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NISM SERIES V A( National Institute of Securities Markets)- MUTUAL FUND DISTRIBUTORS WORKBOOK wef 20th oct 2014
Sample Questions 1. Units’ of_____________ must be listed on the stock exchange. a. Sector funds b. Arbitrage funds c. Close ended funds d. Liquid funds 2. Open-ended schemes generally offer exit option to investors through a stock exchange. a. True b. False 3. Sector funds invest in a diverse range of sectors. a. True b. False 4. High yield bond schemes invest in junk bonds. a. True b. False 5. Investment objective is closely linked to ________. a. Scheme b. Option c. Plan d. SIP NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 28 Checklist of Learning Points Mutual funds are a vehicle to mobilize moneys from investors, to invest in different markets and securities The primary role of mutual funds is to assist investors in earning an income or building their wealth, by participating in the opportunities available in the securities markets. In order to accommodate investor preferences, mutual funds mobilize different pools of money. Each such pool of money is called a mutual fund scheme. Mutual funds address differential expectations between investors within a scheme, by offering various options, such as dividend payout option, dividend re-investment option and growth option. An investor buying into a scheme gets to select the preferred option also. The investment that an investor makes in a scheme is translated into a certain number of ‘Units’ in the scheme. The number of units multiplied by its face value (Rs. 10) is the capital of the scheme – its Unit Capital. When the profitability metric is positive, the true worth of a unit, also called Net Asset Value (NAV) goes up. When a scheme is first made available for investment, it is called a ‘New Fund Offer’ (NFO). The money mobilized from investors is invested by the scheme as per the investment objective committed. Profits or losses, as the case might be, belong to the investors. The investor does not however bear a loss higher than the amount invested by him. The relative size of mutual fund companies is assessed by their assets under management (AUM). The AUM captures the impact of the profitability metric and the flow of unit-holder money to or from the scheme. Investor benefits from mutual funds include professional management, portfolio diversification, economies of scale, liquidity, tax deferral, tax benefits, convenient options, investment comfort, regulatory comfort and systematic approach to investing. Limitations of mutual funds are lack of portfolio customization and an overload of schemes and scheme variants. Open-ended funds are open for investors to enter or exit at any time and do not have a fixed maturity. Investors can acquire new units from the scheme through a sale transaction at their sale price, which is linked to the NAV of the scheme. Investors can sell their units to the scheme through a re-purchase transaction at their re-purchase price, which again is linked to the NAV. Close-ended funds have a fixed maturity and can be bought and sold in a stock exchange. Interval funds combine features of both open-ended and close-ended schemes. Actively managed funds are funds where the fund manager has the flexibility to choose the investment portfolio, within the broad parameters of the investment objective of the scheme. NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 29 Passive funds invest on the basis of a specified index, whose performance it seeks to track. Gilt funds invest in only treasury bills and government securities Diversified debt funds on the other hand, invest in a mix of government and non-government debt securities Junk bond schemes or high yield bond schemes invest in companies that are of poor credit quality. Fixed maturity plans are a kind of debt fund where the investment portfolio is closely aligned to the maturity of the scheme. Floating rate funds invest largely in floating rate debt securities Liquid schemes are a variant of debt schemes that can invest only in debt securities of upto91-days maturity. However, securities having more than 60-days to maturity need to be marked to market. Diversified equity funds invest in a diverse mix of securities that cut across sectors. Sector funds invest in only a specific sector. Thematic funds invest in line with an investment theme. The investment is more broad-based than a sector fund; but narrower than a diversified equity fund. Equity Linked Savings Schemes (ELSS) and Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Schemes (RGESS) offer tax benefits to investors. Equity Income / Dividend Yield Schemes invest in shares that fluctuate less, and therefore dividends represent a significant part of the returns on those shares. Monthly Income Plan seeks to declare a dividend every month; however, the same is not assured. Capital Protected Schemes are close-ended schemes, which are structured to ensure that investors get their principal back, irrespective of what happens to the market. Gold funds invest in gold and gold-related securities. They can be structured as Gold Sector Funds or Gold ETF Schemes. Real estate funds invest in real estate. Commodity funds invest in asset classes like food crops, spices, fibres, industrial metals, energy products or precious metals as may be permitted by their investment charter. Mutual funds in India are not permitted to invest in commodities other than gold. International funds invest in securities abroad. They are often structured as feeder funds linked to a host fund. Fund of Funds invest in other funds. Exchange Traded Funds are open-end funds that trade in the stock exchange.

Sample Questions 1. The assets of the mutual fund are held by ______. a. AMC b. Trustees c. Custodian d. Registrar 2. Minimum networth requirement for a new AMC is _______. a. Rs 50 crore b. Rs 5 crore c. Rs 4 crore d. Rs 10 crore 3. AMC directors are appointed with the permission of Trustees. a. True b. False 4. Most investor service centres are offices of _______. a. Trustees b. Registrar c. Custodian d. Fund Accountant 5. Fund accounting activity of a scheme is to be compulsorily outsourced. a. True b. False NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 39 Checklist of Learning Points Mutual funds in India are governed by SEBI (Mutual Fund) Regulations, 1996, as amended till date. The regulations permit mutual funds to invest in securities including money market instruments, or gold or gold deposits or other gold related instruments or real estate assets. Mutual funds are constituted as Trusts. The mutual fund trust is created by one or more Sponsors, who are the main persons behind the mutual fund operation. Every trust has beneficiaries. The beneficiaries, in the case of a mutual fund trust, are the investors who invest in various schemes of the mutual fund. In order to perform the trusteeship role, either individuals may be appointed as trustees or a Trustee company may be appointed. When individuals are appointed trustees, they are jointly referred to as Board of Trustees. A trustee company functions through its Board of Directors. Day to day management of the schemes is handled by an AMC. The AMC is appointed by the sponsor or the Trustees. Although the AMC manages the schemes, custody of the assets of the scheme (securities, gold, gold-related instruments & real estate assets) is with a Custodian, who is appointed by the Trustees. Investors invest in various schemes of the mutual fund. The record of investors and their unit-holding may be maintained by the AMC itself, or it can appoint a Registrar & Transfer Agent (RTA). The sponsor needs to have a minimum 40% share-holding in the capital of the AMC. The sponsor has to appoint at least 4 trustees – atleast two-thirds of them need to be independent. Prior approval of SEBI needs to be taken, before a person is appointed as Trustee. AMC should have networth of at least Rs 50 crore. At least 50% of the directors should be independent directors. Prior approval of the trustees is required, before a person is appointed as director on the board of the AMC.

Sample Questions 1. SEBI regulates __________. a. Mutual Funds b. Depositories c. Registrar & Transfer Agents d. All of the above 2. Investment objective defines the broad investment charter. a. True b. False 3. Statement of Account is to be sent to investors within ___ days of NFO closure. a. 3 b. 5 c. 7 d. 15 4. Within ___ days of dividend declaration, warrants will have to be sent to investors. a. 7 b. 10 c. 15 d. 30 5. Unit holders can hold their units in demat form. a. True b. False NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 64 Checklist of Learning Points SEBI regulates mutual funds, depositories, custodians and registrars & transfer agents in the country. AMFI is an industry body, but not a self-regulatory organization. The AMFI Code of Ethics sets out the standards of good practices to be followed by the Asset Management Companies in their operations and in their dealings with investors, intermediaries and the public. AMFI has framed a set of guidelines and code of conduct for intermediaries, consisting of individual agents, brokers, distribution houses and banks engaged in selling of mutual fund products. Investment objective defines the broad investment charter. Investment policy describes in greater detail, the kind of portfolio that will be maintained. Investment strategies are decided on a day-to-day basis by the senior management of the AMC. At least 65% of the corpus should, in the normal course, be invested in the kind of securities / sectors implied by the scheme’s name. Statement of accounts is to be sent to investors within 5 days of closure of the NFO. Investor can ask for a Unit Certificate for his unit-holding. This is different from a Statement of Account. NAV has to be published daily, in at least 2 newspapers NAV and Re-purchase Price is to be updated in the website of AMFI and the mutual fund The investor/s can appoint upto 3 nominees, who will be entitled to the units in the event of the demise of the investor/s. The investor can also pledge the units. This is normally done to offer security to a financier. Dividend warrants have to be dispatched to investors within 30 days of declaration of the dividend Redemption / re-purchase cheques would need to be dispatched to investors within 10 working days from the date of receipt of request. Unit-holders have proportionate right to the beneficial ownership of the assets of the scheme. Investors can choose to change their distributor or go direct. In such cases, AMCs will need to comply, without insisting on No Objection Certificate from the existing distributor. Investors can choose to hold the units in dematerialised form. The mutual fund / AMC is bound to co-ordinate with the RTA and Depository to facilitate this. In the case of unit-holding in demat form, the demat statement given by the Depository Participant would be treated as compliance with the requirement of Statement of Account. The mutual fund has to publish a complete statement of the scheme portfolio and the unaudited financial results, within 1 month from the close of each half year. In lieu of NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 65 the advertisement, the mutual fund may choose to send the portfolio statement to all Unit-holders. Debt-oriented, close-ended / interval, schemes /plans need to disclose their portfolio in their website every month, by the 3rd working day of the succeeding month. Scheme-wise Annual Report or an abridged summary has to be mailed to all unit-holders within 6 months of the close of the financial year. The Annual Report of the AMC has to be displayed on the website of the mutual fund. The Scheme-wise Annual Report will mention that Unit-holders can ask for a copy of the AMC’s Annual Report. The trustees / AMC cannot make any change in the fundamental attributes of a scheme, unless the requisite processes have been complied. This includes option to dissenting unit-holders to exit at the prevailing Net Asset Value, without any exit load. This exit window has to be open for at least 30 days. The appointment of the AMC for a mutual fund can be terminated by a majority of the trustees or by 75% of the unit-holders (in practice, unit-holding) of the Scheme. 75% of the unit-holders (in practice, unit-holding) can pass a resolution to wind-up a scheme If an investor feels that the trustees have not fulfilled their obligations, then he can file a suit against the trustees for breach of trust. Under the law, a trust is a notional entity. Therefore, investors cannot sue the trust (but they can file suits against trustees, as seen above). The principle of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) applies to mutual fund investments. The investor can claim his moneys from the scheme within 3 years. Payment will be based on prevailing NAV. If the investor claims the money after 3 years, then payment is based on the NAV at the end of 3 years If a security that was written off earlier is now recovered, within 2 years of closure of the scheme, and if the amounts are substantial, then the amount is to be paid to the old investors. In other cases, the amount is to be transferred to the Investor Education Fund maintained by each mutual fund. PAN No. and KYC documentation is compulsory for mutual fund investments. Only exception is micro-SIPs. Investors need to give their bank account details along with the redemption request. Adequate safeguards exist to protect the investors from the possibility of a scheme going bust. NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination

Sample Questions 1. NFOs other than ELSS can be open for a maximum of _____. a. 7 days b. 10 days c. 15 days d. 30 days 2. Legally, SAI is part of the SID. a. True b. False 3. Offer documents of mutual fund schemes are approved by SEBI. a. True b. False 4. Application form is attached to ______. a. SID b. SAI c. KIM d. None of the above 5. KIM has to be updated every 6 months. a. True b. False NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 101 Checklist of Learning Points Under the SEBI guidelines, NFOs other than ELSS and RGESS can remain open for a maximum of 15 days. Allotment of units or refund of moneys, as the case may be, should be done within 5 business days of closure of the scheme. Further, open-ended schemes have to re-open for sale / re-purchase within 5 business days of the allotment. Investors get to know the details of any NFO through the Offer Document, which is one of the most important sources of information about the scheme for investors. Investments by the investor are governed by the principle of caveat emptor i.e. let the buyer beware. Mutual Fund Offer Documents have two parts: (a) Scheme Information Document (SID), which has details of the scheme (b) Statement of Additional Information (SAI), which has statutory information about the mutual fund that is offering the scheme. In practice, SID and SAI are two separate documents, though the legal technicality is that SAI is part of the SID. Both documents need to be updated regularly. Offer Documents in the market are “vetted” by SEBI, though SEBI does not formally “approve” them. KIM is essentially a summary of the SID and SAI. It is more easily and widely distributed in the market. As per SEBI regulations, every application form is to be accompanied by the KIM. Debt funds have to make additional disclosures related to credit evaluation policy, sectors and types of investments (within specified limits) Mutual funds/AMCs are to make half yearly disclosures of their unaudited financial results on their respective website in a user-friendly and downloadable format. Sample Questions 1. Institutional distributors build reach through ______. a. Employees b. Agents c. Sub-brokers d. Any of the above 2. The maximum initial commission that a scheme can pay to distributors is ____. a. Nil b. 0.05% c. 1% d. 2% 3. The distributor can charge a fee from the investor. a. True b. False 4. Stock exchange brokers are permitted to distribute mutual funds without the requirement of passing the certifying test. a. True b. False 5. Trail commissions are linked to valuation of portfolio in the market. a. True b. False NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 115 Checklist of Learning Points The changing competitive context has led to the emergence of institutional channels of distribution, to supplement the individuals who distribute mutual funds. Institutional channels build their reach through employees, agents and sub-brokers. AMCs keep exploring newer channels of distribution to increase the size of assets managed. The internet has increased the expectations of advice that investors have from their distributors. The stock exchange brokers have become a new channel for distribution of mutual funds. These brokers too need to pass the prescribed test, get the AMFI Registration No. and get themselves empanelled with AMCs whose schemes they want to distribute. The scheme application forms carry a suitable disclosure to the effect that the upfront commission to distributors will be paid by the investor directly to the distributor, based on his assessment of various factors including the service rendered by the distributor. AMCs pay a trail commission for the period the investment is held in the scheme. Since trail commission is calculated as a percentage on AUM, distributors get the benefit of valuation gains in the market.

1. Net assets of a scheme are nothing but its investment portfolio. a. True b. False 2. The difference between NAV and re-purchase price is _______. a. Entry Load b. Exit Load c. Expense d. Dividend Stripping 3. NAV of income funds is to be calculated upto ___ decimals. a. 4 b. 3 c. 2 d. 1 4. Securities Transaction Tax is applicable to Equity Schemes. a. True b. False 5. Wealth tax is payable at the applicable rates on equity mutual fund units. a. True b. False 6. For a debt scheme with corpus of Rs. 250 cr, what is the maximum amount that can be charged by the AMC as recurring expense, if all moneys have come from the Top 15 cities? a. Rs. 5.625 cr b. Rs. 5 cr c. Rs. 4.625 cr d. Rs. 5.25 cr NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 135 Checklist of Learning Points The unit-holders’ funds in the scheme is commonly referred to as “net assets”. Net asset includes the amounts originally invested, the profits booked in the scheme, as well as appreciation in the investment portfolio. It goes up when the market goes up, even if the investments have not been sold. A scheme cannot show better profits by delaying payments. While calculating profits, all the expenses that relate to a period need to be considered, irrespective of whether or not the expense has been paid. In accounting jargon, this is called accrual principle. Similarly, any income that relates to the period will boost profits, irrespective of whether or not it has been actually received in the bank account. This again is in line with the accrual principle. In the market, when people talk of NAV, they refer to the value of each unit of the scheme. Higher the interest, dividend and capital gains earned by the scheme, higher would be the NAV. Higher the appreciation in the investment portfolio, higher would be the NAV. Lower the expenses, higher would be the NAV. The difference between the NAV and Re-purchase Price is called the “exit load”. Schemes can also calibrate the load when investors offer their units for re-purchase. Investors would be incentivized to hold their units longer, by reducing the load as the unit holding period increased. Such structures of load are called “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC) SEBI has banned entry loads. So, the Sale Price needs to be the same as NAV. Exit loads / CDSC have to be credited back to the scheme immediately i.e. they are not available for the AMC to bear selling expenses. AMCs can deduct Transaction Charges from subscriptions/purchases over Rs. 10,000 in case of distributors who have opted to receive transaction charges. Initial issue expenses need to be met by the AMC. There are limits to the recurring expenses that can be charged to the scheme. These are linked to the nature of the scheme and its net assets. The recurring expense limit can be higher, depending on the amount mobilised from locations other than the Top 15 cities in India. Dividends can be paid out of distributable reserves. SEBI has prescribed a conservative approach to its calculation. NAV is to be calculated upto 4 decimal places in the case of index funds, liquid funds and other debt funds. NAV for equity and balanced funds is to be calculated upto at least 2 decimal places. Investors can hold their units even in a fraction of 1 unit. However, current stock exchange trading systems may restrict transacting on the exchange to whole units. Detailed norms on valuation of debt and equity securities determine the valuation of the portfolio, and therefore the NAV of every scheme. Mutual funds are exempt from tax. However, Securities Transaction Tax (STT) is applicable on sale / redemption transactions in units of equity mutual fund schemes. NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 136 Additional tax on income distributed (Dividend distribution tax) is applicable on dividends paid by debt mutual fund schemes. Taxability of capital gains and treatment of capital losses is different between equity and debt schemes, and also between short term and long term. Upto 1 year investment holding is treated as short term for equity schemes. In the case of debt schemes, upto 3 year investment holding is treated as short term. There is no Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) on dividend payments or re-purchase payments to resident investors. Withholding tax is applicable for some non-resident investors. Setting of capital losses against capital gains and other income is subject to limitations to prevent tax avoidance. Investment in mutual fund units is exempt from Wealth Tax.

Sample Questions 1. As per SEBI regulations, foreign nationals are permitted to invest in Indian mutual funds, subject to KYC. a. True b. False 2. PAN Card is not required for mutual fund investments below Rs 20,000 per mutual fund per financial year, where payment is in cash. a. True b. False 3. Investments in mutual fund can be made using _____. a. Cheque / DD b. Remittance c. ASBA d. Any of the above 4. Cut-off timing guidelines are not applicable for _____. a. NFOs b. International Funds c. Both of the above d. None of the above 5. STP is a combination of SIP and SWP. a. True b. False 6. Investors’ KYC details are stored in the server of _____. a. AMC b. AMFI c. SEBI d. KRA NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 165 Checklist of Learning Points Individual and non-individual investors are permitted to invest in mutual funds in India. Qualified Foreign Investors who comply with KYC requirements too can invest. The ‘Who can invest’ section of the Offer Document is the best source to check on eligibility to invest. Besides KYC, non-individual investors need to provide additional documentation to support their investment. Board resolution authorises the company to invest in mutual fund schemes. Demat makes it possible to trade in Units in the stock exchange. Full application form is to be filled for a first time investment in a mutual fund through the off-line route. Thereafter, additional investments in the same mutual fund are simpler. Only transaction slip would need to be filled. Investors can pay for their Unit purchases through cheque / DD, Net-based remittances, ECS / Standing Instructions or ASBA. M-Banking is likely to increase in importance in the days to come. Non-resident investment on repatriation basis has to be paid through cheque on NRE account, or a banker’s certificate that investment is made out of moneys remitted from abroad. Transaction Slip can be used for re-purchase. Investors can indicate the amount to re-purchase or the number of units to re-purchase. Cut-off timings have been specified for different types of schemes and different contexts to determine the applicable NAV for sale and re-purchase transactions. These are not applicable for NFOs. Time Stamping is a mechanism to ensure that the cut-off timing is strictly followed. NSE’s platform is called NEAT MFSS. BSE’s platform is BSE StAR Mutual Funds Platform. On both these platforms, transactions are allowed in both demat as well as physical form. Dividend payout, Dividend investment and Growth are 3 possible options within a scheme. Each option has different implications on the investor’s bank account, investor’s taxation and scheme NAV. A constant amount is regularly invested in SIP, withdrawn in SWP and transferred between schemes in STP. These minimize the risk of timing the decisions wrongly. Triggers are another way of bringing discipline into investing. Nomination and Pledge options are available for mutual fund investors.

Sample Questions 1. Fundamental analysis is evaluation of the strength of the company’s price-volume charts. a. True b. False 2. In a top-down approach, sector allocation precedes stock selection. a. True b. False 3. Which of the following is a truly international asset class? a. Real Estate b. Equity c. Debt d. Gold 4. Loads and taxes may account for the difference between scheme returns and investor returns. a. True b. False 5. The most appropriate measure of returns for a scheme in existence for several years is ______. a. Simple Return b. Dividend Return c. Annualised Return d. CAGR 6. Risk can be measured by ______. a. Variance b. Standard Deviation c. Beta d. Any of the above NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 196 Checklist of Learning Points The portfolio is the main driver of returns in a mutual fund scheme. The underlying factors are different for each asset class. Fundamental Analysis and Technical Analysis are two disciplines of securities analysis. Fundamental Analysis entails review of the company’s fundamentals viz. financial statements, quality of management, competitive position in its product / service market etc. Technical analysts study price-volume charts of the company’s share prices. It is generally agreed that longer term investment decisions are best taken through a fundamental analysis approach, while technical analysis comes in handy for shorter term speculative decisions, including intra-day trading. Even where a fundamental analysis-based decision has been taken on a stock, technical analysis might help decide when to implement the decision i.e. the timing. Growth investment style entails investing in high growth stocks. Value investment style is an approach of picking up stocks, which are valued lower, based on fundamental analysis. In a top-down approach, sector allocation is the key decision. Stock selection is important in bottom-up approach. The returns in a debt portfolio are largely driven by interest rates and yield spreads. If the portfolio manager expects interest rates to rise, then the portfolio is switched towards a higher proportion of floating rate instruments; or fixed rate instruments of shorter tenor. On the other hand, if the expectation is that interest rates would fall, then the manager increases the exposure to longer term fixed rate debt securities. This additional return offered by a non-government issuer, above the yield that the government offers, is called yield spread. Better the credit quality, lower the yield spread. Gold is a truly international asset, whose quality can be objectively measured. The value of gold in India depends on the international price of gold (which is quoted in foreign currency), the exchange rate for converting the currency into Indian rupees, and any duties on the import of gold. Unlike gold, which is a global asset, real estate is a local asset. It cannot be transported – and its value is driven by local factors. Returns can be measured in various ways – Simple Returns, Annualised Returns, Compounded Returns and Compounded Annual Growth Rate. CAGR assumes that all dividend payouts are re-invested in the scheme at the ex-dividend NAV. SEBI guidelines govern disclosures of return by mutual fund schemes. Loads and taxes pull the investor’s returns below that earned by the Scheme. Investor returns are also influenced by various actions of the investor himself. Risks in mutual fund schemes would depend on the nature of portfolio, its liquidity, outside liabilities and composition of unit-holders. NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 197 Fluctuation in returns is a measure of risk. Variance and Standard Deviation are risk measures for all kinds of schemes; beta is relevant for equity; modified duration and weighted average maturity are applicable for debt schemes. Benchmarking is a form of relative returns comparison. It helps in assessing under-performance or out-performance. Choice of benchmark depends on scheme type, choice of investment universe, choice of portfolio concentration and the underlying exposure. Sharpe Ratio, Treynor Ratio and Alpha are bases to evaluate a fund manager’s performance based on risk-adjusted returns. Quantitative measures are based on historical performance, which may or may not be replicated in future. Scheme evaluation is an art, not a science.

Sample Questions 1. Equity markets are more predictable in the long term than the short. a. True b. False 2. Arbitrage funds are meant to give better equity risk exposure. a. True b. False 3. The comparable for a liquid scheme is _______. a. Equity scheme b. Balanced Scheme c. Gilt Fund d. Savings Bank account 4. Which of the following aspects of portfolio would an investor in a debt scheme give most importance? a. Sector selection b. Stock selection c. Weighted Average Maturity d. Number of securities in portfolio 5. Mutual fund ranking and rating amount to the same. a. True b. False NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 212 Checklist of Learning Points Asset allocation is the approach of spreading one’s investments between multiple asset classes to diversify the underlying risk. The sequence of decision making in selecting a scheme is: Step 1 – Deciding on the scheme category (based on asset allocation); Step 2 – Selecting a scheme within the category; Step 3 – Selecting the right option within the scheme. While investing in equity funds, a principle to internalize is that markets are more predictable in the long term, than in the short term. So, it is better to consider equity funds, when the investment horizon is adequately long. In an actively managed diversified fund, the fund manager performs the role of ensuring higher exposure to the better performing sectors or stocks. An investor, investing or taking money out of a sector fund has effectively taken up the role of making the sector choices. It can be risky to invest in mid-cap / small cap funds during periods of economic turmoil. As the economy recovers, and investors start investing in the market, the valuations in front-line stocks turn expensive. At this stage, the mid-cap / small cap funds offer attractive investment opportunities. Over longer periods, some of the mid/small cap companies have the potential to become large-cap companies thus rewarding investors. Arbitrage funds are not meant for equity risk exposure, but to lock into a better risk-return relationship than liquid funds – and ride on the tax benefits that equity schemes offer. The comparable for a liquid scheme in the case of retail investors is a savings bank account. Switching some of the savings bank deposits into liquid schemes can improve the returns for him. Businesses, which in any case do not earn a return on their current account, can transfer some of the surpluses to liquid schemes. Balanced schemes offer the benefit of diversity of asset classes within the scheme. A single investment gives exposure to both debt and equity. Investors need to understand the structure of the gold schemes more closely, before investing. Equity investors would like to convince themselves that the sectors and companies where the scheme has taken higher exposure, are sectors / companies that are indeed promising. Debt investors would ensure that the weighted average maturity of the portfolio is in line with their view on interest rates. Investors in non-gilt debt schemes will keep an eye on credit quality of the portfolio – and watch out for sector concentration in the portfolio, even if the securities have a high credit rating. Any cost is a drag on investor’s returns. Investors need to be particularly careful about the cost structure of debt schemes. NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 213 Amongst index schemes, tracking error is a basis to select the better scheme. Lower the tracking error, the better it is. Similarly, Gold ETFs need to be selected based on how well they track gold prices. Mutual fund research agencies assign a rank to the performance of each scheme within a scheme category (ranking). Some of these analyses cluster the schemes within a category into groups, based on well-defined performance traits (rating). Seeking to be invested in the best fund in every category in every quarter is neither an ideal objective, nor a feasible target proposition. Indeed, the costs associated with switching between schemes are likely to severely impact the investors’ returns. The underlying returns in a scheme, arising out of its portfolio and cost economics, is what is available for investors in its various options viz. Dividend payout, dividend re-investment and growth options. Dividend payout option has the benefit of money flow to the investor; growth option has the benefit of letting the money grow in the fund on gross basis (i.e. without annual taxation). Dividend re-investment option neither gives the cash flows nor allows the money to grow in the fund on gross basis. Taxation and liquidity needs are a factor in deciding between the options. The advisor needs to understand the investor’s situation before advising. Many AMCs, distribution houses and mutual fund research houses offer free tools in their website to help understand performance of schemes. NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 214 Sample Questions 1. More than 50% of the wealth of Indians is held in physical assets. a. True b. False 2. Gold Futures are superior to ETF Gold as a vehicle for life-long investment in gold. a. True b. False 3. As regards wealth tax, ETF Gold is superior to physical gold. a. True b. False 4. The National Pension System is regulated by ______. a. SEBI b. IRDA c. PFRDA d. AMFI 5. An investor under the National Pension System can choose which of the following asset classes? a. Equities b. Corporate debt c. Government Securities d. All of the above NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 223 Checklist of Learning Points Physical assets like land, building and gold have value and can be touched, felt and used. Financial assets have value, but cannot be touched, felt or used as part of their core value. Shares, debentures, fixed deposits, bank accounts and mutual fund schemes are all examples of financial assets that investors normally invest in. The difference in comfort is perhaps a reason why more than half the wealth of Indians is locked in physical assets. There are four financial asset alternatives to holding gold in physical form – ETF Gold, Gold Sector Fund, Gold Futures & Gold Deposits. Wealth Tax is applicable on gold holding (beyond the jewellery meant for personal use). However, mutual fund schemes (gold linked or otherwise) and gold deposit schemes are exempted from Wealth Tax. Real estate in physical form has several disadvantages. Therefore, investors worldwide prefer financial assets as a form of real estate investment. Bank deposits and mutual fund debt schemes have their respective merits and demerits. Pension Funds Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) is the regulator for the National Pension System. Two kinds of pension accounts are offered: Tier I (Pension account), is non-withdrawable. Tier II (Savings account) is withdrawable to meet financial contingencies. An active Tier I account is a pre-requisite for opening a Tier II account. The NPS offers fewer portfolio choices than mutual funds. However, NPS offers the convenience of a single Personal Retirement Account Number (PRAN), which is applicable across all the PFMs where the investor’s money is invested. Further, the POPs offer services related to moneys invested with any of the PFMs.

Sample Questions 1. Today’s costs can be translated into future requirement of funds using the formula: a. A = P X (1 + i)n b. A = P / (1 + i)n c. P = A n X (1 + i) d. P = A n X (1 + i) 2. Providing funds for a daughter’s marriage is an example of _______. a. Goal-oriented Financial Plan b. Comprehensive Financial Plan c. Financial goal d. None of the above 3. According to the Certified Financial Planner – Board of Standards (USA), the first stage in financial planning is _____________. a. Analyse and Evaluate Client’s Financial Status b. Establish and Define the Client-Planner Relationship c. Gather Client Data, Define Client Goals d. Develop and Present Financial Planning Recommendations and / or Options 4. Investor can get into long term investment commitments in ________. a. Distribution Phase b. Transition Phase c. Inter-generational Phase d. Accumulation Phase 5. Distribution phase of Wealth Cycle is a parallel of Retirement phase of Life Cycle. a. True b. False NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 236 Checklist of Learning Points Financial planning is a planned and systematic approach to provide for the financial goals that will help people realise their aspirations, and feel happy. The costs related to financial goals, in today’s terms, need to be translated into the rupee requirement in future. This is done using the formula A = P X (1 + i)n The objective of financial planning is to ensure that the right amount of money is available at the right time to meet the various financial goals of the investor. An objective of financial planning is also to let the investor know in advance, if some financial goal is not likely to be fulfilled. The process of financial planning helps in understanding the investor better, and cementing the relationship with the investor’s family. This becomes the basis for a long term relationship between the investor and the financial planner. A “goal-oriented financial plan” is a financial plan for a specific goal. An alternate approach is a “comprehensive financial plan” where all the financial goals of a person are taken together, and the investment strategies worked out on that basis The Certified Financial Planner – Board of Standards (USA) proposes the following sequence of steps for a comprehensive financial plan: • Establish and Define the Client-Planner Relationship • Gather Client Data, Define Client Goals • Analyse and Evaluate Client’s Financial Status • Develop and Present Financial Planning Recommendations and / or Options • Implement the Financial Planning Recommendations • Monitor the Financial Planning Recommendations Life Cycle and Wealth cycle approaches help understand the investor better.

Sample Questions 1. Risk appetite of investors is assessed through _______. a. Risk Appetizers b. Asset Allocators c. Risk Profilers d. Financial Plan 2. The objective of asset allocation is risk management. a. True b. False 3. The asset allocation that is worked out for an investor based on risk profiling is called _______. a. Tactical Asset Allocation b. Fixed Asset Allocation c. Flexible Asset Allocation d. Strategic Asset Allocation 4. Model portfolios are a waste of time for financial planners. a. True b. False 5. How much equity would you suggest for a young well settled unmarried individual a. 100% b. 80% c. 60% d. 40% NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 243 Checklist of Learning Points There are differences between investors with respect to the levels of risk they are comfortable with (risk appetite). Risk profiling is an approach to understand the risk appetite of investors - an essential pre-requisite to advise investors on their investments. Risk profilers have their limitations. Risk profile is influenced by personal information, family information and financial information. Spreading one’s exposure across different asset classes (equity, debt, gold, real estate etc.) balances the risk. Some international researches suggest that asset allocation and investment policy can better explain portfolio performance, as compared to being exposed to the right asset classes (asset allocation) is a more critical driver of portfolio profitability than selection of securities within an asset class (stock selection) and investment timing. Strategic Asset Allocation is the ideal that comes out of the risk profile of the individual. Tactical Asset Allocation is the decision that comes out of calls on the likely behaviour of the market. Financial planners often work with model portfolios – the asset allocation mix that is most appropriate for different risk appetite levels. The financial planner would have a model portfolio for every distinct client profile. NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 244 List of Abbreviations A/A Articles of Association ACE AMFI Code of Ethics AMC Asset Management Company AMFI Association of Mutual Funds in India AML Anti-Money Laundering ARN AMFI Registration Number ASBA Application Supported by Blocked Amount CAGR Compounded Annual Growth Rate CDSC Contingent Deferred Sales Charge CFT Combating Financing of Terrorism CVL CDSL Ventures Ltd DD Demand Draft DDT Dividend Distribution Tax (Additional Tax on Income Distribution) DP Depository Participant ECS Electronic Clearing Service F&O Futures & Options FCNR Foreign Currency Non-Resident account FEMA Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 FII Foreign Institutional Investor FIRC Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate FMP Fixed Maturity Plan HUF Hindu Undivided Family IPV In Person Verification ISC Investor Service Centre KIM Key Information Memorandum KRA KYC Registration Agency KYC Know Your Customer M/A Memorandum of Association M-Banking Mobile Banking MF Mutual Fund Micro-SIP SIP with annual aggregate investment less than Rs50,000 NAV Net Asset Value NBFC Non-Banking Finance Company NEFT National Electronic Funds Transfer NFO New Fund Offer NOC No Objection Certificate NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 245 NPA Non-Performing Asset NRE Non-Resident External account NRI Non-Resident Indian NRO Non-Resident Ordinary account OCI Overseas Citizenship of India PAN Permanent Account Number PDC Post-Dated Cheques PFM Pension Fund Manager PFRDA Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority PIO Person of Indian Origin PMLA Prevention of Money Laundering Act PoA Power of Attorney/ Points of Acceptance, depending on context POP Points of Presence QFI Qualified Foreign Investors RBI Reserve Bank of India RTA Registrars & Transfer Agents RTGS Real Time Gross Settlement SAI Statement of Additional Information SEBI Securities & Exchange Board of India SID Scheme Information Document SIP Systematic Investment Plan SRO Self Regulatory Organisation STP Systematic Transfer Plan STT Securities Transaction Tax SWP Systematic Withdrawal Plan SWIFT Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication NISM-Series-V-A: Mutual Fund Distributors Certification Examination 246 Reading List AMFI (www.amfiindia.com) BSE (www.bseindia.com) Credence Analytics (www.credenceanalytics.com) CRISIL (www.crisil.com) Lipper (www.lipperweb.com) Morning Star (www.morningstar.com) NSE (www.nseindia.com) RBI (www.rbi.org.in) SEBI (www.sebi.gov.in) - Mutual Funds Section Value Research (www.valueresearchonline.com)