ABC Advisors Ltd is advising Alison on the investment of a large compensation lump sum. Under the Consumer Protection Code, ABC is required, when dealing with Alison, to:

• A. only recommend risk-free investment products to her.
• B. provide assistance to Alison to facilitate her dealings with them.
• C. only provide generic investment advice to her, and not recommend any particular product to her.
• D. not arrange a financial product for her until at least 14 working days after providing a written investment recommendation to her.

Answer: (B)

Under the Consumer Protection Code, a firm must assist the client to facilitate their dealings with the firm. This means helping Alison understand the options, costs, and steps required to implement the investment, and actively supporting her through the paperwork, product choices, and the process of arranging the transaction with providers. The emphasis is on enabling the client to act on sound advice and to complete dealings smoothly, not on restricting options or delaying actions.

This is why assisting to facilitate dealings is the right obligation. The other statements don’t fit the Code’s practical duties: limiting to risk-free products isn’t required, providing only generic advice ignores the need to support and guide the client through a real transaction, and a fixed 14-working-day delay after a written recommendation isn’t the primary duty described in the Code.