Episodios

  • [Series 65] 4, Fiscal Policy and Government Spending

    [Series 65] 4, Fiscal Policy and Government Spending
    Mar 28 2026
    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 core difference between fiscal policy (Congress/President) and monetary policy (Federal Reserve) for the Series 65 exam. - How expansionary fiscal policy (increased spending, tax cuts) is used to combat recessions. - How contractionary fiscal policy (decreased spending, tax hikes) is used to fight inflation. - The relationship between deficit spending, the issuance of government securities, and the national debt. - The concept of "crowding out" where government borrowing increases interest rates and reduces private investment. 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 m
  • [Series 65] 3, The Federal Reserve and Monetary Policy

    [Series 65] 3, The Federal Reserve and Monetary Policy
    Mar 27 2026
    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: - How the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) uses open market operations as its primary tool to influence the money supply. - The direct impact of the Fed buying government securities to expand the money supply and selling them to contract it. - The distinction between the discount rate, which the Fed sets for loans to banks, and the federal funds rate, which banks charge each other. - How changes in the reserve requirement affect the amount of money banks can lend out. - To identify the correct Fed monetary policy action (expansionary vs. contractionary) for different economic scenarios like recessions or high inflation. 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 m
  • [Series 65] 2, Leading Lagging and Coincident Indicators

    [Series 65] 2, Leading Lagging and Coincident Indicators
    Mar 26 2026
    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: - Leading indicators, such as the S&P 500 and building permits, are forward-looking and aim to predict the economy's future direction. - Lagging indicators, including the CPI and GDP, confirm economic trends after they have already taken place. - A critical Series 65 exam trap is the distinction between 'initial unemployment claims' (a leading indicator) and the 'average duration of unemployment' (a lagging indicator). - The stock market is considered a primary leading indicator because it reflects investor expectations of future corporate earnings and economic activity. - GDP is tested as a lagging indicator because it reports on economic output for a quarter that has already concluded. 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 m
  • [Series 65] 1, Business Cycles and Economic Phases

    [Series 65] 1, Business Cycles and Economic Phases
    Mar 25 2026
    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 four phases of the business cycle are expansion, peak, contraction, and trough. - A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of declining GDP, while a depression is six consecutive quarters of declining GDP. - Leading economic indicators predict future economic activity, coincident indicators show the current state, and lagging indicators confirm past trends. - Real GDP is adjusted for inflation and is the primary measure of economic growth, unlike nominal GDP which can be distorted by price changes. - The Series 65 exam tests your ability to identify the current phase of the business cycle based on given economic indicators. 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 m
  • [Series 6] 30, Anti-Money Laundering and Ethics

    [Series 6] 30, Anti-Money Laundering and Ethics
    Mar 8 2026
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and CFP designation. He is passionate about opening up information to help everyone prepare better for financial certification exams. This episode covers content for the Series 6 Exam. In this episode you will learn: - The three stages of money laundering: placement, layering, and integration. - Key requirements of a Customer Identification Program (CIP) and Know Your Customer (KYC) rules. - The specific rules for filing a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR), including the $5,000 threshold and 30-day deadline. - How to identify the prohibited practice of churning through excessive trading to generate commissions. - The difference between authorized trading and unauthorized trading, and the requirement for written discretionary authority. For more resources visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ and connect on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/chenran818
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    4 m
  • [Series 6] 29, Advertising and Sales Literature Rules

    [Series 6] 29, Advertising and Sales Literature Rules
    Mar 7 2026
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and CFP designation. He is passionate about opening up information to help everyone prepare better for financial certification exams. This episode covers content for the Series 6 Exam. In this episode you will learn: - Learn the key differences between retail communications, correspondence, and institutional communications. - Understand the strict principal pre-approval rule for all retail communications. - Discover the separate filing obligations with FINRA for new firms and specific investment products. - Identify prohibited claims and exaggerated language that are frequent exam traps. - Master a simple mnemonic to remember the "25 investor" rule for communication classification. For more resources visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ and connect on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/chenran818
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    4 m
  • [Series 6] 28, SEC and FINRA Regulations

    [Series 6] 28, SEC and FINRA Regulations
    Mar 6 2026
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and CFP designation. He is passionate about opening up information to help everyone prepare better for financial certification exams. This episode covers content for the Series 6 Exam. In this episode you will learn: - The "100-100" rule for when an investment company must register with the SEC under the Act of 1940. - How a fund's board of directors must be structured and how 12b-1 fees change that requirement. - The core principles of the FINRA suitability rule through concrete exam-style scenarios. - How to identify and avoid prohibited practices like "selling dividends" and "breakpoint sales" using a simple mnemonic. - The FINRA rules for ensuring that all advertising and communications with the public are fair, balanced, and not misleading. For more resources visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ and connect on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/chenran818
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    4 m
  • [Series 6] 27, Customer Account Types

    [Series 6] 27, Customer Account Types
    Mar 5 2026
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and CFP designation. He is passionate about opening up information to help everyone prepare better for financial certification exams. This episode covers content for the Series 6 Exam. In this episode you will learn: - The critical difference between Joint Tenants with Rights of Survivorship (JTWROS) and Tenants in Common (TIC) accounts. - How assets are passed to beneficiaries upon the death of an account owner in various account types. - The specific rules and limitations governing custodial accounts like UGMA and UTMA for minors. - Why gifts made to a custodial account are considered irrevocable and who is responsible for the taxes. - The definition of fiduciary responsibility and how it applies to trustees and custodians. For more resources visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ and connect on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/chenran818
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    4 m