Free NASAA Series 65 (Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination) Economic Factors and Business Information Practice Questions
Economic factors and business information on the NASAA Series 65 exam cover macroeconomic indicators, monetary and fiscal policy, financial statement analysis, quantitative methods, and fundamental business valuation techniques.
Sample Questions
Question 1
Easy
Beta is best described as a measure of:
Solution
A is correct. Beta measures systematic (market) risk — specifically, how a security's return tends to move relative to the broader market. A beta of 1.0 means the security moves in line with the market, greater than 1.0 indicates higher market sensitivity, and less than 1.0 indicates lower sensitivity. Formally, beta equals the covariance of the asset's returns with market returns divided by the variance of market returns. Because beta isolates only the portion of risk that cannot be diversified away, it is the risk measure used in the Capital Asset Pricing Model to price market (systematic) risk.
Question 2
Medium
Which of the following best describes fiscal policy?
Solution
C is correct. Fiscal policy refers to the federal government's use of taxation and spending to influence the economy. It is set by Congress and the executive branch through legislation such as tax law changes and budget appropriations.
Question 3
Hard
A client asks her investment adviser why inflation tends to accelerate during the expansion phase of the business cycle. Which explanation is most accurate?
Solution
A is correct because during expansions, employment rises, wages increase, and consumers spend more. When aggregate demand for goods and services grows faster than productive capacity can supply them, demand-pull inflation results — the classic inflationary mechanism during economic booms.