Ran Chen, EA, CFP®

Open Exam Prep

Education EN ↓ 442 episodes

Open Exam Prep: Mastering Financial ExamsThe path to becoming a certified financial professional is known for its difficulty, and finding high-quality, accessible study material shouldn't be the hardest part. Created by Ran Chen—an AI application enthusiast, Financial Advisor, and holder of the EA (Tax), Life Insurance, Series 6/63/65, and CFP® designations—this podcast was born from personal experience. Having navigated these challenging exams himself, Ran realized the need for better resources and created Open Exam Prep as a free solution for aspiring professionals. Each episode breaks down...

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Author

Ran Chen, EA, CFP®

Episodes

[Series 66] 2, Reading Questions and Avoiding Distractors 25.09.2026 4:45

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 to distinguish federal law under the Investment Advisers A...

[Series 66] 1, Your Study Plan After Series 7 24.09.2026 4:24

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 official NASAA Series 66 exam outline breaks down acro...

Series 7 Exam Prep 100, Final Exam Strategy and Common Series 7 Traps 15.09.2026 3:16

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: - How to strategically focus on Function 3, which accounts for 7...

Series 7 Exam Prep 99, High-Yield Product Comparison Review 14.09.2026 3:33

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 primary suitability case for common stock (growth) versus...

Series 7 Exam Prep 98, Regulation and Prohibited Conduct Review 13.09.2026 4:35

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 Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) raises the standard of c...

Series 7 Exam Prep 97, Trading and Settlement Exam Traps 12.09.2026 4:02

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 critical difference between a stop order, which guarantees...

Series 7 Exam Prep 96, Communications and Disclosure Exam Traps 11.09.2026 3:30

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: - All communications must be fair, balanced, and disclose risks...

Series 7 Exam Prep 95, Retirement and Rollover Recommendation Traps 10.09.2026 4:48

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: - Why a rollover recommendation is a suitability determination u...

Series 7 Exam Prep 94, Suitability Drill for Packaged Products 09.09.2026 4:47

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 suitability of mutual fund share classes (A vs. C) based o...

Series 7 Exam Prep 93, Suitability Drill for Equity and Debt Products 08.09.2026 3:11

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: - Common stock is the top choice for aggressive growth and capit...

Series 7 Exam Prep 92, Options Breakeven and Strategy Math Review 07.09.2026 3:25

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: - To calculate breakeven for calls (strike + premium) and puts (...

Series 7 Exam Prep 91, Options Indexes and Broad-Based Products 06.09.2026 4:49

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: - Index options are cash-settled, meaning no underlying securiti...

Series 7 Exam Prep 90, Customer Account Restrictions and Free Riding 05.09.2026 3:25

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: - Regulation T requires customers to pay for securities in a cas...

Series 7 Exam Prep 89, Markups, Markdowns, and Commissions 04.09.2026 3:09

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 critical distinction between a broker-dealer acting as an...

Series 7 Exam Prep 88, Accrued Interest and Bond Settlement 03.09.2026 3:46

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 the buyer of a bond pays the accrued interest to the sell...

Series 7 Exam Prep 87, Municipal Trading and Pricing 02.09.2026 3:46

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: - Municipal serial bonds are typically quoted on a yield-to-matu...

Series 7 Exam Prep 86, Investment Banking and Corporate Financing 01.09.2026 3:42

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 critical distinction between a 'firm commitment' (underwri...

Series 7 Exam Prep 85, Tender Offers, Mergers, and Corporate Actions 31.08.2026 2:52

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 tender offer must remain open to shareholders for a minimum...

Series 7 Exam Prep 84, Penny Stocks and Low-Priced Securities 30.08.2026 2:48

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 penny stock is an unlisted (non-Nasdaq) security trading und...

Series 7 Exam Prep 83, Customer Complaints and Account Documentation 29.08.2026 3:25

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 customer complaint must be in writing (e.g., email, text, le...

Series 7 Exam Prep 82, Customer Recommendations by Life Stage 28.08.2026 4:16

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: - Why young accumulators with long time horizons should focus on...

Series 7 Exam Prep 81, Taxation of Investments 27.08.2026 3:27

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 different tax treatments for ordinary income, qualified di...

Series 7 Exam Prep 80, Diversification, Correlation, and Asset Allocation 26.08.2026 4:58

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: - Why owning many stocks in the same sector isn't true diversifi...

Series 7 Exam Prep 79, Portfolio Risk and Return 25.08.2026 3:36

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: - Systematic risk is undiversifiable market-wide risk, while uns...

Series 7 Exam Prep 78, Interest Rates and Yield Curves 24.08.2026 3:51

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 normal yield curve signals economic expansion, with long-ter...