Marcel is 16 years old and attends a boarding school in Ontario. He is a resident of New Brunswick and lives there with his parents in the summer months. After a recent family death, his father has been reviewing the family's life insurance coverage and suggests that Marcel apply for a policy on himself. He tells his son that he will pay the premium while he remains a student. Since Marcel won't be home for some time, his father asks him to meet with an agent in Ontario to apply for coverage. Which one of the following statements is correct regarding Marcel's application?
After meeting with his advisor Monica, Tom agrees to apply for a $50,000 whole life insurance policy. Monica tells him that the monthly premium will be $40 per month. Monica is advised by underwriting that Tom qualifies for an additional $10,000 critical illness rider, and that the new premium would be $50 per month. Monica advises underwriting that Tom accepts the additional coverage without speaking with him first, because it is such a good deal and great coverage, he won’t mind. When Tom finds out what she has accepted on his behalf, without his knowledge, he is upset and wants to lodge a complaint to someone other than the insurance company and Monica; he wants to speak with an independent third party. He finds the contact information for the local regulatory authority. What are some of the responsibilities the regulatory authority has in protecting clients like Tom?
Cecilia, a licensed life insurance agent, delivers a life insurance policy to her client Tony, a newly landed immigrant. Tony would like to pay the policy using the pre-authorized monthly payment method. However, he does not have a bank account in Canada yet and doubts he could find the time to open one in the next few days. Cecilia offers to open a savings account for him, but Tony is unsure whether she is licensed to do that. What should Cecilia tell Tony to reassure him that she can open a savings account on his behalf?
Samir applied for a life insurance policy 18 months ago. At the time of the application, he was employed as an accountant. Samir quit his accounting job 6 months ago to become a professional scuba diver.
Which of the following statements about Samir’s life insurance policy is CORRECT?
Ae-Cha starts working for the manufacturer, Premier Vibe Inc., a company that offers its employees group insurance with Sprout Life Insurance. Ae-Cha meets with Devon, the group insurance representative, and learns that her group plan includes $75,000 of life insurance coverage. Ae-Cha would like to know who designates the beneficiary on the life insurance.
Cassie applies for a $100,000 renewable 10-year term insurance policy through Mason, her insurance of persons representative. A month later, when Mason meets with Cassie again to deliver her contract, Cassie says she had to have a biopsy the previous week for a persistent cough. Mason tells her not to worry because the policy is already accepted. He completes the policy delivery. Six months later, Mason receives a call from Cassie's boyfriend informing him that Cassie died of stage 4 throat cancer.
How will the insurance company handle the claim?
After working nine years as an insurance agent, Jamie decides to make a change in her life and go back to school. A colleague she used to work with on personal health insurance congratulates her and tells her that he will pay her a flat fee for every health insurance referral she makes to him, as long as the referral results in a sale. What could be said about this referral arrangement?
Nine months ago, Osvaldo was instructed by his insurance agent, Jane, to write a cheque to renew his life insurance. Jane put the cheque in her wallet. She lost her wallet the very same day and completely forgot about Osvaldo’s payment. Some time later, Osvaldo died in a tragic car accident. His family made a claim for the death benefit, but was denied because the policy had lapsed. Who will have to compensate Osvaldo’s family for the loss of death benefit?
Mark and Jesse had a joint life insurance policy which they purchased on the advice of their insurance agent, recognizing that if one of them died, the other would need an insurance benefit to pay off their mortgage and for final expenses. Coverage is $450,000. Last week their car went off the road in a snowstorm. Both were declared dead at the scene. The two had named their adult nephew, Louis, as contingent beneficiary. What is the amount of the benefit the insurer will pay Louis?
Elizabeth is a seasoned insurance agent. She meets with Harold, a new agent, to help him better understand the industry and the processes that they must follow. Elizabeth tells Harold about a body that administers the regulatory system applicable to insurance intermediaries. Which of the following is Elizabeth referring to?
Josh is a successful insurance agent with Smart Insurance Inc. who mentors new agents and gives them tips on how to increase their client base. He tells Clarence, a new agent, that he should send an email to close friends and family members to explain the services that he now offers. Clarence is worried about sending unsolicited promotional emails because Firash, the compliance manager, had told him that the practice is not allowed. What legislation was Firash correctly referencing?
Danny purchases a $1,000,000 whole life insurance policy. He names his three daughters, Donna-Joe, Stephanie, and Michelle, as revocable beneficiaries with each receiving one-third of the death benefit.
If Michelle predeceases Danny, and Danny did not have a chance to modify his beneficiary designation, how will Danny’s death benefit be paid out?
Following the death of her sister Sarah last year, Yesha, the liquidator of Sarah's estate, had been in contact with Sarah’s insurance agent Monique on several occasions to claim the death benefit on Sarah’s life insurance policy.
Yesterday, Yesha noticed that Sarah also had a disability insurance policy with a return of premium option which stated that a portion of the premiums can be reimbursed upon her death. Yesha contacted Monique again and asked her for more details about the disability policy and return of premium option but Monique replied that she could not help her as her firm had destroyed Sarah's files shortly after paying out the death benefit.
Did Sarah’s firm act appropriately?
Paola, an employee at Horizon Pharmaceuticals, was recently diagnosed with depression. She is unable to work and is receiving tax-free disability insurance benefits due to her condition. Paola is deeply indebted, and her creditors have been garnishing a portion of her pay for the last year. She is worried about her creditors also garnishing her disability benefit.
Can her disability benefits be seized by her creditors?
Trisha is new to the insurance industry and wants to understand the primary responsibility of the Canadian Insurance Services Regulatory Organizations (CISRO). Which of the followingstatements about CISRO is CORRECT?
Kaamil meets with Omar, his insurance agent, to purchase a whole life insurance policy. Kaamil wants to name his wife Ofra as the irrevocable beneficiary of the policy. Before proceeding, which of the following considerations should Omar CORRECTLY ask his client to reflect on?
Miguel applied for a disability insurance policy nearly three months ago. He recently received notice from his agent that his application was approved, with an exclusion applicable to his lower back due to a prior injury. The agent brought the exclusion amendment with the policy at the delivery appointment. Miguel signed and accepted it. He gave the agent a copy of a void cheque to set up direct billing for the premiums, but asked that they wait three days to draw the first premium, to coincide with his payday. The insurer drew the premium three days later, as requested. When did Miguel's policy take effect?
Bernadette, a 27-year-old single woman, earns $78,000 annually as a production assistant. She meets with Howard, her insurance agent, to purchase an accidental death and dismemberment insurance contract. Bernadette fills out the application form, the application is accepted, and the effective date is the date of acceptance of the application. Why is the effective date of Bernadette’s policy the same as the date of acceptance?
Levi is a newly licensed financial security advisor in Quebec City, meeting with Mason, the compliance officer at Yes Insurance Inc. Mason stresses the importance of being professional and complying with the code of ethics. Levi asks who enacted the code of ethics.
Which of the following is Mason's CORRECT response?
When Tim and Patricia were common-law spouses, they met with an insurance agent, Aelia, to purchase life insurance policies of $100,000 each, naming each other as beneficiaries of their policies. Five years later, Patricia leaves Tim to be with her personal trainer, Thomas. A year later, Patricia and Thomas marry, and Patricia gives birth to their baby, Cedrick. Tragically, just before Cedrick's 12th birthday, Patricia dies in a fiery car crash. She never modified her beneficiary designation.
Shortly after the crash, Thomas calls Aelia to inform her that Patricia has died and that he wants to claim the death benefit on her life insurance policy.
Who will receive the $100,000 death benefit?
Life insurance agent Alexandra completes a life insurance application with her client, Joshua. After three months in underwriting, the application is accepted and the policy is issued on a standard rate. Alexandra goes to deliver the policy. When she gets to Joshua's, he tells her how he just got out of the hospital with a serious blood clot.
What should Alexandra do?
Svetlana is a 45-year-old single mother with two children: Georgi 17; and Ingrid 13. The children's father, Vladimir, has a serious gambling problem and only visits them sporadically. Vladimir's younger brother Sergei, on the other hand, is a dependable and helpful uncle who helps Svetlana regularly with the children. Svetlana meets with Robert, an insurance agent to review her life insurance needs because she wants to make sure that her children are taken care of if she were to die prematurely. Robert suggests that she purchase a $200,000 policy. Who should she name as a beneficiary?
Jeremy, aged 35 and Emily, aged 40, are common law spouses and have 3 children, Jack, Maddie, and Grace. They are reviewing their life insurance coverage with Mark, a local life insurance agent, to ensure they have adequate coverage. Currently, Jeremy and Emily both have term life insurance in the amount of $200,000. Jeremy recently inherited a family cottage valued at $400,000 (ACB of $200,000), which him and Emily hope to pass on to their children one day. Mark informs Jeremy & Emily of the potential tax liability of passing the cottage to their children and advises them that they should consider purchasing additional life insurance.
How much life insurance should they purchase to cover the future tax liability of the children taking into account a tax rate of 50%?
Konrad is the owner of CrossBoy, a manufacturing company employing over 50 employees. Konrad recently took out a $500,000 loan to expand his business. Terrence works as a sales manager and is responsible for roughly 40% of the company’s revenue. Konrad recognizes the importance of Terrence's contributions to the success of the company. Therefore, in addition to a sizeable basesalary, CrossBoy also pays Terrence regular performance-based bonuses. Konrad understands that if Terrence dies prematurely, CrossBoy would suffer financially. What should he do to protect his company?
Bethenny meets with Harrison, an insurance agent, to review her life insurance needs. Bethenny is a single mother of a 3-year-old daughter named Emma. Bethenny's main concern is that Emma istaken care of financially if Bethenny were to die prematurely. Emma’s father Steve suffers from chronic alcoholism and is homeless. He has not been present in Emma's day-to-day life. After careful analysis, Harrison suggests that Bethenny purchase a $250,000 20-year term insurance policy. Given Bethenny's situation, who should she name as a beneficiary on her policy?
Edna is a 62-year-old widow living in Quebec. She meets with Yolanda, her insurance agent. Ednaworked part-time her whole life as a seamstress and has no savings. Her husband Donald had been working as a greeter at the local box store until his death 2 months ago at the age of 67. Since his passing, Edna has been struggling financially. She would like to know which of the following organizations will immediately pay her a benefit?
Agatha and Peter run a successful sole proprietorship. They are 68 and 70 respectively. Peter has a huge registered investment portfolio that will result in significant tax consequences upon his death. When both of them have passed away they would like their registered investment portfolio to go to their son, Alexander, who is 48 years old. The family would like to purchase life insurance to offset the tax liability.
Which of the following plans would best suit the family?
Anita is a 50-year-old woman who is thinking of purchasing a $150,000 permanent life insurance policy to pay for the capital gains tax that will be payable on her country home upon her death. She had purchased the home twelve years ago and wants to bequeath the property to her niece when she dies.
Which of the following features about a permanent insurance policy is TRUE?
Leanna has an accidental death and dismemberment policy for $175,000 that she purchased through Leo, her financial advisor, four years ago. Leanna works as a heavy-duty mechanic at a local diesel mechanic shop in town. Leanna was in a tragic accident that involved a hoist issue which resulted in the loss of one of her legs.
How much benefit will Leanna receive when she makes a claim?
Julie and her spouse, Vincent, have two children, the youngest of whom is 5. Their salaries are roughly equivalent, at around $65,000 each. If Julie loses her spouse, she would receive, each month, $700 from the government plan and an orphan’s pension of $230 for each of her two children. She would also receive a monthly pension of $790 from her spouse's pension plan. The monthly expenses after her spouse's death are estimated at $4,000. Julie's disposable income will be about $1,500 a month. She is worried about the impact on her children's standard of living, especially over the next 10 years.
What is the annual shortfall if Vincent dies?
Larissa is a 65-year-old retired marketing executive. She is single and has no dependents. Larissa accepted a generous retirement package from her employer five years ago and used her early retirement cash bonus to consolidate her financial affairs. She paid off mortgages on both her principal residence (a condo) and her vacation cottage. The fair market value (FMV) of the real estate increased significantly over the years. She named her sister Natalya as the sole beneficiary of her estate. In addition to the two properties, Larissa's estate includes a registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) and shares of Apple Inc. that she purchased in her tax-free savings account (TFSA) 10 years ago. If Larissa were to pass away today, which of her assets would be fully taxable on her final income tax return?
Maeve is an Ontario resident. Fifteen years ago, she purchased a $250,000 whole life insurance policy and named her husband Guillaume as the primary beneficiary and her 4-year-old son Edwin as the contingent beneficiary. Last week, Tasha, Maeve's insurance agent called her to ask if she has had any life changes that would warrant a meeting to review her insurance coverage. Maeve informs her that over the last year she divorced Guillaume and that she is now living with her new boyfriend Eduardo. Tasha asks to meet Maeve to review her beneficiary designation. Who will receive Maeve's death benefit if she dies today?
Johann owns a $250,000 whole life insurance policy. The policy has a cash surrender value (CSV) of $55,000 and an adjusted cost basis (ACB) of $30,000. Johann would like to cancel his policy and use the cash surrender value to fund a new business. If his marginal tax rate is 40%, how much will he have left after cancelling his policy?
Aari and Jonila are a married couple in their late sixties. They both enjoy a comfortable retirement. Both receive regular payments from their pension plans, Old Age Security (OAS) and Canada Pension Plan (CPP). They own a house and a cottage that are both mortgage-free. They also have over $500,000 in savings and investments. They know that if one of them dies, the surviving spouse will be financially comfortable. The couple has two grown children to whom they would like to leave all their assets when they die. The couple informs Herbert, their insurance agent, that they want to make sure when they die that their children have the funds needed to pay the taxes on the assets that they will bequeath them.
Which life insurance policy would be most suited to meet the couple's needs?
Andrea, owner of Andrea’s Fashions Inc., employs her designer daughter Judy, who will carry on the business after Andrea is gone. Wishing to ensure that the business would not suffer financially when Andrea passes away, Andrea decides at age 50 to have her business own, pay for, and be the beneficiary of life insurance on Andrea's life. The type of insurance that best suits is non-convertible Term 10 life insurance renewable until age 80.
What should her life insurance agent advise regarding this policy?
Nelson is turning 46 and wants to explore additional tax planning opportunity. He is an avid investor and has invested into a lot of mutual funds and stocks. His RRSP is currently maxed out. He is meeting with Andrew, his financial advisor with life insurance license, to discuss on his financial future and some life insurance policy options. As a risk taker, Nelson would like to have a plan that would allow him to supplement his retirement income when he reaches 70. However, his employment income is very high and his marginal tax rate will remain at the top bracket even after his retirement.
What recommendation should Andrew make in order to fit Nelson's need?
Rene and Christine are 42-year-old twins. They are currently in the middle of a career change and have decided to become entrepreneurs by buying a food franchise.
They are both in excellent health and only Rene is an average smoker.
In setting up the financial structure of their business, they each decided to take out a $400,000 10-year term life insurance policy, designating each other as irrevocable beneficiary.
What can we say about the premiums for the life insurance policies that will be issued?
Natalie and Ted, who are both 40, meet with an insurance agent to discuss their life insurance needs. They have four major concerns. Their first concern is that Natalie is the primary income earner: if something happened to her, Ted would not be able to provide their two young children with the life they are accustomed to. Their second concern is that if something were to happen to Ted, Natalie would have to pay for childcare. The third issue is that they want to make sure the mortgage on their primary residence is paid off in the event something happened to either of them. Lastly, Natalie is concerned about the tax liability on the family cottage when it gets passed on to the kids. The family cottage is fully paid. The agent notes that most of the couple's concerns could be addressed with term life insurance products.
Which of their concerns can only be addressed with a permanent life insurance product?
Francis owns a $250,000 insurance policy with an accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) rider. Francis calls his insurance agent Andrew to inform him that he permanently lost the use of his right hand. He explains to Andrew that his brother shot him when he broke into his brother’s house to recover a gold watch that was rightfully his. Francis wants to know how much he will receive from his AD&D rider.
Coraline owns a $250,000 whole life insurance policy. She purchased the policy last year and does not have any funds accumulated in her cash surrender value (CSV). On December 30, Coraline assigns the policy to the cancer foundation, and she plans on continuing to pay the $200 monthly premium. Coraline calls her accountant James to ask him how much of her donation she will be able to use to obtain a charitable tax credit this year.
Coraline is a landscape gardener who owns a disability insurance (DI) policy. The policy will pay her a $3,000 monthly benefit after a 90-day waiting period. She is diagnosed with cancer, and because she has to undergo months of chemotherapy, she will be unable to work. She calls Robin, her insurance agent, to inform him of her diagnosis. She would like to know more information about the claims process.
Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
President and sole shareholder of the Velos Tourisque company, Paul employs 50 people. Maryse, his financial security advisor, advises him to have his company take out life insurance on him. Who will be the parties to the contract?
Surjit and Rajbir got married in 2010, and Surjit named Rajbir as the irrevocable beneficiary of his life insurance contract. In 2017, the couple divorced amicably, and Surjit met with his insurance representative, Ivan, to review his plans. Surjit tells Ivan that he would like to keep Rajbir as his beneficiary.
What should Ivan counsel his client to do?
Pierre is an insurance of persons representative. His new client, Carole, wishes to buy life insurance but wants to know everything about life insurance products before making a choice. What are Pierre’s responsibilities in this case?
Claudie’s mother has been the policyholder and beneficiary of an insurance policy on the life of Claudie since she was five years of age. Claudie is now the mother of a three-month-old boy. Claudie would like for Marc-André, her de facto spouse, to be the beneficiary of the policy. What steps need to be taken in order for this to happen?
Isaac and Natasha, Quebec residents, were married 18 years ago. At the time, they visited a notary to get married under the "separation as to property" matrimonial regime and had indicated their wish to waive the application of the division of the patrimony by agreement. After experiencing a series of personal crises, the couple is now divorcing.
Which of the following assets, if any, will they have to separate when they divorce?
Julie and Jim have been married for 16 years and decide to divorce. They draw up a list of property that will be partitioned based on the provisions of family patrimony: the family home, the cars, the RRSPs, and the benefits accrued with the RRQ during the marriage. What other items should be added to Julie and Jim's list?
Vasu, an insurance agent, meets with Francine, his new client. Francine wants to purchase a disability insurance policy. Vasu helps her complete the application form. In the process, he collects all the required medical and lifestyle information on his client and wonders what he must do with the information he collected.
Which of the following options is CORRECT?
Samya and Gary, who are both insurance representatives, are having lunch together. Gary has been very successful for several years and proposes a scheme to Samya to get insurance proposals signed for a fictional company they would create together. He believes that this system would make them millionaires in about ten years. Gary advises Samya to keep their conversation a secret. If Samya agrees to Gary’s proposal, what sanctions could she face?
Financial security advisor Juliette meets Pierre during a business meeting. Pierre gives her the name of a prospect, one of his friends. Juliette wants to start by contacting the prospect by email, then plans to follow up with a phone call to set up an appointment. Why should Juliette cease to proceed in this manner with her prospect?
Ming-Na is a McGill University graduate interested in pursuing a career as an insurance of persons representative. She wants to know which piece of legislation sets out the definition and role of insurance of persons representatives.
Which of the options below is CORRECT?
Nathalie worked for 25 years as an administrative assistant at a manufacturing company. When she left the company 10 years ago, she transferred the money that she accumulated from the company’s pension plan into a locked-in retirement account (LIRA). Now she is 60 years of age and would like to withdraw the money from the LIRA.
Under which of the following circumstances would Nathalie be allowed to withdraw her funds?
Valerie, age 42, recently left her job after 15 years of service. She participated in a defined contribution pension plan and had accumulated benefits amounting to $88,000, eligible for transfer into a registered contract. What must Valerie do with this money?
Benjamin is a financial security advisor working for the Larson Group. He is following a mandatory compliance training session given by Andrew, the compliance manager. Andrew explains the importance of following the Chambre de la sécurité financière code of ethics, and Benjamin would like to know to whom the code of ethics applies.
What is Andrew's CORRECT response?
Alexandre, a financial security advisor, recently left FinCode Inc. because of an unresolved dispute with the company. He is continuing his career as an independent advisor. This week, he has an appointment with a client who tells him that he met with another FinCode Inc. employee. However, that employee has a disciplinary record at the CSF for fraudulently copying a signature on a form. Since the client does not work in insurance and the information is public knowledge, Alexandre provides him with some clarification regarding the other advisor’s case. How can Alexandre encourage the client to do business with him without denigrating his competitor?
Danny purchases a $1,000,000 whole life insurance policy. He names his three daughters, Donna-Joe, Stephanie, and Michelle, as revocable beneficiaries with each receiving one-third of the death benefit.
If Michelle predeceases Danny, and Danny did not have a chance to modify his beneficiary designation, how will Danny’s death benefit be paid out?
Alec is sure he sent his insurer his annual life insurance premium payment. The insurer did not receive it, however. The insurer then sent Alec a notice of non-payment of premiums, but Alec had moved in the meantime. Therefore, he never got the notice, even though he had emailed hisfinancial security advisor, Olivier, to inform him of his change of address. Unfortunately, Olivier was on a leave of absence and no one else in the firm took over the file. As a result, the policy lapsed. Alec sent Olivier’s firm several emails to complain, but no one responded. Which organization can Alec turn to?
Gino, an insurance of persons representative, is cleaning his office and going through old files. He comes across a file from a former client, Nathan, who owned a 20-year term insurance policy that was cancelled 3 years ago. Nathan now has a different representative and Gino no longer has any contact with him. Gino would like to know if he can destroy Nathan's file.
Which of the following options is CORRECT?
A group of high school students visits Jacques, a financial security advisor, as part of Career Day. A student wants to know what an insurance contract is. What will Jacques answer?
Zaid married Baheya five years ago in Montreal. A year later, Zaid purchased two individual term-life insurance policies, one on his life and the second on Baheya’s life, each with a death benefit of $250,000. The marriage didn't last long, and the couple divorced shortly thereafter. Baheya went on to marry Omar, and the new couple had a baby together, named Darwish.
Last week, Baheya died in a car accident. While settling her estate, Omar discovered that no beneficiary was designated on Baheya’s life insurance policy.
To whom will Baheya’s death benefit be paid?
Aadi is retiring from Scotia Grand, his employer of 25 years. While employed, Aadi benefitted from the company's deferred profit sharing plan (DPSP) and over the years, he accumulated $75,000.
Where should Aadi transfer these funds on a tax-deferral basis, now that he is retired?
Janice, age 73, plans on purchasing a joint-and-last-to-die annuity. She wants to receive the highest possible annuity payments.
Who should be the joint annuitant?
(Julia deposited capital into an annuity contract that will start payments in three years and continue for 10 years. She is the annuitant; her son Ethan is the beneficiary.
What type of annuity has Julia purchased?)
Kadiha invested $10,000 in a balanced fund 10 years ago, which she put into a non-registered account. At the time, her insurance agent sold her the fund with a 75% maturity and death benefit guarantee. Today, when the fund expires, the market value is $5,000.
How much will Kadiha receive, and how will her funds be treated for tax purposes?
(Ten years ago, Yamina invested $2,500 in a segregated fund contract with a 75%/100% guarantee structure. The market value of the contract peaked at $4,500 but then fell. Now, at maturity, the units are worth $2,250.
How much can Yamina expect to receive?)
Over the years, Agnes, a disciplined investor with a modest income, was able to save over $140,000 in an accumulation annuity. She plans on using the funds in a few years to travel the world and enjoy life while she is still healthy.
Which of the following statements about her annuity is TRUE?
(Anthony, 26, wants to invest $500 but be able to cash it in anytime without fees and wants capital protection.
What investment should the insurance agent recommend?)
Life insurance agent Bernardine meets with Albert, a new 47-year-old client, to review his investor profile. In doing so, Bernardine notes that Albert faces a very real risk of losing his job.
Which type of investment would best suit Albert to guard against such a risk?
George, aged 72, has a number of medical conditions related to smoking and diabetes. He is planning the distribution of his estate, which is valued at $1.1 million. He will invest $1 million in a segregated fund and name his two daughters as equal beneficiaries. The remainder of the estate will go to George’s favourite charity. George has peace of mind knowing that even if markets are down at the time of his death, his daughters will together receive an inheritance greater than the charity.
What unique feature of segregated funds has enabled George to formulate his estate plan in this way?
(Arthur's assets include a home worth $744,000, savings of $41,000, and a whole life insurance policy with a death benefit of $300,000 and a cash value of $196,000. His liabilities include a $150,000 reverse mortgage and $2,090 income tax owed.
What is Arthur's net worth?)
Enzo meets with his insurance agent Theo to discuss his investment needs. When Theo asks Enzo about his liabilities, Enzo tells him that he purchased a house for $750,000 four years ago and his current mortgage balance is $600,000. He has a fixed interest rate on the mortgage of 3.5% for 5 years.
Which of the following statements about his mortgage is TRUE?
Six years ago, Stéphane left his job as technical director at ADM Consultants in order to branch out on his own. He transferred the $48,000 pension amount accumulated under his former employer’s pension plan into a LIRA, investing it in a balanced segregated fund (within a contract with a 10-year term-to-maturity) offered by NRJ Insurance. Now 38, Stéphane is going through a divorce and would like to redeem his segregated funds contract in order to pay part of what he owes his ex-wife.
What will NRJ Insurance do in this situation?
(Jerry, aged 63, is getting ready to retire. His pension statement shows contributions, investment choices, and performance data.
From among the following types of pension plans, which one was Jerry a member of?)
(Vanessa, a grandmother, wants to set up a savings account for her six-month-old granddaughter Brienne’s future education, making a lump sum and regular contributions.
Which account is best suited?)
Sasha is an employee at PranaTech. The company offers all employees a pension plan. PranaTech must contribute into the plan, but employee contributions are not mandatory. Sasha chooses where his funds will be invested.
Caleb meets with Miles, his insurance agent, to invest for his retirement. Caleb tells Miles that he will not need his funds for the next 25 years, he is comfortable with market fluctuations, and he would like a fund that mimics the S&P/TSX Composite index.
Which of the following funds will best suit Caleb's needs?
Larson, an insurance agent, meets with Julia, a real estate agent, to review her insurance needs. Julia has $500 in her savings account and does not own a tax-free savings account (TFSA) or registered retirement savings plan (RRSP). She earns an average of $150,000 a year in sales commissions and rental income from two condo units she owns. The combined value of her income properties is $1,000,000, and the mortgage is $200,000.
Larson recommends that Julia open a TFSA and use it to invest $400 a month in a money market fund.
Which of the following personal risks is Larson trying to mitigate with this advice?
Having recently gotten married, Eddie and his spouse are currently looking for a home. They believe it could take up to 12 months for them to compare houses and make a firm purchase decision. Eddie has some RRSP and TFSA savings that are currently invested in equity funds. Now in his mid-thirties, he has been investing for the past 10 years and is familiar with how the stock markets work. He generally feels comfortable with high-risk investments. To help with the down payment, Eddie’s parents provided him with $100,000 cash. Eddie is thinking of investing this money until the actual home purchase but is not sure what the best course of action would be.
What should Eddie do with the cash from his parents to fulfill his objective?
(Gregory and Vanessa married at an early age and had three children, who are now in their forties: Eve, Rick and Max. When the couple retired five years ago, they purchased a joint life annuity. They also had a will drawn up naming the three children as equal beneficiaries of their estate. The will specifies that Eve will act as executor of the estate.
Last week, Gregory and Vanessa both died in a car accident.
Who could make a death claim as regards the annuity?)
(Clara is saving for a house and will likely need her money within a year. She seeks a segregated fund with minimal penalties for quick access.
Which sales charge should Irving recommend?)
Marsha and Alexis are equal partners in an advertising firm. They meet with Jose, an insurance agent, and Horacio, their lawyer, because they would like to protect themselves if one of them becomes disabled and unable to work for an extended period of time. At the end of their meeting, they agree to purchase $500,000 disability insurance policies on each other by each of them paying premiums.
What type of agreement do Marsha and Alexis have?
Diane is an insurance agent working for Gamma Insurance Inc. who is responsible for coaching a newly licensed agent, Wick. Wick has questions about his role, and he would like to know how he should service his clients.
What should Diane tell Wick about what is expected of him?
Bachir owns a successful video game business and has 10 employees. The time has come to plan business succession and the eventual sale of the business. Bachir’s nephew Kharim, who shows a real interest in the business, is identified as his successor. Bachir would like to protect his sales price until such time as the business is sold to Kharim, who does not have the funds yet and will need a few years to amass the required amount. Bachir and Kharim consult insurance agent Bianca for advice. What should Bianca propose?
Larry, an insurance agent, meets with Ethan, a freelance photographer, to review his insurance needs. Larry tells Ethan that he wants to collect all pertinent financial information to prepare a net worth statement for Ethan.
Why does Larry want to prepare Ethan’s net worth statement?
Dominic suffers a heart attack on October 1 and dies a little over a month later, on November 7. At the time of his death, he owned a $150,000 critical illness (CI) insurance policy, purchased 10 years earlier. Dominic never failed to pay the $100 monthly premium. When he died, the insurer had not yet issued the benefit payment.
How will the CI benefit be treated?
Brian is a machinist. For the past seven years, he’s worked for a company that offers a group benefits plan. Under that plan, the premiums for long-term disability coverage are entirely paid by the employees. Last year, an injury forced Brian to stop working for eight months. After a four-month waiting period, during which he collected Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, Brian received long-term disability (LTD) benefits from the group plan’s insurer. Brian is now preparing his income tax return and wonders about the tax implications of the different benefits he received while on disability. What statement accurately describes the tax treatment of Brian’s EI and LTD benefits?
Juliette owns a medium-sized business with approximately 100 employees. Three years ago, she set up a small group benefits plan. Her employees, however, are unhappy with the coverages offered under the plan. Moreover, for tax purposes, the group plan shares the cost of disability premiums with the employees—an expense they do not welcome. What should Juliette’s agent tell her?
Harper owns a disability insurance policy that will pay her a monthly benefit if she becomes unable to work. At the time she applied for the policy, Harper was a new graduate with an annual income of $60,000, and she qualified for a monthly benefit of $3,000. Instead of taking the maximum benefit, she focused on paying off her student loans and keeping her insurance premiums low. She elected to purchase a monthly benefit of $2,500 and add the future purchase option (FPO) rider for up to $500 a month of additional coverage. Now she is further along in her career, Harper earns $100,000 a year, and she meets with her insurance agent Trish to increase her coverage. Harper would like her new monthly benefit to be $5,000.
Which of the following statements about Harper’s coverage is TRUE?
Mauro works full-time for a small company that offers no benefits. He earns $40,000 a year. He has an individual disability insurance policy that would provide him with $2,000 a month, for a maximum of two years, after a waiting period of four months. This policy includes a partial and residual disability rider. Injured in an accident, Mauro is completely unable to work for nine months. After that, Mauro’s doctor advises him to start working two days a week for the next three months, after which Mauro should be able to resume working full-time. What monthly benefit will Mauro receive during the period he works part-time?
Eric is a group benefits specialist and he is meeting with Lionel to review his company’s benefits plan after it has been in force for one year. The biggest issue to bring up with Lionel is that his premiums are going to increase. What is the reason as to why the premiums would increase after one year?
Pierre-Marc, aged 32, is a dentist with a rich clientele. His income is substantial. Five years ago, he purchased an “any occupation” disability insurance policy. Today he meets with Joseph, his life insurance agent, to determine whether this type of coverage is still adequate. What should Joseph tell him?
Kevin owns a construction business and wants to take out accident and sickness insurance to protect his income in the event of disability. On his application form, he indicated that he had competed in motocross races over the past five years. What requirements does Kevin need to comply with before the insurer can issue the policy?
Jordan, a group insurance agent, meets with Nancy, a commercial berry grower in Saskatoon, to renew her company's group insurance plan. When the plan was established four years ago, Nancy had 20 employees. She now has over 50 employees, many of whom are unhappy with the plan. Jordan wants to rectify this situation to everyone’s satisfaction but is not sure how to begin.
Which of the following options indicates the first step that Jordan should take?
Emery is a healthy wife and mother of two who spends her days caring for her children and volunteering at the local food bank. Emery would like to purchase disability insurance coverage because she is worried about how she would be able to take care of her family if she becomes disabled.
What type of disability policy, if any, is likely to be issued to her?
Amani owns Amani's Passions, an eco-friendly cosmetics company she started in her garage three years ago. The business is booming—so much so that Amani's Passions recently hired over 20 employees to keep up with demand. Now Amani wants to set up a group insurance plan for her staff.
Whose role is it to solicit quotes from insurers and put the right plan in place?
Kiril is the sole proprietor of a small gym with five employees. His sales manager, Antoine, is a former Olympic athlete, responsible for generating close to 50% of all revenues for the gym. Thanks to Antoine's popular social media presence, the gym is profitable and growing rapidly. However, Kiril has concerns about the future profitability of his gym should Antoine become ill or injured since the other employees are not local celebrities and would not be able to replace Antoine’s contribution to the business.
Which of the following types of insurance policy would protect the gym if Antoine were unable to work?
Rowan works for a construction company that employs 40 employees. The company is newly established, and the owners have yet to implement a group insurance policy. Rowan falls off the side of a building and breaks his collar bone. The doctor informs him that he will be unable to work for five months.
Who will pay him disability benefits while he is recuperating?
Monique meets with Tyra, an insurance agent, to review her insurance needs. Tyra explains the different types of policies and asks Monique for more information on her sources of income and expenses to properly evaluate her needs.
Which document should Tyra review to better understand Monique’s sources of income?