CIFC®: Canadian Investment Funds Course (Live Online)

Overview

The Canadian Investment Funds Course (CIFC) provides students with in-depth knowledge of mutual funds. This course is delivered in partnership with the IFSE Institute.

Students will be taught about the various types of mutual funds, the forms to evaluate performance and client’s objectives. This course focuses on case studies and the real-life issues relating to mutual funds sales and individual compliance. By the end of the course, students will have a solid foundation of what they need to know to be a dealing representative in mutual funds.

The sequence of instruction mirrors the process normally followed with clients in the real world. Lessons provide multiple and concurrent challenges that require integrating many different skills and putting theoretical knowledge into practice. The result is a complete picture of how to structure various solutions for diverse client needs.

The successful completion of the CIFC exam meets the proficiency requirement by the provincial securities commissions for mutual fund licencing.

Topics Covered/Learning Objectives

Unit 1: Regulatory Environment

• Lesson 1: Regulatory Bodies
• Lesson 2: Regulations

Unit 2: Registrant Responsibilities

• Lesson 1: Ethics
• Lesson 2: Compliance
• Lesson 3: Compliance Issues
• Lesson 4: Registration Requirements

Unit 3: Suitability

• Lesson 1: Strategic Investment Planning (SIP)
• Lesson 2: Suitability Requirement
• Lesson 3: Know Your Client (KYC)
• Lesson 4: Know Your Product (KYP)
• Lesson 5: Assessing Suitability

Unit 4: Economic Factors and Financial Markets

• Lesson 1: Economic Factors
• Lesson 2: Financial Markets
• Lesson 3: Canada’s Financial System

Unit 5: Types of Investments

• Lesson 1: Building Blocks of Mutual Funds
• Lesson 2: Fixed Income Securities
• Lesson 3: Bonds
• Lesson 4: Equities
• Lesson 5: Derivatives

Unit 6: Types of Mutual Funds

• Lesson 1: Introduction to Mutual Funds
• Lesson 2: Mutual Fund Categories
• Lesson 3: Conservative Mutual Funds
• Lesson 4: Growth-Oriented Mutual Funds
• Lesson 5: Competitive Products

Unit 7: Portfolio Management

• Lesson 1: The Portfolio Manager
• Lesson 2: Financial Analysis
• Lesson 3: Mutual Fund Performance and Risk

Unit 8: Mutual Funds Administration

• Lesson 1: Mutual Fund Organization
• Lesson 2: Purchasing Mutual Funds
• Lesson 3: Redeeming Mutual Funds
• Lesson 4: Fee Structure
• Lesson 5: Disclosure
• Lesson 6: Account Types

Unit 9: Retirement

• Lesson 1: Government and Employer Plans
• Lesson 2: Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs)
• Lesson 3: Withdrawing from RRSPs
• Lesson 4: Locked-In Accounts

Unit 10: Taxation

• Lesson 1: Canadian Tax System
• Lesson 2: Taxation of Investment Income
• Lesson 3: Taxation of Mutual Funds

Unit 11: Making Recommendations

• Lesson 1: Evaluating the Client
• Lesson 2: Selecting Mutual Funds
• Lesson 3: Asset Allocation
• Lesson 4: Tax-Efficient Strategies