liquidity requirement is low the investor is likely to have a high risk
tolerance. Section 2.2. LO.e.

22. A is correct. In a strategic asset allocation, assets within a specific asset class will have high
paired correlations and low correlations with assets in other asset classes. Section 3.2 and 3.3.
LO.f.

23. B is correct. Strategic asset allocation depends on several principles. As stated in the reading,
“One principle is that a portfolio’s systematic risk accounts for most of its change in value
over the long run.” A second principle is that, “the returns to groups of like assets predictably
 Basics of Portfolio Planning and Construction – Question Bank www.ift.world

reflect exposures to certain sets of systematic factors.” This latter principle establishes that
returns on asset classes primarily reflect the systematic risks of the classes. Section 3.2. LO.f.
24. B is correct. When defining asset classes, paired correlations of assets should be relatively
high within an asset class. However, paired correlations of assets between different asset
classes should be low in order to provide diversification relative to other asset classes.
Section 3.2 and 3.3. LO.f.

25. B is correct. After having determined the investor objectives and constraints, a strategic asset
allocation is developed which specifies the percentage allocations to the included asset
classes. Section 3.2. LO.g.

26. C is correct. Tactical asset allocation is the decision to deliberately deviate from the policy
exposures to systematic risk factors with the intent to add value based on forecasts of the
near-term returns of those asset classes. Section 3.3. LO.g.

27. C is correct. Tactical asset allocation allows actual asset allocation to deviate from that of the
strategic asset allocation (policy portfolio) based on short-term market expectations. Section
3.3. LO.g.

28. B is correct. The core–satellite approach to constructing portfolios is defined as “investing

the majority of the portfolio on a passive or low active risk basis while a minority of the
assets is managed aggressively in smaller portfolios.” Section 3.3 and 3.4. LO.g.

29. B is correct. Information related to strategic asset allocation and portfolio rebalancing policy
would be placed in the appendices of an investment policy statement. Section 2.2. LO.b.