STUDY FOR THE SERIES 66 EXAM

  Dear Series 66 Test Candidates: Here's a good example of the powers of the SEC to file complaints about securities violations in federal district courts, to root out fraud by securities professionals, brokers, investment advisers, and to bring charges of fake representations and unfair business dealings in the securities industry. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2023-74 Washington D.C., April 4, 2023 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Charlie Javice, the founder of the now shuttered student loan assistance company previously known as Frank, with fraud in connection with the $175 million sale of the company to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., (JPMC) in 2021. The SEC’s complaint alleges that Javice orchestrated a scheme to deceive JPMC into believing that Frank had access to valuable data on 4.25 million students who used Frank’s service when in reality the number was less than 300,000. The SEC’s complaint alleges that Javice made numerous misrepresentations about Frank’s purpo

   Taking the Series 66 exam? If so, be prepared for questions covering the Sharpe Ratio and various other descriptive statistics that analyze the price action of stocks. How do I know this? NASAA publishes Test Specifications for the Series 66 exam, and Section I (A) (2) covers the Sharpe Ratio and other analytical ratios and concepts. Bob Eder discusses the Sharpe Ratio and stock statistical analysis in his  Study for the Series 66 Exam . Here is an example of Bob Eder's treatment of the Sharpe Ratio: EXAMPLE Jimmy compares shares of ABC Corp. with shares of XYZ Corp. The standard deviation of XYZ's historical returns is 5, but the standard deviation of ABC shares is 3. If both ABC and XYZ generate an annual return of 30 percent above risk-free return, ABC has a Sharpe Ratio of 10 (i.e., 30 percent divided by 3). XYZ stock has a Sharpe Ratio of 6 (i.e., 30 percent divided by 5). ABC's higher Sharpe Ratio indicates ABC's return is less risky than that of XYZ. Jimmy thu

    Planning to take the Series 66 Exam? Then become familiar with FINRA Rule 3210 on Opening Outside Accounts. Why? Because NASAA Series 66 Test Specifications includes this topic in Section IV (H) (4), thus signaling that there can be questions on the test about this rule. Here is the text of Rule 3210: FINRA RULE 3210 Securities Accounts at Other Investment Advisers, Broker/Dealers or Financial Institutions a) No person associated with a member ("employer member") shall, without the prior written consent of the member, open or otherwise establish at a member other than the employer member ("executing member"), or at any other financial institution, any account in which securities transactions can be effected and in which the associated person has a beneficial interest. (b) Any associated person, prior to opening or otherwise establishing an account subject to this Rule, shall notify in writing the executing member, or other financial institution, of his or her as