Reading 2-IV: Standards of Professional Conduct & Guidan class, div, recognized, membership, center

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Session 1: Ethical and Professional Standards
Reading 2-IV: Standards of Professional Conduct & Guidance: Duties to Employers

LOS A.: Loyalty.

 

 

 

An analyst belongs to a nationally recognized charitable organization, which requires dues for membership. The analyst has worked out a deal where he provides money management advice in lieu of paying dues. Which of the following must the analyst do?

A) Resign from the position because the relationship is a conflict with the Standards.

B) Nothing since he is not an employee of the charitable organization.

C) Must treat the charitable organization as his employer.

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An employee/employer relationship does not necessarily mean monetary compensation for services. If the analyst is performing services for the organization, then the analyst must treat the position as if he were an employee.

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John Hill, CFA, has been working for Advisors, Inc., for eight years. Hill is about to start his own money management business and has given his two-week notice of his resignation from Advisors. A few days before his resignation takes effect, on his lunch hour, he takes out a loan from a bank on behalf of his new business and uses the money to buy some office equipment for his new business. Since he engaged in these transactions while still an employee of Advisors, Hill violated Standard IV(A), Loyalty to Employer, by:

A) engaging in a financial transaction, like taking out a loan, only.

B) neither of these actions.

C) both taking out the loan and purchasing the office equipment.

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The Standards of Practice under IV(A) expressly says that a departing employee is “generally free to make arrangements or preparations to go into a competitive business before terminating the relationship with the employee’s employer provided that such preparations do not breach the employee’s duty of loyalty.” Neither of these actions are in conflict with the interests of Advisors, and Hill performed them on his own time.

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Brian Bellow, a CFA Institute member, is a portfolio manager for Progressive Trust Company. Several friends asked Bellow to review their investment portfolios. On his own time, Bellow examined their portfolios and made several recommendations. He received no monetary compensation from his friends for his investment advice and provided no future investment counsel to them. According to CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct, did Bellow violate his duty to Progressive Trust?

A) No, because Bellow received no monetary compensation for his services.

B) Yes, because he undertook an independent practice that could result in compensation or other benefit to him.

C) No, because Bellow provided no ongoing investment advice.

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Standard IV(A) does not preclude providing independent services for compensation while still employed; however, notification to the employer is required describing the type of service, the expected duration, and the compensation. Compensation includes more than just monetary benefits.

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Theresa Hatcher, CFA, is making arrangements to establish her own investment advisory business before terminating her relationship with her current employer, Elite Brokers, Inc. Elite is a small company consisting of only six investment professionals and a small support staff. According to CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct, which of the following activities is least likely a violation of Hatcher's duty to Elite?

A) Hatcher solicits Elite's clients before her termination of employment at Elite.

B) Hatcher engages in secret negotiations with two other investment professionals and her administrative assistant to leave Elite in order to join her new business.

C) Hatcher leases office space, furniture, and other equipment for her new business.

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Standard IV(A) permits Hatcher to make preparations to begin a new practice, such as leasing office space, furniture, and other equipment, but not to engage in the other activities that may violate her duty to employer.

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Sue Parsons, CFA, works full-time as an investment advisor for the Malloy Group, an asset management firm. To help pay for her children’s college expenses, Parsons wants to engage in independent practice in which she would advise individual clients on their portfolios. She would conduct these investment activities only on weekends. Which of the following statements about Standard IV(A), Loyalty to Employer, is most accurate? Standard IV(A):

A) requires Parsons to obtain written consent from both Malloy and the persons from whom she undertakes independent practice.

B) does not require Parsons to notify Malloy of preparing to undertake independent practice under the current conditions.

C) requires Parsons to notify Malloy in writing about her intention to undertake an independent practice.

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Standard IV(A), Loyalty to Employer, requires that Parsons obtain written consent only from her employer before she undertakes independent practice that could result in compensation or other benefit in competition with Malloy. It is not required to get permission from your employer when only preparing to go into independent practice.

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John Hill, CFA, has been working for Advisors, Inc., for eight years. Hill is about to start his own money management business and has given his two-week notice of his resignation from Advisors. A few days before his resignation takes effect, a former client of Advisors calls Hill at his home about his new firm. The former client says that he is very happy that Hill is leaving Advisors because now he and Hill can resume a professional relationship. The client says that he would never become a client of Advisors again. Hill promises to call the client back after he has left Advisors. Hill does not tell his employer about the call. Hill has most likely violated:

A) neither of these Standards.

B) both Standards IV(A) and VI(A).

C) Standard IV(A), Loyalty to Employer, by lining up business before he leaves the firm.

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Based upon the information here, Hill has done nothing wrong. He took a call at his home, presumably on his own time, and the client made it clear that he would never be a client of Advisors. Therefore, there was no breach of loyalty to Advisors by Hill, nor is there a conflict of interest.

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Grant Starks, CFA, has been working for Advisors, Inc., for eight years. Starks is about to start his own money management business and has given his two-week notice of his resignation. A few days before his resignation takes effect, a current client of Advisors calls him at his office to inquire about some services for her account at Advisors. During the conversation, Starks tells the client that his new business will have lower commissions than Advisors. Starks has most likely violated:

A) Standard IV(A), Loyalty to Employer, by competing with his current employer.

B) Standard VI(B), Priority of Transactions, by violating the priority of transactions.

C) none of these Standards.

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This is a breach of loyalty to his current employer. By telling a current client of his employer about the lower commissions he will charge in his new business, Starks is placing himself in direct competition with Advisors, and this is a violation of Standard IV(A).

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Janet Thompson, CFA, is employed as an analyst by Nationwide Securities. According to CFA Institute Standards of Professional Conduct, which of the following statements about Thompson's duty to Nationwide is FALSE? Thompson must refrain from:

A) engaging in any conduct that would injure Nationwide.

B) making arrangements to go into a competitive business before terminating her relationship with Nationwide.

C) engaging in independent competitive activity that could conflict with the business of Nationwide unless she receives written consent.

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Standard IV(A) permits Thompson to make preparations to go into a competitive business before terminating her relationship with Nationwide provided that such preparations do not breach her duty of loyalty.

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Nick O'Donnell, CFA, unsuspectingly joins the research team at Wickett & Co., an investment banking firm controlled by organized crime. None of the managers at Wickett are CFA Institute members. Because of his tenuous situation at Wickett, O'Donnell begins making preparations for independent practice. He knows he will be terminated if he informs management at Wickett that he is preparing to leave. Consequently, he determines that "if he can just hang on for one year, he will likely have a client base sufficient for him to strike out on his own." This action is:

A) a violation of his fiduciary duties.

B) a violation of his duty to disclose conflicts to his employer.

C) not a violation of his duty to employer.

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O’Donnell is required to obtain consent from his employer if he is attempting to practice in competition with his employer. Merely undertaking preparations to leave, which do not violate a duty, is not a violation of the Code and Standards.