Basics Beginner: Using Financial Services Wisely

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Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer to each question.

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1.
All else being equal, which of the following planners would have the biggest conflict of interest regarding your money?
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
A commission-based planner. Anyone who earns commissions has an interest in encouraging as many trades as possible. To what extent they act on that interest will, of course, vary.
2.
Say you are relaxing at home a week after having bought some stock on margin, and the price of the stock has dropped immensely during those days. Suddenly your phone rings, and it is your broker. You know instinctively that this is _______.
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
A margin call. If the stock price drops deeply, your broker may worry that you wont be able to pay back the loan, and he or she will give you a margin call asking you to add more cash to your account.
3.
Sometimes, the more you trade, the lower your per-trade commissions.
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
True. Some brokers reward "active traders," as they are called, with lower per-trade commissions, provided that the traders meet a certain minimum number of trades per time period.
4.
What is the conflict of interest that you might encounter with a full-service broker who earns commissions?
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
The broker may encourage frequent trading in order to get more commissions. While the other choices might still occur, only this one is a conflict of interest. Make sure your broker has your best interests at heart.
5.
You short 100 shares of fictional company Hoosier Soybeans Corp. at $20. The shares subsequently drop to $15, and you close out the short position. What would your cash profit be?
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
$500. Youll borrow 100 shares and immediately sell them to receive $2,000 (100 shares x $20/share). Once the stock drops to $15, you buy the shares back for $1,500. Your cash profit is $500 (cash received of $2,000 minus cash paid of $1,500).
6.
If you place an order with your broker and it sits there for days waiting for a certain price limit to be activated, you have most likely placed a _______.
Choose wisely. There is only one correct answer.
Limit order. A limit order puts an upper or lower limit on the price, depending on whether you are buying or selling.