Risk Management Frameworks10 min
Risk management is not just about minimizing risk but optimizing the bundle of risks to meet an organization's goals. It requires a governance framework where senior management defines risk tolerance. Risk budgeting then allocates this risk 'budget' to specific assets. Risks are categorized into financial (arising from markets) and non-financial (operational or external). Organizations can modify their risk profile by preventing, avoiding, transferring (insurance), shifting (derivatives), or accepting (self-insurance) risks.

Key Points

  • Risk Governance: Senior management sets risk tolerance.
  • Risk Budgeting: Allocating risk to assets/strategies.
  • Financial Risks: Credit, Liquidity, Market.
  • Non-Financial Risks: Solvency, Settlement, Operational.
  • Risk Modification: Transfer (Insurance), Shift (Derivatives).
Technical Analysis Principles and Tools15 min
Technical analysis assumes market prices reflect all rational and irrational investor behavior and that patterns repeat. It contrasts with fundamental analysis by focusing on price/volume rather than intrinsic value. Analysts use charts to spot trends defined by higher highs (uptrend) or lower lows (downtrend). Support and resistance levels are psychological barriers for price, and the change in polarity principle dictates that once breached, their roles swap.

Key Points

  • Price reflects all information.
  • Trends persist; History repeats.
  • Support: Buying pressure prevents price drop.
  • Resistance: Selling pressure prevents price rise.
  • Change in Polarity: Breached support becomes resistance.
Chart Patterns and Indicators15 min
Patterns signal future moves: Head and Shoulders (reversal) and Triangles (continuation). Price targets can be calculated from pattern heights. Indicators are mathematical calculations plotted on charts. Moving averages smooth data; crossovers signal trend changes. Bollinger Bands measure volatility and overbought/oversold conditions. Oscillators (RSI, MACD) track momentum and divergence. Sentiment indicators (Put/Call ratio) are often contrarian.

Key Points

  • Reversal Patterns: Head and Shoulders, Double Top/Bottom.
  • Continuation Patterns: Triangles, Rectangles, Pennants.
  • Golden Cross: Short-term MA crosses above Long-term MA.
  • Oscillators: RSI, MACD, Stochastic.
  • Sentiment: Put/Call ratio, VIX, Margin Debt.
Fintech and Big Data10 min
Fintech integrates technology into finance, utilizing Big Data defined by Volume, Velocity, and Variety. Sources include social media and the Internet of Things (IoT). Machine Learning allows computers to learn from data without explicit programming, using training, validation, and test datasets. Applications include Robo-advisors for automated portfolio management and Algorithmic Trading for execution efficiency.

Key Points

  • Big Data: Volume, Velocity, Variety.
  • Machine Learning: Supervised vs. Unsupervised.
  • Overfitting: Model learns noise as signal.
  • Robo-advisors: Low cost, automated, conservative.
  • Algorithmic Trading: Automated execution, HFT.
Distributed Ledger Technology10 min
DLT allows shared, synchronized databases. Blockchain is a DLT type recording transactions in linked blocks secured by cryptography. Networks can be Permissionless (open, no central authority) or Permissioned (restricted access). Key applications include Cryptocurrencies, Smart Contracts (self-executing), and Tokenization of physical assets, aiming to speed up settlement and reduce counterparty risk.

Key Points

  • Blockchain: Sequential, cryptographically linked blocks.
  • Permissionless: Open to all, no central authority.
  • Miners: Solve cryptographic problems to validate.
  • Smart Contracts: Self-executing based on terms.
  • Tokenization: Digital proof of ownership.

Questions

Question 1

Which of the following activities is best described as part of risk governance?

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Question 2

Risk budgeting is most accurately defined as the process of:

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Question 3

Which of the following is classified as a non-financial risk?

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Question 4

Risk shifting is most likely accomplished through the use of:

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Question 5

An organization decides to bear a specific risk itself rather than avoiding or transferring it. This is best described as:

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Question 6

Which of the following is a key assumption of technical analysis?

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Question 7

Technical analysis differs from fundamental analysis in that technical analysis:

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Question 8

In a candlestick chart, a filled (shaded) box (body) indicates that:

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Question 9

According to the principle of change in polarity, once a resistance level is breached, it becomes:

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Question 10

A head-and-shoulders pattern has a neckline at $120 and a head at $150. If the price breaks down through the neckline, the projected price target is:

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Question 11

Which of the following is considered a continuation chart pattern?

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Question 12

A 'golden cross' occurs when:

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Question 13

Bollinger bands are constructed by drawing lines a specific number of standard deviations above and below a:

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Question 14

Using a contrarian strategy with Bollinger bands, an investor would most likely buy when:

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Question 15

The Rate of Change (ROC) oscillator is calculated as:

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Question 16

An RSI value of 85 most likely indicates that the asset is:

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Question 17

In the MACD indicator, the 'signal line' is defined as:

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Question 18

Convergence between an oscillator and market prices suggests that:

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Question 19

Which of the following is considered a sentiment indicator?

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Question 20

A very high put/call ratio indicates strongly bearish investor sentiment. A technical analyst would view this as a:

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Question 21

The VIX measures volatility of options on which underlying index?

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Question 22

Increases in total margin debt are generally viewed by technical analysts as:

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Question 23

Intermarket analysis typically involves analyzing relationships among:

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Question 24

If a relative strength chart of Stock A versus a benchmark Index shows a rising trend, this implies:

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Question 25

A 'top-down' approach to technical analysis would start with:

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Question 26

Which of the following refers to data generated by individuals, such as social media posts and reviews?

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Question 27

The 'velocity' characteristic of Big Data refers to:

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Question 28

In the context of data science, 'curation' involves:

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Question 29

In supervised learning, the algorithm is given:

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Question 30

Overfitting occurs when a machine learning model:

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Question 31

Which application of fintech involves analyzing unstructured data in text or voice forms, such as regulatory filings?

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Question 32

A primary advantage of robo-advisory services is:

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Question 33

A distributed ledger that uses a consensus mechanism to validate new entries and links blocks sequentially is known as:

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Question 34

In a permissionless network using distributed ledger technology:

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Question 35

Tokenization refers to:

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Question 36

Which technical chart type displays the high, low, and closing prices but not necessarily the opening price?

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Question 37

A 'dead cross' is a technical signal indicating:

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Question 38

Smart contracts are best described as:

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Question 39

Which component of risk management involves deciding which risks should be taken and which should be reduced?

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Question 40

Which pattern suggests a pause in a trend rather than a reversal?

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Question 41

The stochastic oscillator consists of two lines, %K and %D. The %D line is:

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Question 42

A period of low volatility where Bollinger bands move closer together is referred to as a:

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Question 43

Which term describes the lag between when data is generated and when it is communicated?

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Question 44

Risk governance requires determining the organization's overall:

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Question 45

Which chart type would be most useful for analyzing the distribution of buyers and sellers over time?

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Question 46

Settlement risk is best classified as a:

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Question 47

Which risk measure includes delta, gamma, vega, and rho?

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Question 48

An uptrend line is constructed by connecting the:

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Question 49

Which type of machine learning involves the computer learning to describe the structure of data without labeled outputs?

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Question 50

Tail risk is most appropriately measured by:

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