CISI GFC · Cram Sheet

Last-night review · Print A4 · Every high-frequency fact from all 5 chapters
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Exam-day cram sheet

All 100 exam questions distributed as: Ch 1 · 20Ch 2 · 24Ch 3 · 20Ch 4 · 19Ch 5 · 17. Ch 2 is the heaviest. Print and review the night before.

Ch 1 · Regulatory objectives + venues

3 regulatory objectivesConfidence · Consumer · Stability
Sharia prohibitionsRiba · Gharar · Haram
FATCA reachUS persons anywhere; 30% withholding
CRS jurisdictions110+ · US does NOT participate
MiFID II venuesRM · MTF · SI · OTF
SI vs MTFSI = bilateral · MTF = multilateral
OTF scopeNon-equity only
Trap: OFT extraterritorial reach — USD clearing pulls US jurisdiction. BNP Paribas $8.9bn (2014).

Ch 1 · International bodies

BCBSBasel — banking (Basel I/II/III)
IOSCO38 Principles · securities · MMoU enforcement
IAISInsurance Core Principles
FSBPost-2008 systemic coordinator
BIS"Central bank of central banks" · hosts BCBS
MMoU signatories130+ regulators
Basel Concordat triggerBCCI collapse 1991
Home statePrudential (capital)
Host stateConduct of business
Trap: which body sets banking rules? BCBS (not BIS itself). Insurance? IAIS (not IOSCO).

Ch 2 · Compliance structure

Compliance = which line?2nd
Internal audit = which line?3rd
Business = which line?1st (OWNS risk)
Head of compliance reports toBoard / CEO (NOT sales)
Fit & proper pillarsHonesty · Competence · Financial soundness
Conflicts hierarchyAvoid > Manage > Disclose
FCA Principle 11Open + cooperative with regulator
Trap: BUSINESS owns compliance. Compliance oversees. If the exam says "the compliance function is responsible for compliance in the business" — WRONG.

Ch 2 · SMCR + accountability

UK SMCR started2016 (expanded 2023+)
Australia FAR started2024
HK Manager-in-Charge2017
Duty of Responsibility test"Reasonable steps a person in their position would have taken"
Outsourcing ruleFirm retains FULL regulatory accountability
MLRO reports SARs toNational FIU (UK NCA, US FinCEN)
Trap: "I didn't know" is NOT automatically a defence under Duty of Responsibility.

Ch 3 · ML + AML basics

ML stagesPlacement · Layering · Integration
ML vs TFML = dirty origin · TF = often legit origin, criminal use
FATF40 Recommendations · founded 1989
BO threshold>25% OR control
SDDLIGHTER, not NONE
SAR thresholdKnow / suspect / reasonable grounds
Tipping offSEPARATE offence (POCA s.333A)
Trap: Tipping off ≠ failure to disclose. Two different offences.

Ch 3 · EDD / PEPs / sanctions

EDD triggersPEP · high-risk country · non-F2F · complex ownership · cash-intensive · correspondent · private banking
PEP definitionProminent public function + family + close associates
SoF vs SoWFunds (this txn) vs wealth (overall net worth)
OFSI strict liabilityJune 2022+
OFAC extraterritorialUSD · US person · US goods · US infra
Sanctions typesAsset freeze · Prohibitions · Sectoral · Country embargo · Trade
Trap: post-2022 Russia sanctions dramatically expanded sectoral scope — not in Ed 8 workbook.

Ch 3 · Bribery + tax

UK Bribery Act2010 · 4 offences
Adequate procedures6 principles
UKBA facilitation paymentsPROHIBITED
FCPA facilitation paymentsNarrow exemption, rarely used
UK CFA 2017Failure to prevent tax evasion facilitation (ALL sizes)
UK ECCT 2023 fraud offenceSept 2025 · large orgs only
FATCA withholding30%
UK crypto travel ruleSept 2023
EU AMLA operational2025
Trap: UK vs US on facilitation payments — UK prohibits, US allows narrowly. Different regimes.

Ch 4 · Ethics + fairness

3 ethical frameworksUtility · Duty · Virtue
TCF outcomes6
UK Consumer Duty in force31 July 2023
Consumer Duty outcome-areas4 (products · price/value · understanding · support)
FG21/1 vulnerability driversHealth · Life events · Resilience · Capability
FCA Principle 1Integrity
Trap: vulnerability ≠ elderly. It's dynamic + spectrum. ~50% of adults at some point.

Ch 4 · Fiduciary + suitability

Fiduciary contentNo conflict · No secret profit · Loyalty · Confidentiality
Suitability factorsObjectives · Financial situation · K&E
Appropriateness factorK&E only
Best interests ruleCOBS 2.1.1R (UK) · MiFID II Art 24(1) · Reg BI (US, June 2020)
Product gov — whoManufacturer + distributor BOTH accountable
Fair valueReasonable price vs benefits (NOT cheapest)
Trap: suitability (advised, 3 factors) vs appropriateness (complex execution-only, K&E only). Don't mix them up.

Ch 5 · Governance + board

OECD definitionSystem by which companies are directed & controlled
UK Code basis"Comply or explain" (premium-listed)
Board committeesAudit · Risk · Remuneration · Nomination
Chair-CEO separationStandard in UK
Independence exclusionsEmployed within 5y · material biz relationship · >9y tenure
Internal audit reports toAudit committee (NOT CEO)

Ch 5 · Risk + Op Res

Risk (ISO 31000)Effect of uncertainty on objectives
Appetite vs capacity vs toleranceWilling · Max possible · Acceptable deviation
Basel op risk categories7 (EXCLUDES strategic + reputational)
UK Op Res in force31 March 2022
UK Op Res deadline31 March 2025
EU DORA in forceJanuary 2025
ISSB standardsIFRS S1 / S2 (2023)
Twin peaks UKPRA (prudential) + FCA (conduct)
UK s.166Skilled person review (firm pays)
Trap: impact tolerance is BOARD-SET based on client / market impact — not internal aspiration.

Top 10 GFC traps (memorise these)

1. Compliance vs businessBusiness OWNS · Compliance oversees
2. Tipping off ≠ failure to discloseTwo separate offences
3. SI vs MTFSI = bilateral · MTF = multilateral
4. BO test>25% OR control (not JUST %)
5. SDD ≠ no DDJust lighter
6. Facilitation paymentsUK prohibits · US narrow exemption
7. FATCA vs CRSUS uses FATCA · does NOT do CRS
8. Suitability vs appropriatenessAdvised (3 factors) vs complex-execution (K&E only)
9. Op risk categories7 · EXCLUDES strategic + reputational
10. Duty of Responsibility"Should have known" can be enough

Post-2019 developments — modern syllabus flags

UK Consumer Duty31 July 2023
UK Op Resilience (PS21/3)March 2022
UK OFSI strict liabilityJune 2022
UK crypto travel ruleSept 2023
UK ECCT 2023 fraud offenceSept 2025
EU 6MLDJune 2021 (FIs)
EU AMLA operational2025
EU DORAJanuary 2025
ISSB IFRS S1/S22023
Australia FAR2024
US SEC Reg BIJune 2020
Note: the 2019 Ed 8 workbook predates most of these. Current syllabus likely tests them — flagged in this app's explanations.