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Professional Development

Series 7 Exam Questions: Sample Problems to Test Your Knowledge

Financial advisors who recommend specific securities to clients must pass the FINRA Series 7 exam. This multiple-choice exam features 125 scored questions and 10 unscored pre-test questions covering core securities concepts. Completing Series 7 sample questions as part of your study prep can offer insight into what to expect when it’s time to sit for… read more…

Client Acquisition

Lead Generation for Financial Services: Strategies to Fill Your Pipeline Without Cold-Calling

Leads can come from different sources, but the quality of those leads and their potential to convert isn’t always equal. If you have limited time or resources to invest in lead gen, it makes sense to focus on the highest ROI channels. Should you need some inspiration for your marketing strategy, the following lead generation… read more…

Inheritance

I Just Inherited an Annuity. If I Wait Past One Year, Will I Lose My Best Payout Option?

Inheriting an annuity comes with a deadline that’s easy to miss. Your contract typically offers multiple payout options, including a choice that stretches distributions across your lifetime. The window to elect that option stays open for only one year. The wrong election or a delayed decision compresses your inheritance and tax bill into far fewer… read more…

IPO volatility can affect both short-term traders and long-term holders, making a predetermined strategy essential regardless of your timeline.
How to Invest

If You Invested $5K in the SpaceX IPO, How Much Do You Have Now?

SpaceX began trading on June 12, 2026, with an IPO price of $135 per share, giving retail investors an opportunity to buy into one of the world’s most closely watched aerospace companies. A $5,000 investment at the IPO price would have purchased about 37.04 shares. By June 16, those shares had climbed to $225.64, increasing… read more…

Editor's Picks

A couple determining whether they need a CFA vs. CFP®.
Certifications & Licenses

CFA vs. CFP®: Which Do You Need?

Chartered financial analyst (CFA) and certified financial planner (CFP) are common certifications for individuals working in finance, namely financial advisors. These are designed to tell a client (or employer) that the holder has received education in certain types of financial… read more…

Clients meeting with an advisor from a wealth management firm.
Brokerage

6 Tips for Choosing a Wealth Management Firm

Wealth management firms are all different, with their own specializations and services. As a result, the process for choosing a wealth manager is a very personal one. Wealth managers work closely together with their clients to identify financial goals and… read more…

A fee-only financial planner doesn't earn commissions for recommending certain products.
Advisor Fees & Costs

What Is a Fee-Only Financial Planner?

If a financial planner, financial advisor or another type of financial professional is fee-only, that means they receive compensation solely from the fees clients pay for their services. They do not earn commissions for recommending certain products. A fee-only structure… read more…

Investment Property
Real Estate Investing

Why First Homes Could Be Investment Properties

If you’re young and looking to purchase a new home to live in, you may want to consider turning it into an investment property. While most people wait until after they’ve bought their first or second home to begin investing in… read more…

Data Articles and Studies

Money in an envelope.
Income

Where Wage Inequality Is Increasing and Decreasing – 2026 Study

Wage equality helps define how workers share in economic growth. When top earners pull far ahead of median workers, rising high-end pay concentrates gains among a relatively small group. According to the Economic Policy Institute, earnings inequality has “redistributed wages away from most workers” and stifled “broader-based wage growth.” However, wider wage gaps may also… read more…

Traffic jam in New York City including NYPD SUVs.
Quality of Life

America’s Safest Big Cities – 2026 Study

Choosing where to live can involve balancing opportunity and security. Big cities offer diverse job markets, extensive amenities and greater access to public services. But they also sometimes come with more acute safety concerns. While no major population center is entirely free from danger, some are more successful than others at creating environments where people… read more…

A professional pilot sitting in an airplane cabin, ready for takeoff.
Income

Where Dedication Pays: Jobs With the Biggest Earning Upside

Some occupations offer substantial earning potential for workers who perform at an exceptional level and prioritize career advancement. In these fields, top earners may make several times more than the median worker, creating wide differences in compensation within the same occupation. For ambitious workers willing to build experience, sustain high performance and remain geographically mobile,… read more…

Sign text Closeup of a "Help Wanted" sign.
Other

Where Job Scams Happen Most – 2026 Study  

For job seekers, the search for a new role now comes with an added source of stress: determining whether an opportunity is real or an attempt to exploit their need for work. Employment scams rank among the most common types of consumer fraud, and they’re on the rise, according to the Better Business Bureau. Scammers… read more…

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