Business PracticesQuestion 57 of 100
A customer tells his agent, 'Buy 500 shares of a good technology company sometime this week.' The agent selects the issuer and buys the shares two days later. The agent has:
a.Acted properly, because the customer authorized a technology purchase
b.Acted properly under time and price discretion
c.Committed no violation because the customer approved afterward
d.Exercised discretion without prior written authorization, because choosing the security and the day requires a signed discretionary agreement
Explanation
Discretion over the security, the number of shares, or whether to buy or sell requires prior written authorization from the customer and acceptance by the firm. Time and price discretion is narrower: the customer must specify the security, the action, and the amount, and that limited authority is generally good only for the day it is given. After-the-fact approval does not retroactively authorize a discretionary trade.
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