Which Standard is violated when an advertisement promises guaranteed returns with no risk disclosures?

• A. Standard I.B Independence and Objectivity
• B. Standard I.C Misrepresentation
• C. Standard II.A Material Nonpublic Information
• D. Standard IV.D Performance Presentation

Answer: (B)

Promising guaranteed returns with no risk disclosures breaks the rule that communications about investments must be truthful and not misleading. This directly violates Misrepresentation, which covers false statements and omissions of material facts that could influence a reasonable investor’s decisions. Claiming a risk-free guarantee implies certainty about performance that cannot be guaranteed and fails to disclose the inherent risks, making the advertisement deceptive.

Independence and Objectivity isn’t the issue here, since the concern isn’t about influence or conflicts. Material Nonpublic Information isn’t involved, as there’s no mention of insider data. Performance Presentation could matter if we were evaluating how performance is shown, but the fundamental violation is the false, guaranteed-return claim itself.