Actuarium

CAS Exam 2Financial Mathematics (FM)

Preliminary
2.5 hoursยท30 multiple-choiceยทโ‰ˆ250 study hours

Syllabus learning objectives

Official syllabus

Paraphrased from the CAS syllabus so the study-plan builder and practice sets track the topics you will actually be examined on. Weights are the official topic ranges.

Time value of money

12%
  • Compute present and accumulated values under simple, compound, and nominal/effective interest and discount rates.
  • Convert among nominal, effective and force-of-interest rates over varying compounding frequencies.
  • Solve for unknown time, rate or amount in single-payment time-value equations.
  • Apply inflation-adjusted (real) interest rates to cash flow valuation.

Annuities

20%
  • Compute present and accumulated values of annuities-immediate, annuities-due, and continuous annuities, including deferred and perpetuity cases.
  • Value annuities with varying (arithmetically or geometrically increasing/decreasing) payments.
  • Compute values of annuities payable more/less frequently than interest is convertible.
  • Solve for unknown payment, term or rate given an annuity's present or accumulated value.

Loans

15%
  • Construct an amortization schedule showing interest and principal components of each loan payment.
  • Compute outstanding loan balance using the prospective and retrospective methods.
  • Apply the sinking fund method to loan repayment and compare it with amortization.
  • Compute the effect of a lump-sum extra payment or refinancing on remaining loan cash flows.

Bonds

15%
  • Compute bond price given yield rate, coupon rate, and redemption value, including premium/discount amortization.
  • Construct a bond amortization schedule using the effective-interest method and determine book value at any time.
  • Compute the yield rate of a bond given its price, including callable bond scenarios.
  • Apply Makeham's formula and other shortcuts for pricing bonds.

General cash flows & portfolios

17%
  • Compute the internal rate of return (yield rate) of a general cash flow stream and assess its uniqueness.
  • Compute dollar-weighted and time-weighted rates of return for an investment portfolio.
  • Apply the portfolio and investment-year (new money) methods of crediting interest.
  • Compute the duration, convexity and volatility of a set of cash flows.

Immunization

11%
  • Compute Macaulay and modified duration and convexity for assets, liabilities, and portfolios.
  • Apply Redington immunization conditions to construct an asset portfolio immunized against small interest-rate shifts.
  • Apply full immunization (cash-flow matching) techniques and compare with Redington immunization.
  • Assess the impact of a non-parallel yield curve shift on an immunized portfolio.

Interest-rate swaps

5%
  • Describe the mechanics and cash flows of a plain-vanilla interest-rate swap.
  • Compute the swap rate that equates the present values of fixed and floating legs.
  • Value a swap position at a point in time given the current forward rate structure.
  • Explain the use of swaps to manage interest-rate exposure of an asset/liability portfolio.

Determinants of interest rates

5%
  • Describe the components of a market interest rate (real rate, inflation premium, risk premiums).
  • Interpret the term structure of interest rates and forward rate relationships implied by spot rates.
  • Describe theories of the yield curve (expectations, liquidity preference, market segmentation).
  • Assess how central bank policy and macroeconomic conditions influence short- and long-term rates.

Lecture videos for this exam

Open the full video library โ†’

The Time Value of Money (Actuarial Exam FM โ€“ Financial Mathematics โ€“ Module 1, Section 1, Part 1)

AnalystPrep ยท Financial Mathematics (Exam FM)

Basic Annuity Formulas (Actuarial Exam FM โ€“ Financial Mathematics โ€“ Module 2, Section 2)

AnalystPrep ยท Financial Mathematics (Exam FM)

Modified Duration (SOA Exam FM โ€“ Financial Mathematics โ€“ Module 4, Section 3, Part 2)

AnalystPrep ยท Financial Mathematics (Exam FM)

Callable Bonds | Exam FM | Financial Mathematics Lesson 24

JK Math ยท Financial Mathematics (Exam FM)

MIT 15.401 Finance Theory I, Fall 2008

MIT OpenCourseWare ยท Finance & Interest Theory ยท playlist

Overview

Exam FM/2 covers interest theory: accumulation functions, nominal and effective rates, annuities, loan amortization and sinking funds, bond pricing and amortization, yield curves and spot/forward rates, duration, convexity, and immunization. Derivatives were removed from the FM syllabus in 2022; the emphasis is now firmly on cash-flow valuation.

Duration
2.5 hours
Questions
30 multiple-choice
Style
Computer-based testing
Passing
Scaled score 6 of 10

Syllabus map

Key formulas

Annuity-immediate and due anโ€พโˆฃ=1โˆ’vni,aยจnโ€พโˆฃ=1โˆ’vnd=(1+i)โ€‰anโ€พโˆฃa_{\overline{n}|}=\frac{1-v^n}{i},\qquad \ddot a_{\overline{n}|}=\frac{1-v^n}{d}=(1+i)\,a_{\overline{n}|}

Nominal to effective โ€…โ€Š(1+i(m)m)m=1+i=eฮด=(1โˆ’d(m)m)โˆ’m\;\left(1+\tfrac{i^{(m)}}{m}\right)^m=1+i=e^{\delta}=\left(1-\tfrac{d^{(m)}}{m}\right)^{-m}

Bond price (face FF, coupon rr, redemption CC, yield ii): P=Frโ€‰anโ€พโˆฃi+CvnP=Fr\,a_{\overline{n}|i}+Cv^n

Outstanding balance (prospective) after kk payments of RR: Bk=Rโ€‰anโˆ’kโ€พโˆฃB_k=R\,a_{\overline{n-k}|}

Macaulay and modified duration Dmac=โˆ‘tโ€‰vtCFtโˆ‘vtCFt,Dmod=Dmac1+i,ฮ”PPโ‰ˆโˆ’Dmodโ€‰ฮ”i+12Cโ€‰(ฮ”i)2D_{mac}=\frac{\sum t\,v^t CF_t}{\sum v^t CF_t},\qquad D_{mod}=\frac{D_{mac}}{1+i},\qquad \frac{\Delta P}{P}\approx -D_{mod}\,\Delta i+\tfrac12 C\,(\Delta i)^2

Redington immunization: PVA=PVLPV_A=PV_L, DA=DLD_A=D_L, CA>CLC_A>C_L.

Study strategy

  1. Become fast with the BA-II Plus TVM keys and cash-flow worksheet; half the exam is calculator fluency.

  2. Draw a timeline for every question โ€” the majority of wrong answers are off-by-one-period errors.

  3. Master the relationships between ii, dd, ฮด\delta, i(m)i^{(m)} and d(m)d^{(m)} so conversions are instant.

  4. Practice full-length timed sets; FM is a speed exam.

Common traps

  • Annuity-due vs annuity-immediate (payments at start vs end).

  • Semiannual coupon bonds quoted with annual nominal yields.

  • Duration of a portfolio is the PV-weighted average, not a simple average.

  • Forward rates: (1+s2)2=(1+s1)(1+f1,2)(1+s_2)^2=(1+s_1)(1+f_{1,2}) โ€” not additive.

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