5 CPD
Course Description
This course provides an in-depth analysis of the information that investment firms should provide to their clients or potential clients. It describes in detail the information that investment firms should provide to their retail or professional clients including marketing communications.
Among other describes the cases of comparative information, information of past performance, information of simulated past performance, information on future performance.
Furthermore, it analyses information regarding client categorisation, information about the investment firm and its services, information about financial instruments, information concerning safeguarding of client financial instruments or client funds, information on costs and associated charges, information about investment advice.
In addition, describes in detail the information that investment firms should provide to retail clients in order to comply with their obligation to provide fair, clear and not misleading information.
It also provides an in-depth analysis of the information about the firm and the service(s) performed, information regarding the market and the product, information regarding the price and pay-out, information about costs and associated charges, information regarding risks, information about safeguarding of client assets, information about complaints as well as the importance of the presentation and the timing of the information.
Furthermore, this course describes the requirements of persons that communicate with Investment Firms clients (potential and existing) with the purpose of promoting the Investment Firm’s services and products and providing information to clients regarding investment and ancillary services and financial instruments that an Investment Firm offers (‘the Staff’).
It analyses the organisational requirements of the staff like knowledge and competence, possession of appropriate qualification and experience, relevant certification as well as the requirement to maintain and update staff knowledge and competence by undertaking continuous professional development or training. It also explains the criteria for knowledge and competence and discuss the case of outsourcing the activity of communicating with clients with the purpose of promoting firm’s services and providing information to clients.
It also explains how Cypriot Investment Firms (CIFs) should handle the case in which their domain name differs from the name under which they obtained authorisation in order to comply with MiFID II rule that all information addressed by a CIF to its clients or potential clients shall be fair, clear and not misleading. It explains Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission’s (CySEC’s) requirement that CIFs must operate a domain name that is unique and not used by another person and that the domain name must direct potential clients to a website, belonging exclusively to the CIF, and also the provisions for derogation from this requirement in case a CIF belongs to a group.
Topics covered
The course is split into the following sections:
Section 1: Information addressed to clients including marketing communication – Investment Firms obligations and restrictions
- Introduction
- Conditions applying to the provision of information
- Fair, clear and not misleading information requirements
- Important points to consider
- Information concerning client categorisation
- General requirements for information to clients
- Information about the investment firm and its services for clients and potential clients
- Information about financial instruments
- Information concerning safeguarding of client financial instruments or client funds
- Information on costs and associated charges
- Information provided in accordance with Directive 2009/65/EU and Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014
- Information about investment advice
Section 2: What particular aspects should firms take into account when considering the information that they present to clients and potential clients about the functioning of CFDs or other speculative products?
- General
- Information to be provided
- Information about the firm and the service(s) performed
- Information regarding the market and the product
- Information regarding the price and pay-out
- Information about costs and associated charges
- Information regarding risks
- Information about safeguarding of client assets
- Information about complaints
- Presentation and timing of information
Section 3: Providing information to clients on the services and instruments offered – Investment Firms Obligations and restrictions
- General
- Organisational requirements for the Staff
- Criteria for knowledge and competence of the Staff giving information about investment products, investment services or ancillary services
- Criteria for knowledge and competence for staff giving investment advice
- Outsourcing these activities to third parties/service providers
- Monitoring of the Staff and its activities – compliance function
Section 4: Notification of website address – Domain name – Redirecting and informing clients
- Notification of website address – CIFs obligations
- Domain name different from the name under which the CIF was granted authorisation – CIFs obligations
- Use of same domain name by other persons
- Redirecting clients to a website of another person
- Information concerning terms and condition and other
Course Duration:
This course may take up to 5 hours to be completed. However, actual study time differs as each learner uses their own training pace.
The course is addressed to:
This course is addressed to all individuals who are involved in Investment Firms such as:
- Directors, Senior Managers, Compliance officers, head of departments of Investment firms and in general employees of investment firms.
- Internal Auditors
- Consultants
It is also suitable to professionals pursuing CPD for the renewal of the “Basic” and “Advance” CySEC Certificate or other relevant professional certificates in other jurisdictions.
Training Method
The course is offered fully online using a self-paced approach. The learning units consist of power point presentations. Learners may start, stop and resume their training at any time.
At the end of the course, participants take a Quiz to complete the course and earn a Certificate of Completion once the Quiz has been passed successfully.
Accreditation and CPD Recognition
The course may be accredited by regulators and other bodies for up to 5 CPD Units, that require CPD training in financial regulation.
Eligibility criteria and CPD Units are verified directly by your association or other bodies in which you hold membership.
Registration and Access
To register to this course, click on the Take this course button to pay online and receive your access instantly. If you are purchasing this course on behalf of others, please be advised that you will need to create or use their personal profile before finalizing your payment.
Access to the course is valid for 60 days.
If you wish to receive an invoice instead of paying online, please Contact us by email. Talk to us for our special Corporate Group rates.
Instructor
George Papanicolaou has more than 20-years experience in the Financial industry. He worked for several years in managerial positions as area Manager, Head of Brokerage, Compliance Officer, Anti Money Laundering Officer, General Manager and Executive Director in Cypriot Investment Firms as well as Managing Director of GP GLOBAL LTD offering consulting services and training courses to Investment Firms, focuses in Internal Audit, compliance & AML issues. He offered numerous courses/seminars both in Cyprus and abroad in Investment Firms Law as well as in Compliance & Anti Money Laundering. George Papanicolaou is also a Chairman of a Nomination Committee in a company listed in the Oslo Stock Exchange.
George Papanicolaou holds a BSc in Electronic Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin (USA), an MBA with specialization in Finance from Leicester University (UK) and a Postgraduate Certificate in the Mechanics of Risk Management from Middlesex University (UK).
He also holds an ICA International Diploma in Anti Money Laundering from the International Compliance Association and the University of Manchester, as well as an Advance and Money Laundering certificate from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission for the provision of investment services/activities.
He is a Fellow of the International Compliance Association (FICA), Mentor of ICA new students, member of the Cyprus Institute of Internal Auditors and Network chair for Cyprus of the International Compliance association.
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