The Handbook is intended for a diverse and global audience: CFA Institute members navigating ambiguous ethical situations; supervisors and direct/indirect reports determining the nature of their responsibilities to each other, to existing and potential clients, and to the broader financial markets; and candidates preparing for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) examinations.
CFA INSTITUTE 560 RAY C. HUNT DRIVE P.O. BOX 3668 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA 22903-0668 USA STANDARDS OF PRACTICE HANDBOOK TENTH EDITION 2010 2010 STANDARDS OF PRACTICE HANDBOOK TENTH EDITION CFA INSTITUTE Standards of Practice Handbook 2010.indd 1Standards of Practice Handbook 2010.indd 1 5/13/2010 9:23:34 AM5/13/2010 9:23:34 AM Preface.fm Page xii Thursday, April 15, 2010 8:40 AM Standards of Practice Handbook TENTH EDITION 2010 SOPH 10TH ED 2010.book Page i Thursday, April 15, 2010 8:28 AM ©2010, 2006, 2005, 1999, 1996, 1992, 1990, 1988, 1986, 1985 (supplement), 1984, 1982, by CFA Institute All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission of the copyright holder. Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be mailed to: CFA Institute, Permissions Department, P.O. Box 3668, Charlottesville, VA 22903. CFA ® , Chartered Financial Analyst ® , AIMR-PPS ® , and GIPS ® are just a few of the trademarks owned by CFA Institute. To view a list of CFA Institute trademarks and the Guide for the Use of CFA Institute Marks, please visit our website at www.cfainstitute.org. ISBN 978-0-938367-22-2 Printed in the United States of America 4 June 2010 SOPH 10TH ED 2010.book Page ii Thursday, April 15, 2010 8:28 AM Contents Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Why Ethics Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Standard I: Professionalism A. Knowledge of the Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 B. Independence and Objectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 C. Misrepresentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 D. Misconduct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Standard II: Integrity of Capital Markets A. Material Nonpublic Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 B. Market Manipulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Standard III: Duties to Clients A. Loyalty, Prudence, and Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 B. Fair Dealing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 C. Suitability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 D. Performance Presentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 E. Preservation of Confidentiality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Standard IV: Duties to Employers A. Loyalty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 B. Additional Compensation Arrangements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 C. Responsibilities of Supervisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Standard V: Investment Analysis, Recommendations, and Actions A. Diligence and Reasonable Basis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 B. Communication with Clients and Prospective Clients . . . . . . . 137 C. Record Retention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Standard VI: Conflicts of Interest A. Disclosure of Conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 B. Priority of Transactions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 C. Referral Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 SOPH 10TH ED 2010.book Page iii Thursday, April 15, 2010 8:28 AM Standard VII: Responsibilities as a CFA Institute Member or CFA Candidate A. Conduct as Members and Candidates in the CFA Program. . . 173 B. Reference to CFA Institute, the CFA Designation, and the CFA Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Sample CFA Institute Standards of Practice Exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 SOPH 10TH ED 2010.book Page iv Thursday, April 15, 2010 8:28 AM 2010 CFA INSTITUTE preface v Preface The Standards of Practice Handbook (Handbook) provides guidance to the people who grapple with real ethical dilemmas in the investment profession on a daily basis; the Handbook addresses the professional intersection where theory meets practice and where the concept of ethical behavior crosses from the abstract to the concrete. The Handbook is intended for a diverse and global audience: CFA Institute members navigating ambiguous ethical situations; supervisors and direct/indirect reports determining the nature of their responsibilities to each other, to existing and potential clients, and to the broader financial markets; and candidates preparing for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) examinations. Recent events in the global financial markets have tested the ethical mettle of financial market participants, including CFA Institute members. The standards taught in the CFA Program and by which CFA Institute members and candidates must abide represent timeless ethical principles and professional conduct for all market conditions. Through adherence to these standards, which continue to serve as the model for ethical behavior in the investment professional globally, each market participant does his or her part to improve the integrity and efficient operations of the financial markets. The Handbook provides guidance in understanding the interconnected- ness of the principles and provisions of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct (Code and Standards). Individually, the principles outline the high level of ethical conduct required from CFA Institute members and candidates. However, applying the principles individually may not capture the complexity of ethical requirements related to the investment industry. The Code and Standards should be viewed and interpreted as an interwoven tapestry of ethical requirements. Through members’ and candidates’ adherence to these principles as a whole, the integrity of and trust in the capital markets are improved. Evolution of the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct Generally, changes to the Code and Standards over the years have been minor. CFA Institute has revised the language of the Code and Standards and occasionally added a new standard to address a prominent issue of the day. For instance, in 1992, CFA Institute added the standard addressing performance presentation to the existing list of standards. Major changes came in 2005 with the ninth edition of the Handbook. CFA Institute adopted new standards, revised some existing standards, and reorganized the standards. The revisions were intended to clarify the requirements of the Code and Standards and effectively convey to its global membership what constitutes “best practice” in a number of areas relating to the investment profession. Preface.fm Page v Thursday, April 15, 2010 8:40 AM vi standards of practice handbook 2010 CFA INSTITUTE The Code and Standards must be regularly reviewed and updated if they are to remain effective and continue to represent the highest ethical standards in the global investment industry. CFA Institute strongly believes that revisions of the Code and Standards are not undertaken for cosmetic change but to add value by addressing legitimate concerns and improving comprehension. Changes to the Code and Standards have far-reaching implications for the CFA Institute membership, the CFA Program, and the investment industry as a whole. CFA Institute members and candidates are required to adhere to the Code and Standards. In addition, the Code and Standards are increasingly being adopted, in whole or in part, by firms and regula- tory authorities. Their relevance goes well beyond CFA Institute members and candidates. Standards of Practice Handbook The periodic revisions to the Code and Standards have come in conjunction with updates of the Standards of Practice Handbook. The Handbook is the fundamental element of the ethics education effort of CFA Institute and the primary resource for guidance in interpreting and implementing the Code and Standards. The Handbook seeks to educate members and candidates on how to apply the Code and Standards to their professional lives and thereby benefit their clients, employers, and the investing public in general. The Handbook explains the purpose of the Code and Standards and how they apply in a variety of situations. The sections discuss and amplify each standard and suggest procedures to prevent violations. Examples in the “Application of the Standard” sections are meant to illustrate how the standard applies to hypothetical but factual situations. The names contained in the examples are fictional and are not meant to refer to any actual person or entity. Unless otherwise stated, individuals in each example are CFA Institute members and holders of the CFA desig- nation. Because factual circumstances vary so widely and often involve gray areas, the explanatory material and examples are not intended to be all inclusive. Many examples set forth in the application sections involve standards that have legal counterparts; members are strongly urged to discuss with their supervisors and legal and compliance departments the content of the Code and Standards and the members’ general obligations under the Code and Standards. CFA Institute recognizes that the presence of any set of ethical standards may create a false sense of security unless the documents are fully under- stood, enforced, and made a meaningful part of everyday professional activities. The Handbook is intended to provide a useful frame of reference that suggests ethical professional behavior in the investment decision- making process. This book cannot cover every contingency or circum- stance, however, and it does not attempt to do so. The development and interpretation of the Code and Standards are evolving processes; the Code and Standards will be subject to continuing refinement. Preface.fm Page vi Thursday, April 15, 2010 8:40 AM 2010 CFA INSTITUTE preface vii Summary of Changes in the Tenth Edition The comprehensive review of the Code and Standards in 2005 resulted in principle requirements that remain applicable today. The review carried out for the tenth edition focused on updates to the guidance and examples within the Handbook. In the tenth edition, the changes relate primarily to the growing diversity of the CFA Institute membership and CFA Program candidate base and aim to make specific guidance easier to understand. Clarification of Standard III(A). Standard III(A) Duties to Clients– Loyalty, Prudence, and Care was shortened to improve clarity. The third sentence was deleted to avoid possible misinterpretations of the members’ or candidates’ required duties to their clients. The principle contained in the deleted sentence already has been established in Standard I(A) regarding the responsibility to adhere to the most strict legal, regulatory, or CFA Institute requirements. Deletion: In relationships with clients, Members and Candidates must determine applicable fiduciary duty and must comply with such duty to persons and interests to whom it is owed. Why Ethics Matters. A new opening chapter was added to the Handbook to broaden the discussion of the importance of ethics to the investment profession. The chapter addresses market integrity and sustainability, the role of CFA Institute, and the importance of ongoing awareness of and education about changes in the investment industry. Text Revisions. As the investment industry and, as a result, CFA Institute membership have become more global, the use of English that can be easily understood and translated into different languages has become critical. Therefore, in some places, CFA Institute has eliminated, modified, or added language for clarity, even though it is not the intent to change the meaning of a particular provision. Guidance Table. To keep the Handbook as a primary resource for mem- bers and candidates as they tackle ethical dilemmas, bulleted tables were added to help the reader locate the guidance within a standard that is most applicable to the situations that may occur in daily professional life. The Code and Standards must not be viewed as something solely to be learned to pass the CFA examinations; its principles are intended to play an active role in everyday decision making. Example Highlight. In a continued effort to assist readers in locating examples of situations similar to issues they are facing, this update includes a brief descriptive heading for each example in the “Application of the Standard” sections. The heading notes the principle being addressed or the nature of the example. Preface.fm Page vii Thursday, April 15, 2010 8:40 AM viii standards of practice handbook 2010 CFA INSTITUTE Cross-Standard Examples. To further highlight the applicability of multi- ple standards to a single set of facts, some examples are used several times. The single or slightly modified facts are accompanied by comments directed to the standard in question. The other standards using the same example are noted at the end of the comments. CFA Institute Professional Conduct Program All CFA Institute members and candidates enrolled in the CFA Program are required to comply with the Code and Standards. The CFA Institute Board of Governors maintains oversight and responsibility for the Profes- sional Conduct Program (PCP), which, in conjunction with the Disciplinary Review Committee (DRC), is responsible for enforcement of the Code and Standards. The CFA Institute Bylaws and Rules of Procedure for Proceed- ings Related to Professional Conduct (Rules of Procedure) form the basic structure for enforcing the Code and Standards. The Rules of Procedure are based on two primary principles: (1) fair process to the member and candidate and (2) confidentiality of proceedings. Professional Conduct staff, under the direction of the CFA Institute Designated Officer, conducts professional conduct inquiries. Several cir- cumstances can prompt an inquiry. First, members and candidates must self- disclose on the annual Professional Conduct Statement all matters that question their professional conduct, such as involvement in civil litigation or a criminal investigation or being the subject of a written complaint. Second, written complaints received by Professional Conduct staff can bring about an investigation. Third, CFA Institute staff may become aware of questionable conduct by a member or candidate through the media or another public source. Fourth, CFA examination proctors may submit a violation report for any candidate suspected to have compromised his or her professional conduct during the examination. When an inquiry is initiated, the Professional Conduct staff conducts an investigation that may include requesting a written explanation from the member or candidate; interviewing the member or candidate, complaining parties, and third parties; and collecting documents and records in support of its investigation. The Designated Officer, upon reviewing the material obtained during the investigation, may conclude the inquiry with no disci- plinary sanction, issue a cautionary letter, or continue proceedings to discipline the member or candidate. If the Designated Officer finds that a violation of the Code and Standards occurred, the Designated Officer proposes a disciplinary sanction, which may be rejected or accepted by the member or candidate. If the member or candidate does not accept the proposed sanction, the matter is referred to a hearing panel composed of DRC members and CFA Institute member volunteers affiliated with the DRC. The hearing panel reviews materials and presentations from the Designated Officer and from Preface.fm Page viii Thursday, April 15, 2010 8:40 AM [...]... hope this edition of the Handbook will assist and guide investment professionals in meeting the ethical demands of the highly interconnected global capital markets 4 standards of practice handbook 2010 CFA INSTITUTE Code and Standards.fm Page 5 Thursday, April 15, 2010 9:15 AM CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct Preamble The CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of... she is fondly remembered as a unique talent, quick wit, valued colleague, model of human decency, and a humble, beloved friend 2010 CFA INSTITUTE preface xi Preface.fm Page xii Thursday, April 15, 2010 8:40 AM Why Ethics Matters.fm Page 1 Thursday, April 15, 2010 9:10 AM Why Ethics Matters The adherence of investment professionals to ethical practices benefits all market participants and increases investor... members and candidates in the CFA Program The Code works in tandem with the Standards, which outline conduct that constitutes fair and ethical business practices 2010 CFA INSTITUTE why ethics matters 1 Why Ethics Matters.fm Page 2 Thursday, April 15, 2010 9:10 AM For more than 40 years, CFA Institute members and candidates in the CFA Program have been required to abide by the organization’s Code and Standards... global financial markets as an aspect of the broader context of the application of the Code and Standards Those in positions of authority have 2 standards of practice handbook 2010 CFA INSTITUTE Why Ethics Matters.fm Page 3 Thursday, April 15, 2010 9:10 AM a special responsibility to consider the broader context of market sustainability in their development and approval of corporate policies, particularly... investment professionals can find themselves in circumstances that may tempt them to cut corners Situational influences can overpower the best of intentions 2010 CFA INSTITUTE why ethics matters 3 Why Ethics Matters.fm Page 4 Thursday, April 15, 2010 9:10 AM To assist members and candidates in adhering to the principles of the Code and Standards, CFA Institute has made a significant commitment to provide... expected in all investment professionals x standards of practice handbook 2010 CFA INSTITUTE Preface.fm Page xi Thursday, April 15, 2010 8:40 AM As FAF/AIMR staff representative to the predecessor committees to the Standards of Practice Council, Mildred was instrumental in the development of the first edition of the Standards of Practice Handbook and continued her direct involvement with the four subsequent... trust Trust is hard earned and easily lost; corporations and individuals can safeguard themselves by committing to the highest standards of ethics and professional conduct Ethics is not merely a virtue to be demonstrated by CFA Institute members and candidates Ethics must permeate all levels of our profession Serving the best interests of the investing clients and employers lies at the heart of what... organization, or in other words, all participants in the process will know that ethics genuinely matters Ethics and CFA Institute An important goal of CFA Institute is to ensure that the organization and its members develop, promote, and follow the highest ethical standards in the investment industry The CFA Institute Code of Ethics (Code) and Standards of Professional Conduct (Standards) are the foundation... firm’s code of ethics Those who claim compliance should fully understand the requirements of each of the principles of the Code and Standards Once a party—nonmember or firm—ensures its code of ethics meets the principles of the Code and Standards, that party should make the following statement whenever claiming compliance: “[Insert name of party] claims compliance with the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and... improve the competence of other investment professionals 2010 CFA INSTITUTE code and standards 5 Code and Standards.fm Page 6 Thursday, April 15, 2010 9:15 AM Standards of Professional Conduct I A Knowledge of the Law Members and Candidates must understand and comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations (including the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct) of any