Reference no: EM133172585

Assignment - Investment Strand

This assignment assesses your competency in terms of the following unit standards:

- Gather and analyse information to determine client investment needs
- Demonstrate and apply knowledge of investment assets, services, and financial instruments to meet client needs.
- Demonstrate and apply knowledge of the economic factors to provide investment solutions
- Provide advice in an investment context using the Six Step Process.

By the end of the assignment you will have demonstrated your ability to:
- gather client information to determine client investment needs;
- analyse client information to determine any potential impacts on client investment needs;
- apply knowledge of investment assets and services to meet client needs;
- apply knowledge of client and adviser circumstances that are relevant to creating investment solutions that meet client needs;
- apply knowledge of economic factors that impact investor perceptions and products to provide investment solutions to clients, and
- provide advice in an investment context using the Six Step Process.

Overview and important considerations

This assignment can be completed using the case studies provided (in the Resources Section), OR using your own real client files, OR a combination of each. All work submitted must be your own.

This assignment requires you to apply your knowledge of investment products and needs and use the Six-Step Process to:

Establish and define the relationship with your investment client. (31864 1.1)

Determine your client's investment goals and collect qualitative and quantitative information required for the agreed scope of service (31864 1.2) (31861 1.1 - 1.4)

Research, analyse and evaluate your client's information to determine their financial situation, needs and solutions. Your analysis should include:

Applying QA techniques to evaluate whether current assets meet the client's needs;

Consideration of potential impacts of any foreseeable changes in circumstance on your client's investment needs, and

Identification of any issues/concerns or need for input from other professionals (31864 1.3, 1.4 part) (31861 1.5, 2.1 - 2.3) (31862 2.1-2.2, 3.1-3.3)(31863 3.1)

Apply your knowledge of investment assets and services, and the economic factors that impact investor perceptions and products, to develop appropriate investment recommendations and present these to your client. This should include an explanation of:

Any asset ownership considerations (legal, tax etc), the best ownership option for your recommended solutions and why
the reasoning for your selected investment solutions (31864 1.4) (31862 2.1-2.2, 3.1-3.3) (31863 3.1-3.2)

Implement your investment recommendations (31864 1.5, 1.6 part)

Monitor and review your investment recommendations (31864 1.6)

Important notes:

Privacy. If using your own existing client files, all reference to names and other information that could identify the client must be blacked out to preserve their privacy. Failure to do so will result in a failed attempt for this assessment. Candidates using the Case Studies do not need to black out names.

Disclosure Statements for real client files should be the Disclosure Statements used for that advice occasion. For, the case studies your current Disclosure Statements OR (if not an adviser) a mock-up of one should be provided. A template for this is available in the Resources section of your course material.

All work submitted must be your own, comply with the relevant regulation and Codes that apply to the financial services industry, demonstrating good conduct and best practice as a financial adviser.

Three client files are required

A minimum of three completed client files (real clients or simulated clients from the case studies) are to be submitted. The files must have a wide range of needs and complex requirements.

Using your own client files
Before selecting an existing client file you should review the evidence checklist to determine if the evidence requirements are present in your files. If not, it may be sensible to use the case studies so that you can create the evidence required.

The advice you provided to clients across the three files must include at least one KiwiSaver recommendation, and at least one recommendation for direct securities, managed securities or real property,

Privacy. If using your own existing client files, all reference to names, addresses and other information that could identify the clients must be blacked out to comply with the Privacy Act If you do not do this, your files will be returned to you for editing before they can be assessed.

Disclosure Statements for real client files should be the Disclosure Statements used for that advice occasion.

Using the Case Studies
Client Information Booklet (Fact Find Document). You are required to evidence the use of document to collect and record client information . You should use the case study outline to record the information in the relevant parts of a client information booklet (CIB) or Fact Find (FF) so this can be uploaded as evidence. This document can be your own or you can use the template provided in the Resources section of your course material.

As with all case studies, not all information may be present as it would if you were meeting with a client. You should not change the basics of the case study, but you can add your own information into the CIB/FF to create a more realistic situation. Any extra information added would likely flow through to your research and recommendations etc.

Disclosure Statement(s) for the case studies should be your current Disclosure Statements OR (if not an adviser) simulated ones. A template is available in the Resources section if needed.

Instructions:

Refer to the Evidence Checklist for Assignment 3 in the Resources section. It is broken down into the Six Steps being assessed, with each evidence item listed.

The checklist provides a description of each of the evidence points that are required and a ‘Hint' column that lists some examples of the type of document(s) where these are typically found.

For each evidence requirement, we have provided a range of examples to help you understand what the evidence might be. They are listed as "This may include (but not limited to) such things as:"
You do not need to provide proof of every example listed. They are there as a guide. However, it is likely that some, or even many, of these examples will apply.

If you believe an evidence requirement does not apply you will need to explain this by typing in the evidence point box before loading into RADAR.
This should not happen often but if it does, you may be required to provide other evidence from another file. The column "Other" in the Checklist is for this purpose.

If existing, real client files are missing a lot of these evidence requirements, it would be wise to either:
Follow the Six-Step Process for another new client and ensure the evidence is then created OR
Complete one or more of the Case Studies to ensure you have three files which will evidence the requirements.

Labelling the evidence - step by step

Assemble a complete file with all the evidence required in the order they would occur (or as close to as possible). Existing client files will need to be photo-copied or scanned first.

Number each page in order by writing in a circle at the top right of each page.

Then, work through the checklist and find where the evidence can be found in your file.

Once you have identified the evidence, type the page number or numbers where your evidence can be found, into the Evidence Checklist in RADAR. Use the right hand columns for this. The assessor will now be able to scroll through easily and locate your evidence.
Copies of some evidence like application forms or product disclosure statement only need to have the first page provided.

Uploading the client files and evidence for assessment
Once the above procedure is completed, you need to scan each whole client file as one PDF document.
Name the files as Client 1, Client 2, and Client 3
If there is additional evidence/documentation you wish to provide, please create a file called Other and upload it with your client files.
Upload the client files to RADAR along with your completed evidence checklist.

Attachment:- Investment Strand.rar