エピソード

  • [Series 65] 60, IA Net Worth and Bonding Requirements
    2026/05/23
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The minimum net worth requirement for a state-registered investment adviser with custody of client assets is $35,000. - An investment adviser with discretionary authority over client accounts must maintain a minimum net worth of $10,000. - An adviser can post a $35,000 surety bond as an alternative to meeting the minimum net worth requirement for custody. - If an adviser's net worth falls below the minimum, they must notify the state administrator by the next business day. - An adviser with custody must file an audited balance sheet with the state, while an adviser with only discretion files an unaudited balance sheet. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    4 分
  • [Series 65] 59, State vs Federal IA Registration
    2026/05/22
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The specific Assets Under Management (AUM) thresholds that determine whether an Investment Adviser must register with the state or the SEC. - The rules and limitations of the de minimis exemption for state registration. - How operating as a multi-state adviser can affect SEC registration eligibility. - The precise triggers and timeframes for switching between state and federal registration. - The distinction between full state registration and the 'notice filing' required for federal covered advisers.
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    3 分
  • [Series 65] 58, Investment Advisers Act of 1940
    2026/05/21
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The three-prong test (ABC: Advice, Business, Compensation) for defining an investment adviser. - How the L.A.T.E. exclusion for lawyers, accountants, teachers, and engineers is tested on the exam. - The critical distinction between advice that is "solely incidental" versus a primary business activity. - The specific Assets Under Management (AUM) thresholds that determine federal versus state registration. - Common exam traps, such as special conditions that override AUM for SEC registration requirements. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    3 分
  • [Series 65] 57, QDROs and Special Distribution Situations
    2026/05/20
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - A Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) allows for a penalty-free, but taxable, transfer of retirement assets to an ex-spouse during a divorce. - Hardship withdrawals are only permitted for specific, IRS-defined 'immediate and heavy financial needs' and are subject to taxes and potential penalties. - Rule 72(t) allows for penalty-free early withdrawals through Substantially Equal Periodic Payments (SEPPs) that must last for 5 years or until age 59 ½, whichever is longer. - Indirect rollovers must be completed within 60 days to avoid taxation and penalties, a rule that is a frequent source of exam questions. - The key difference between a direct rollover (trustee-to-trustee) and an indirect rollover, and why the 60-day rule only applies to the latter. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    4 分
  • [Series 65] 56, ERISA and Plan Fiduciary Standards
    2026/05/19
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - That ERISA governs private-sector retirement plans to protect employee assets. - The 'prudent man rule' requires fiduciaries to act with the skill and care of a knowledgeable expert. - Prohibited transactions, such as self-dealing or transacting with a party-in-interest, are strictly forbidden to avoid conflicts of interest. - Plan sponsors have a fiduciary duty of loyalty to act exclusively for the benefit of plan participants. - The Department of Labor enforces ERISA and can levy significant financial penalties for violations. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    3 分
  • [Series 65] 55, Required Minimum Distributions
    2026/05/18
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The specific RMD age requirements based on birth year as set by the SECURE 2.0 Act. - How to calculate an RMD using the prior year-end balance and the IRS life expectancy factor. - The rules for a client's first RMD, including the April 1st deadline and the trap of taking two distributions in one year. - The 10-year rule for most beneficiaries of inherited IRAs and how it works. - The updated penalty for a missed RMD and how it can be reduced from 25% to 10%. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    2 分
  • [Series 65] 54, Education Savings 529 and Coverdell
    2026/05/17
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - That 529 plan contributions may be deductible at the state level, but not the federal level. - How the five-year gift tax averaging, or 'superfunding,' rule works for 529 plans. - The specific types of qualified education expenses for both 529 plans and Coverdell ESAs. - The strict annual contribution limit of $2,000 per beneficiary for a Coverdell ESA. - That high-income earners are prohibited from contributing to a Coverdell ESA, but not a 529 plan. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    4 分
  • [Series 65] 53, Traditional and Roth IRAs
    2026/05/16
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - That Traditional IRA deductibility is determined by income only if the individual is covered by a workplace retirement plan. - How Roth IRA contribution eligibility is based entirely on Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI), regardless of workplace plan coverage. - The mechanics of a Backdoor Roth IRA, a strategy for high-income earners to fund a Roth account via a non-deductible Traditional IRA contribution and subsequent conversion. - That converting pre-tax Traditional IRA funds to a Roth IRA is a taxable event in the year of the conversion. - That the annual contribution limit is an aggregate limit that applies across all of an individual's Traditional and Roth IRAs combined. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    3 分