Molly took out a disability insurance policy. A few years after the purchase, she severely injured her back and was unable to work. She immediately filed a claim with her insurer to start receiving benefits. The insurer asked for an attending physician's statement (APS) describing her condition and stating when that condition started. Why is it important for the insurer to know on what date Molly became disabled?
Xander fills out a life insurance application to purchase a $75,000 policy. The policy is accepted by the insurer and delivered to him on March 3. He pays the first month’s premium upon receipt of the policy. Unfortunately, on March 9, Xander loses his job and decides that he no longer wants the policy. What will be the consequence of this cancellation?
Frankie is a newly licensed insurance of persons agent who meets with Walter, her father's friend since college. Walter is in his late forties, and he mentions that he would like to purchase a life insurance policy and start planning for his retirement. Frankie has never sold a segregated fund before. Not wanting to disclose her inexperience, she clumsily fills out the application form to invest in segregated funds. Which responsibility did Frankie breach?
Sergei meets with his insurance agent Nikita to purchase a $50,000 critical illness policy. Nikita explains that to apply for the policy Sergei would have to answer a series of personal questions about his finances, health, and lifestyle. Sergei is uncomfortable giving Nikita such detailed personal information. Nikita reassures Sergei by telling him that the insurer must follow stringent rules about how they can collect and handle this information. Which organization legislates privacy statutes pertaining to insurance companies?
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?
Last week, at a dinner party, Dario, an insurance agent, met Andrew, a successful businessperson with a net worth of over $10 million. Dario spent the evening following Andrew around, telling him how he could help him manage his finances. The day after the meeting, Dario sent a fruit basket to Andrew's office. Every day since, Dario has been calling and urging Andrew to meet with him and take advantage of his services and insurance products.
Which duties and obligations did Dario break?
Josh is an established advisor who specializes in group benefits. He recently hired Bryan as a marketing manager. Bryan will be responsible for advertising and creating a social media platform for Josh's company. Among other things, Bryan is developing a monthly electronic newsletter, which he plans to email to potential and existing clients. However, because this is a brand new initiative, none of the would-be recipients has subscribed to the newsletter or asked to receive any such communication from Josh's company. What law should Josh and Bryan be mindful of before sending their newsletter?
Surjit and Rajbir get married in 2010 and Surjit names Rajbir as the irrevocable beneficiary of his life insurance contract. In 2017, the couple divorces amiably and Surjit meets with hisinsurance 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?
Laraine wants to purchase an Individual Variable Insurance Contract (IVIC) because of the death benefit guarantee as she has been ill. She has decided on a segregated fund which has, as its underlying asset, units of a mutual fund that invests in North American common shares. Her insurance agent, Jeffrey, wants her to understand key issues before she completes and signs the application. What should Jeffrey do?
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?
Mercedes is a single mother to her 5-year-old son Arthur. Arthur's father Richard is not in his son's life because he is a recovering drug dealer who spent the last 4 years in and out of prison. Mercedes has full custody of Arthur and cannot count on help from her family because they live in another province.
Wanting to ensure his well-being, in the event of her death, Mercedes purchases a $100,000 life insurance policy and names Arthur the sole beneficiary of the policy.
If she died without a will who would receive the death benefit?
Josh is meeting with William, his financial advisor, to notify him of the death of his spouse, Linda, for whom he is the beneficiary. Josh is asking William what requirements are necessary for proof of claim on their life insurance policy. Which of the following documents/information are required by Josh to ensure that a proper claim is approved by the insurance company?
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?
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?
Maverick meets with Alyssa, an insurance agent, to review his life insurance needs. After completing the needs analysis, Alyssa suggests that Maverick purchase a $100,000 whole life insurance policy and add a critical illness (CI) benefit rider. Which of the following options is an advantage of adding the CI coverage as a rider instead of purchasing an individual CI policy?
Goran and Tanja married two years ago. Last year, they purchased and moved into a three-bedroom house in the suburbs. The current balance on their mortgage is $655,000. They meet with Ljubomir, an insurance agent, to purchase a joint term life insurance policy to cover the mortgage. When Ljubomir asks about their existing coverage, Goran shares that he has none. Tanja explains that she owns a universal life (UL) policy with a level death benefit of $50,000 and a cash surrender value (CSV) of $5,000, purchased 6 years ago from another agent. Tanja would like to surrender her UL policy and use the $5,000 CSV to pay for a trip to Europe. What additional information about Tanja's UL policy does Ljubomir need to collect?
On February 5, Ayla started working at Larson Group Inc. as an administrative assistant. Larson Group offers all employees a group health, dental and life insurance plan that commences after a 3-month waiting period. On April 7, Ayla felt ill and drove herself to the hospital. The doctor diagnosed two clogged arteries and performed an emergency surgery. Ayla was unable to work for 2 months, then died of complications on June 9. Will the group insurance plan pay the death benefit?
Germain is a life insurance agent. This morning, he receives a call from Jason, whose wife, Rosalie owned a $50,000 life insurance policy that she purchased from Germain seven years ago. Jason explains that Rosalie had a heart attack and died last week. Germain promises to help as much as he can.
Axel owns a $150,000 whole life insurance policy with an accumulated cash surrender value (CSV) of $20,000. His monthly premiums are $300, due on the fifth day of each month. Axel misses his November 5 premium payment and then dies a few weeks later, on November 20.
Jasper owns TeleVida, a successful production company with over 50 employees. He wants to expand the company by opening an office in another province. Jasper needs to take out a $500,000 20-year loan to make this expansion happen. However, he wants to make sure that if he dies while there’s an outstanding balance on the loan, the balance will be paid in full by the insurance company.
Joseph, a retired jeweler, meets with Larry, an insurance agent with Summit Life Co., to review Joseph's life insurance needs. Joseph has made it clear in his will that upon his death, his son will inherit his collection of diamond necklaces, valued at $1.8 million.
What type of asset is Joseph's diamond necklace collection considered to be?
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?
Aaliyah is a 37-year-old account manager at a large pharmaceutical company. She earns $300,000 a year plus bonuses. She meets with Theo, an insurance agent, to review her life insurance needs. Theo deduces that Aaliyah needs a $250,000 universal life (UL) insurance policy. Aaliyah agrees but states that she wants to keep her premiums low. Which of the following UL death benefit options would BEST suit her needs?
Harold is a 66-year-old retired school bus mechanic. He receives $900 a month from his defined benefit pension plan (DBPP). His husband Karl is also retired and receives his own pension benefit. Harold would like to know the minimum monthly pension benefit from his DBPP that Karl will receive upon Harold's death.
Three years ago, Douglas purchased a whole life insurance policy with numerous supplementary benefits and riders. Today, he meets with his doctor who informs him that he has late-stage colon cancer and has only a few months to live. Even with surgery, his chances of survival are low. Douglas calls his insurance agent, Penny, to ask her what he should do to obtain a benefit immediately.
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.
Six years ago, when Kacey was working as an active firefighter, she purchased a $200,000 30-year term life insurance policy. At the time, the insurance company rated her policy. Recently, she changed roles and now works for the fire department’s public relations office, answering media calls and filling out paperwork. She meets with her insurance agent, Bernice, to ask if the insurer would consider reducing her premiums.
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?
Cory is a recent college graduate who has just been hired by a marketing firm in an entry-level position. His employer group benefits only cover a short-term disability to a maximum of 119 days. He meets with an insurance agent to talk about disability coverage. To fully cover his salary, he would require a $3,000 monthly benefit. In reviewing options, he thinks that his ideal coverage of a 30-day waiting period and a “to age 65” benefit period comes at a cost that exceeds his budget. What recommendation should the insurance agent make to Cory regarding coverage?
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?
Vintage Style Inc. is a clothing company with 20 employees participating in its group retirement and group insurance plan. Premiums for the group insurance plan are calculated on previous claims. If the benefits paid are lower than anticipated, the premiums may decrease at renewal. However, if the benefits paid are higher than anticipated, the premiums payable may be subject to an increase.
Which of the following funding formulas does Vintage use in its group insurance plan?
Tyler, a group insurance agent, is meeting with Yolanda, the director of his new group insurance client, Compact Funds Inc., to set up the company’s plan. Compact Funds employs over 30 employees, and Tyler recommends that they implement a contributory plan. Yolanda would like to understand what this means. Which of the following statements about contributory plans is CORRECT?
Pat, a 30-year-old youth worker, meets with his life insurance agent to discuss disability insurancecoverage. After a thorough analysis of Pat’s needs, the agent recommends a policy with a $1,500 a month benefit (50% of Pat’s current salary) payable to age 65 after a 31-day waiting period. Pat has put enough money away to cover 6 months’ worth of expenses, if necessary, but he would prefer not to dip into his savings. He applies for the policy, with the expectation that the premium will be $75 a month. He already thinks this is pricey and would not want to pay any more than that. Some time later, underwriting informs the agent that the policy has been approved, but with a 125% premium rating due to Pat being overweight. Which one of the following options would make the most sense to reduce the premium to a level Pat would accept without compromising too much on his coverage?
Nikolai owns a guaranteed renewable individual disability policy that he purchased last year. The policy pays a monthly benefit of $3,000 and includes a 4-month waiting period and a 5-year benefit period. Today, he is diagnosed with prostate cancer and learns he must undergo 6 months of radiation.
When should he contact the insurance company to inform them of his diagnosis?
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?
Becky opened a small bakery five years ago. Although she struggled at first, her business hasbecome increasingly successful. Until recently, she only had two full-time employees, but now she hired two more and relocated the store to a busier street. The rent is higher, and so are the profits. As the bakery expands, however, Becky is becoming increasingly concerned about what would happen to it if she became unable to work—even for just a few months—due to an illness or an injury. Which one of the following options would most suitably protect Becky’s business against such a risk?
The one-year anniversary of Sally’s disability policy is quickly approaching. She recently received a letter in the mail from the insurer outlining the requirements to increase her monthly benefit via the future purchase option she added when she initially got the policy. What is required of Sally to increase her monthly benefit?
Constantin is a 47-year-old marketing manager earning an annual salary of $175,000, who, together with his husband, recently purchased a house. A few years ago, Constantin was terminated from his previous position, and it took him two years to find similar employment in his field. The prolonged lack of income caused him to accumulate substantial debt. Today, after several years of sensible budgeting, the only debt remaining is his mortgage. He purchased disability and life insurance on the mortgage at the bank.
Given this information, what is Constantin's greatest financial risk?
Lara, owner of Huck’s Oil Change Ltd., meets with a life insurance agent to discuss a renewal package for the group benefits plan offered to employees. Lara employs 20 individuals, all of whom are covered under the group plan. The employee turnover rate is 10%, and the insurer has rated the group’s claims experience credibility at 20%. In establishing the group’s premiums under the new plan, how much weight will the insurer give to the standard manual rate for a comparable group?
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?
Kyra is the owner and president of Borealis Fit, a martial arts studio with 15 employees. The centre opened five years ago and has done well. Kyra was never able to offer her employees any benefits until now. Kyra meets with Monica, an insurance agent, to implement a group insurance plan for the employees.
Which method of calculating rates will the insurer use to quote the group premiums?
Angus is involved in a motorcycle accident and due to his injuries has to spend a few nights in thehospital. He is released from the hospital with a doctor's note indicating that he is able to perform certain parts of his job, but that it would take months until he can be back to normal. He promptly calls his insurance agent Dawn to ask her if he would be entitled to his disability benefits. Dawn reads his policy and tells him that he will not receive any disability benefits.
Which disability definition is MOST LIKELY included in his policy?
Lily works for Cloud 9 Inc. She earned $120,000 in Year 1 and $125,000 in Year 2. Lily contributes 5% of her income into a defined contribution pension plan (DCPP), and this contribution is matched by the employer. Lily has unused contribution room of $15,000 andwants to know how much she can contribute to her registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) in Year 2.
Hana, a 25-year-old personal assistant, recently got a job where the employer offers all employees access to a defined contribution pension plan (DCPP). Hana meets with the groupinsurance agent, Tom, because she must choose her investments and she doesn't know what she should choose. She is not very knowledgeable about investments, but since the money will only be used at retirement, she wants to invest in a fund that combines stocks and bonds and that is easy to understand.
Which fund should Tom suggest?
Luisa owns a balanced segregated fund currently valued at $50,000. Her mother Linda is the current revocable beneficiary of the policy. However, Luisa has been dating Benjamin for a year and would like to name him as the new beneficiary of her policy.
Which of the following statements about modifying the beneficiary designation is CORRECT?
Leonard and Ashley, a couple in their early 30s, meet with Howard, an insurance agent, to review their investment needs. Leonard earns $60,000 a year as a research physicist, and Ashley earns $25,000 as an actress. They each have $3,000 in their respective chequing accounts. Leonard also has $40,000 invested in his group registered retirement savings plan (RRSP). Ashley has a Subaru WRX worth $20,000 with a car loan of $10,000. Leonard does not own a car, but he has an outstanding student loan of $30,000.
What is the couple's net worth?
Owen meets with his insurance agent, Rachel, to review his investments. Owen is interested in segregated funds. In particular, he wants to know more about the reset feature.
What should Rachel tell Owen about resetting his funds?
Kimeni meets with Orion, an insurance agent, to purchase segregated funds. After assessing Kimeni's needs, Orion suggests an index segregated fund. Kimeni agrees to invest $5,000 in the fund now and $200 every month.
With relation to this transaction, which of the following options is CORRECT about the Fund Facts document?
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.
Janice meets with Patrick, an insurance agent, to review her investment needs. Patrick suggests that she invest in segregated funds. Janice is not familiar with these types of funds.
What information can Patrick provide to Janice to help her understand the advantages of segregated funds?
Hussein wants to purchase a segregated fund. He has been following the news and believes the pharmaceutical sector will take off soon, and he wants to purchase a fund that will capitalize on his market view. He understands market fluctuations and is comfortable with the level of risk involved because he would only need to access these funds in 20 years.
Which of the following would be the most appropriate fund for Hussein?
Arianna, a healthy 61-year-old university professor, is retiring this year and wants to transfer the funds she accumulated in her registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) into an annuity. She is looking at different options and would like to know which of the following annuities will pay the highest monthly benefit.
Genevieve and Martin, a couple in their 40s, meet with Melissa, their insurance agent, to help them plan for their retirement. Melissa tells them that they would benefit from opening a spousal registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) given their financial situation and discrepancy in their incomes. The couple would like to know the benefits of opening a spousal RRSP.
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?
Sebastian is a 44-year-old sales representative employed at Premier Aqua. He wants to take a year off to travel and relax. He has worked for the company for 25 years and accumulated $230,000 in adeferred profit sharing plan (DPSP). He would like to know if he can use some of the funds in his DPSP to fund his sabbatical.
Emma, an employee at MagicLand, is part of the company's group registered retirement savings plan (RRSP). During her tenure, she accumulated over $70,000 in the plan and all of her contributions are invested in segregated funds. She meets with Jun to invest in an individual segregated fund. Jun tells her that there are some differences between group and individual segregated funds.
How are Emma's group segregated funds DIFFERENT from an individual segregated fund?
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?
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?
Concilius has had a whole life (permanent) insurance policy for the past eight years. He decides he no longer wants this policy and stops paying the premiums. The cash value keeps the policy in effect for 28 months, after which it lapses. However, 46 months later, Concilius regrets his decision and applies to reinstate his policy. He is prepared to prove that he still meets the insurability conditions and to pay the overdue premiums plus interest, the cash value used, and the interest. Under what conditions will Concilius’ policy be reinstated?
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?
Adèle retired a few months ago. She sold some of her assets and would like to use the funds to take out a term annuity to increase her retirement income. Adèle brings a $300,000 cheque to Germain, her financial security advisor, and wants to begin receiving lifetime guaranteedbenefits in one month with the right to use capital in the event of an emergency. When Germain tells her about alienating capital, the capitalization phase, and the payment phase, Adèle becomes confused and asks for clearer explanations. What can Germain say to help Adèle understand?
Insurance of persons representative Véronique is meeting clients referred by an acquaintance for the first time. Observing some suspicious behaviours on their part, Véronique is thinking about reporting the transaction to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC). Which behaviours are signs of suspicious transactions?
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?
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?
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?
Maryse, an insurance of persons representative, meets with Anita, an actress, to complete a life insurance proposal. Maryse asks her for proof of age and identity. Anita does not like giving out her personal information and asks Maryse if she really needs to ask for these documents. Under what legislation is Maryse able to ask for these documents?
The company Xtra is growing. Mr. Trenet, chair of the executive committee, invites his financial security advisor, Noah, to meet with them to underwrite an annuity contract. The treasurer of Xtra offers to invest $2,500,000 of the company’s retained earnings. Before voting on a resolution to designate a policyholder, the treasurer asks Noah if Xtra can be designated as the policyholder instead of Mr. Trenet. What answer should Noah give?
Sabrina is an insurance representative with an insurance of persons certificate issued by the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). Her client, Stephanie, is a Quebec resident who accepted a job with Service Canada, in Ottawa, and purchased a condo there. Stephanie calls Sabrina to explain that her new job requires her to work in Ottawa three days per week, but she is still a Quebec resident; she spends four days a week with her family in Granby, Quebec. Stephanie asks Sabrina if she can buy mortgage insurance from her to help cover the mortgage on her new condo.
What should Sabrina answer her?