Series 66

How to Calculate Gains and Losses on Exercised Options

Options are a common topic on the Series 6, Series 7, Series 65, Series 66, and SIE exams. Read our guide to calculating gains and losses on exercised options. Continue reading

Options are a topic that many taking the Series 6, Series 7, Series 65, Series 66, and SIE exams have to deal with. One of the biggest problems that students have with options questions occurs when they are asked to calculate gains and losses on exercised options. As long as you understand a few basic points, these types of questions can be a breeze and definitely nothing to lose sleep over.

First of all, let’s remind ourselves of what an option is. An option is a contract between two parties that gives the buyer of the contract the right to buy or sell an underlying asset to the other party in the future for a specific price. The specific price is called the “exercise” or “strike” price. The seller of the option, on the other hand, is obligated to buy or sell, at the strike price. The option to buy is a “call” option, the option to sell is a “put” option.

To calculate gains and losses on exercised options, you first need to understand what is happening as a result of an options transaction. When an option is exercised, that means its holder chooses to either buy or sell the underlying security at the strike price. With an exercised call option, the holder purchases shares of the underlying security from the options seller; with an exercised put option, the holder sells shares of the underlying security to the options seller. The sale in each case occurs at the option’s strike price.

Buying – Exercised Call Option

When a call options holder exercises her option by purchasing the underlying shares, she must add the cost of those shares to the premium she paid to obtain the option in the first place. This sum represents the option holder’s total money spent as a result of her options transaction. If the option holder then elects to sell the underlying securities she’s just purchased at their current market price, the money she receives from the sale will be money she takes in. To calculate her gain or loss, subtract the money she paid out from the money she took in. It’s as simple as that.

So, if, for instance, Marie paid $200 in premiums to purchase a call option with a strike price of $20 and then exercised the option by purchasing 100 shares of the underlying stock, the money she spent as a result of her options transaction will be $2,200 ($200 premium paid + $2,000 purchase price for underlying securities). If she then sells those 100 shares at the market price of $25, she will receive $2,500 in sales proceeds. Subtracting the money she spent from the amount she received will result in a $300 gain ($2,500 sale proceeds – $2,000 purchase price – $200 premium paid = $300 gain.)

Buying – Exercised Put Option

In order for a put options holder to exercise his option, he must have 100 shares of the underlying security to sell to the options seller. That means he needs to go out in the market and purchase shares at their market price. The money he pays for those securities plus the premium he paid to purchase his put option in the first place represents money spent as a result of his options transaction. The options holder will then sell those 100 shares to the options seller at the strike price. When he does this, he receives the sale proceeds. Subtracting the money spent on the put from the sale proceeds will result in the put investor’s gain or loss.  

So, if, for instance, Pierre paid $300 in premiums to purchase a put option with a strike price of $30 and then purchases 100 shares of the underlying stock when its market price drops to $25, he will have spent $2,800 as a result of his options transaction ($300 premium + $2,500 purchase price for underlying shares). He will then sell those 100 shares to the options seller at their strike price of $30 and take in $3,000 from his sale. Thus, Pierre will make a total of $200 on his options transaction ($3,000 sale proceeds - $300 premium – $2,500 purchase price = $200 gain).

Selling an Option

Now let’s look at gains or losses from the perspective of an options seller. Remember that when someone sells an option, he receives the premium from the options buyer. If the option expires unexercised, the seller gets to keep his entire premium received, which represents his maximum potential gain. If the option is exercised, he will either be required to sell shares of the underlying security to the option holder in the case of a call option or buy shares from the option holder in the case of a put option. Each of an exercised call or an exercised put option transaction is made at the option’s strike price.

Selling – Exercised Call Option

When a call option is exercised, the option seller must obtain 100 shares of the underlying stock to sell to the options holder. To do so, he will have to purchase the shares at their current market price, which will be higher than the option’s strike price. He will then sell them to the option holder at the strike price. The money he takes in from the sale is added to the premiums he received when shorting the option, and this totals the money he takes in as part of his options transaction. The money he paid to obtain the underlying securities is the money he pays out. Subtracting the money he pays out from the money he takes in results in his overall gain or loss.

For example, let’s say Michael sells a call option with a strike price of $50 and receives premiums totaling $500. If the option is exercised, and Mike purchases the underlying shares at $55, he will have paid out $5,500 as a result of his options transaction. At the same time, he will have received $5,500 ($500 premium + $5,000 strike price). Thus, Mike will break even on this transaction; money taken in will be equal to money paid out.

Buying – Exercised Put Option

When a put option is exercised, the option seller must purchase 100 shares of the underlying security from the options holder at the strike price. This represents money the options seller pays out. The options holder has already received the premium when she sold the option, and after purchasing the 100 shares, she can sell them for their current market price. The combination of the seller’s sale proceeds and the premium received represents money taken in. Subtracting money paid out from money taken in will result in the investor’s gain or loss. 

Let’s say Maribel shorts a put option and receives premiums totaling $400. The option has a strike price of $40, and the option holder exercises it when the underlying stock is trading at $35. This means Maribel is obligated to pay $4,000 total for the 100 underlying shares. This is money she pays out. She has already taken in $400, and if she chooses to sell the underlying stock at its current market price, she will take in an additional $3,500 in sales proceeds. This means she will receive a total of $3,900 from his options transaction ($3,500 sale proceeds + $400 premium) and paid out a total of $4,000. As a result, she has lost $100 on his options transaction ($3,900 money in – $4,000 money out = -$100).

As long as you understand what is occurring when an option is exercised, calculating gains and losses is as simple as comparing the money the investor takes in to the money she pays out. Calculating gains and losses on exercised options requires an understanding of the transaction and some simple math. Follow the guidance above and you will be able to correctly answer this type of question on your securities licensing exam.

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Solomon Pass Probability™ Now Available for the FINRA Series 82

Everyone would like to feel confident when they take their securities exam, but how do you know if you’re ready for test day? Solomon Exam Prep can help – with Pass Probability™. Continue reading

Everyone would like to feel confident when they take their securities exam, but how do you know if you’re ready for test day? Solomon Exam Prep can help! With Pass Probability™, now available for the FINRA Series 82 exam, Solomon takes the guesswork out of deciding when to sit for your exam.

Pass Probability™ is Solomon Exam Prep’s innovative technology that measures your readiness to pass your securities exam. Once you take five practice exams in the Solomon Exam Simulator, the Pass Probability™ tool calculates the probability that you will pass your test, with a percentage out of 100.

"A securities licensing exam is hard work and high stakes. Your enemy is uncertainty. Solomon's industry-leading Pass Probability™ feature is based on the results of thousands of Solomon securities students and uses a proprietary algorithm to reduce uncertainty. So you can enter the exam room with confidence."

Jeremy Solomon

Co-founder and President of Solomon Exam Prep

Remediation Reporting

But what should you do if you take five practice exams, and the Solomon algorithm determines that you are not ready to take your exam? This is where Solomon’s brand-new feature, the Remediation Report, comes in.

The Remediation Report is an individualized report outlining how to focus your efforts BEFORE taking your exam. It provides an added level of customized study support – sent right to your email.

The Remediation Report gives you:

Summary of current study progress
Personalized recommendations on areas for growth
Study tips for the homestretch
Reminders about student support elements

In addition to the Series 82, Solomon Pass Probability™ and Remediation Reports are currently available for the following exams: SIE, Series 6, Series 7, Series 63, Series 65, Series 66, and Series 79.

Solomon Exam Prep Offers Powerful New AI Feature: Remediation Reporting

Learn about the Solomon Remediation Report, a new analytical feature designed to help students pass their securities licensing exams the first time. Continue reading

Solomon Exam Prep is delighted to announce an advanced analytical feature called a Remediation Report. The Solomon system analyzes a student’s five most recent practice exams and determines whether a student is ready to take his or her exam. If Solomon AI determines that a student is not ready to sit for their exam, then it creates an individual report with personalized guidance on how to remediate and prepare to pass. This custom Remediation Report is sent to the Solomon student’s email inbox.

The Solomon Remediation Report is connected to the Solomon Pass Probability tool, the industry-leading measure of a security exam prep student’s readiness to pass an exam. Solomon Pass Probability is based on thousands of student data points. Once a Solomon student has taken at least five practice exams, the Solomon Pass Probability feature is activated, and the Pass Probability metric is available in the student’s dashboard. The Solomon Remediation Report provides an additional level of customized study support by helping students focus their efforts and remediate before they sit for their exam.

Solomon Pass Probability and Remediation Reports are currently available for the following exams: SIE, Series 6, Series 7, Series 63, Series 65, Series 66, Series 79, and Series 82.

To learn about all the features of the Solomon Exam Prep learning system, watch the video overview.

How to answer state registration questions on the Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66

Read Solomon Exam Prep’s expert guide for answering state registration questions on the Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 exams. Continue reading

If you’re planning to take the NASAA Series 63, Series 65, or Series 66 exam, you can expect to see questions about when broker-dealers and their securities agents need to register in a particular state. You can also expect to see questions about when investment advisers and investment adviser representatives need to register in a state. Instead of feeling intimidated when confronted with such questions, you should relax, smile, and feel confident. That’s because if you follow the simple rules that we’re about to describe, you should get each of these questions right.

Broker-Dealers and Their Agents

First let’s deal with questions about state registration for broker-dealers (BDs) and their agents. Rule number one here is that when a U.S.-based BD or one of its agents has an office located in a state, that BD or agent must register in the state. It does not matter which types of clients a BD or BD agent with an office in a state has or what types of securities those clients buy from the BD or agent. A BD or agent with an office in a state must register in that state. Period.

What about a BD or BD agent that doesn’t have an office in a state? If a BD or BD agent without an office in a state has any non-institutional clients in that state, the BD or agent must register there. However, if the BD or agent without an office in a state has only institutional clients in the state, no registration in that state is required. Institutional clients include the issuers of securities involved in a specific transaction; other broker-dealers; and institutional buyers, which are big-money entities such as banks, insurance companies, mutual funds, and pension and profit-sharing plans.

Key takeaway:

So when presented with a question about whether a specific broker-dealer or one of its agents must register in a given state or states, there are two potential questions to ask yourself. The first question is: “Does the broker-dealer or BD agent have an office in the state?” If the answer is yes, it’s simple: the BD or agent must register in that state. End of questions. However, if the answer is no, move on to the second question: “Does the BD or BD agent have any non-institutional clients in the state?” If the answer is yes, the BD or agent must register in the state; if the answer is no, they do not need to register in the state.

Here’s a flowchart to help you remember the question-answering process:

Investment Advisers and Their Representatives

Now let’s look at the state registration requirements for investment advisers that do not register with the SEC. If the investment adviser has an office in the state, it must register there. If the investment adviser doesn’t have an office in the state but has had more than five non-institutional clients in the state during the past twelve months, it also must register there. The rules are the same for investment adviser representatives who work for an investment adviser that does not register with the SEC.

Investment adviser representatives who work for investment advisers that register with the SEC — also known as federal covered advisors — may need to register with the state if they have an office in the state.

Key takeaway:

So if you see a question about state registration requirements for non-SEC registered investment advisers or their investment adviser representatives, the first question to ask yourself is: “Does the IA or IAR have an office in the state?” If the answer is yes, you know the IA or IAR must register there. If the answer is no, move on to the second question: “Has the IA or IAR had more than five non-institutional clients in the state during the preceding twelve months?” If the answer is yes, they must register in the state; if the answer is no, they don’t need to register in the state.

Here’s another flowchart to help you with this type of question:

Remember that if an investment adviser registers with the SEC, it is a federal covered adviser and does not need to register in any state. Instead, a federal covered adviser must notice file to provide investment advice to residents of that state. When it comes to notice filing requirements for federal covered advisers, follow the same thought process as that described above. If the federal covered adviser has an office in a state, it must notice file there. If it has no office in the state but it has had more than five non-institutional clients in the state in the past twelve months, the firm must also notice file there.

Practice question

Simple, right? So let’s put the suggested thought process into practice by looking at a question like one you may see on your exam.

XYZ Broker Dealer has its main office in State A. It also has offices in States B and C. XYZ has non-institutional clients in states A and B, but it only has institutional clients in State C. It does not have an office in State D, but it has three non-institutional clients there. In which states does XYZ need to register?

A. State A only

B. States A and B only

C. States A, B, and C only

D. States A, B, C, and D

Remember the process to follow when you see questions about where a BD must register. There are two possible questions to address as part of that process.

First question: Does the broker-dealer have an office in a state? Answer: XYZ has offices in each of States A, B, and C. Recall that if the answer the first question is “yes, the BD has an office in the state”, then the BD must register in that state. So XYZ needs to register in States A, B, and C.

If the answer to the first question is no, as it is for State D, you move on to the second question: Does the BD have any non-institutional clients in the state? XYZ has non-institutional clients in State D, so the answer is yes to that question. If the answer to the second question is yes, this means the BD must register in the state. Thus, XYZ has to register in State D as well as States A, B, and C. So Choice D is the correct answer.

So now you’re an expert, and you’re one step closer to passing your Series 63, Series 65, or Series 66 exam!

Want more exam tips?

Watch a video version of “How to Answer State Registration Questions on the Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66” on the Solomon YouTube channel, where you’ll find even more exam and study tips!

Solomon Exam Prep has helped thousands pass their securities licensing exams, including the SIE and the Series 3, 6, 7, 14, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 63, 65, 66, 79, 82 and 99.

Broker-Dealer vs. Investment Adviser: What’s the Difference?

Do your customers know the difference between an IA and BD? Do you know the importance of this distinction and how it may affect your registration status? Continue reading

Do your customers know the difference between an investment adviser and broker-dealer? Do you know the importance of this distinction and how it may affect your registration status?

Investment Adviser or Broker-Dealer at work.

For many retail customers, the difference between an investment adviser (IA) and a broker-dealer (BD) may not seem important. A customer may have received an investment recommendation from a BD, or owned securities through an IA account. However, which kind of firm you work for is important for knowing which services you may provide, how you may provide them, and which qualification exams you must pass.

Investment Advisers

Investment advisers are usually firms, though they can be an individual operating as a sole proprietor, whose primary business is providing investment advice, and who are paid for the advice itself. Investment adviser representatives (IARs) are individuals who work for IAs and advise the IA’s clients on the IA’s behalf. IAs and IARs are not “stockbrokers” and cannot directly buy or sell securities for their customers. While many have IA accounts through which they own stocks, mutual funds, and other securities, in fact these are accounts an IA opens on the customer’s behalf with a BD.

Broker-Dealers

Broker-dealers are usually firms, though they can be an individual operating as a sole proprietor, that execute securities transactions for customers. An individual who is employed by a BD to handle customer accounts is called an “agent of a broker-dealer” on some exams, or a “registered representative” (RR) on others. BDs can offer investment advice incidental to their work with customers but cannot be compensated for the advice itself. If a BD acts as an intermediary between a buyer and a seller, then the BD can charge a commission on the trade. If a BDs buys or sells from its own inventory, then the BD makes money by charging a markup on securities that they sell and taking a markdown on securities that they buy.

So, if you’re an IAR, you…

…can provide advice
…can be paid for that advice
…cannot execute trades
…cannot charge commissions or markups on your customer’s trades

If you’re a BD agent (also known as a registered representative), you…

…can provide advice
…cannot be paid for that advice
…can execute trades
…can charge commissions or markups on your customer’s trades

Testing and Licensing

Finally, many firms, especially larger ones, maintain both IA and BD registrations. When working for these “dual registrants,” you may be asked to qualify as an IAR, BD agent, or both, depending on your role.

In fact, an increase in dual registrations is one of the note-worthy trends Solomon discusses in our recent white paper, “Optimizing On-Boarding in 2021: 7 Key Trends for the Securities Industry,” available for download from this blog post.

To become an agent of a broker-dealer (registered representative), you must pass the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE), and a “top-off” exam such as the Series 6 or Series 7, and for state registration usually the Series 63. To become an IAR, you must pass either the Series 65, or, if you work for a dually registered firm, the SIE, the Series 7, and the Series 66.

SEC Overhauls Marketing Rules for Investment Advisers

On December 22, the SEC announced a major rule change that it hopes will clarify what investment advisers can and can’t do when it comes to marketing their services. Continue reading

On December 22, the SEC announced a major rule change that it hopes will clarify what investment advisers are permitted to do when it comes to marketing their services.

The SEC cited the need to adapt its rules to changing communications technology. “The marketing rule reflects important updates to the traditional advertising and solicitation regimes, which have not been amended for decades, despite our evolving financial markets and technology,” said SEC Chairman Jay Clayton in announcing the overhaul.

The SEC’s current rules about advertisements and paying for client referrals will be consolidated into a single rule. Paying a third party to solicit new clients will now be considered a form of advertising, as will paid testimonials and endorsements and some one-on-one communications with clients.

Currently, each of these activities is subject to a separate set of requirements. By bringing them under the definition of advertising, the new rule replaces this complex system with a set of six broad principles that all forms of IA advertising must adhere to:

No untrue statements or omissions of material facts
No unsubstantiated statements
No statements that imply something untrue or misleading
When the benefits of the IA’s services are discussed, there must be a fair and balanced discussion of material risks
“Anti-cherry picking”: the IA must present its track record in a fair and balanced way
No advertisements that are otherwise materially misleading (intended as a “catch-all provision” for misleading advertising not covered above)

The rule change is expected to take effect sometime in the spring of 2021 and will affect the Series 65 and Series 66 exams.

SEC Announces Major Revisions to Registration Exemptions Aimed at “Harmonizing” Regulation A Offerings, Regulation D Private Placements, and Crowdfunding

On November 2, the SEC announced a collection of rule changes meant to, in the announcement’s words, “harmonize, simplify, and improve” its “overly complex exempt offering framework.” The changes affect Regulation A, which governs small public offerings; Regulation D, which governs private placements; and Regulation CF, which governs crowdfunding. This system of exemptions allows various small offerings to avoid the normal registration process required by the Securities Act.

The rule changes should provide a clearer choice as to which exemption is most appropriate to an issuer, based on how much the issuer needs to raise and other factors.

The changes also seek to clarify how issuers can avoid “integration” of exempt offerings. Integration is the risk that exempt offerings will be considered a single offering by the SEC, because the offerings are too similar.

Highlights of the changes include:

If two exempt offerings are conducted more than 30 days apart, they are almost always protected from integration.
An issuer can “test the waters” with potential investors before deciding which exemption it will use for an offering. Test-the-waters communications solicit interest in a potential offering before the issuer has filed anything with the SEC. Previously, an issuer could only test the waters after deciding that its potential offering would take place under Regulation A.
Caps on the amount that may be raised through these exemptions have been increased:
- Crowdfunding: from $1.07 million to $5 million
- Regulation A, Tier 2: from $50 million to $75 million
- Regulation D, Rule 504: from $5 million to $10 million
Make “bad actor” exclusions more consistent across different exemptions.

The rule changes will take effect early next year. Until the changes take effect, securities exam questions will continue to be based on the old rules. FINRA Exams affected by these rule changes include the SIE, Series 6, Series 7, Series 14, Series 22, Series 24, Series 65, Series 66, Series 79, and Series 82.

Testing integrity in times of COVID-19

Test candidates are bound by guidelines that prohibit cheating or using any unfair means during the exam. Continue reading

On July 13, 2020, FINRA and NASAA responded to the pandemic testing challenge posed by in-person test centers with Prometric’s ProProctor, an online testing service, for certain qualifications exams. The exams for which online testing is permitted are the FINRA Securities Industry Essentials (SIE), Series 6, Series 7 and the NASAA Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 exams. Read more about the announcement here.

Curious about what the ProProctor online testing experience looks like? Click here to find out.

It is interesting to note that although the exams are proctored remotely, candidates are still bound by guidelines that prohibit cheating or using any unfair means during the exam. The checks that have been put in place especially for remote testing are as follows:

Candidates are required to provide a 360° view of his/her workstations and surrounding environment;
A camera (external or embedded) is required during the course of the exam. If an embedded camera is used, a large free-standing mirror is also required in order to reflect unseen areas;
Candidates are asked to participate in a visual person check (including a sleeve, pocket and glasses check);
While the exam is in progress, candidates are prohibited from leaving, moving out of or obstructing the camera view while the exam is in progress without prior authorization from the proctor; and
Additional requirements that are listed in the ProProctor User Guide.

Warning: a candidate found cheating in an online test will be subject to the same disciplinary actions that he/she would be subject to in a physical test, and if found guilty, can be permanently barred from the broker-dealer industry.

September Study Question of the Month

Answer this month’s study question for a chance to win! Continue reading

This question comes from the Solomon Exam Prep Online Exam Simulator question database for Series 65 & 66:

Under modern portfolio theory, which of the following is the most efficient set?

A. Expected return 9%, Standard deviation 8

B. Expected return 9%, Standard deviation 9

C. Expected return 11%, Standard deviation 8

D. Expected return 11%, Standard deviation 9

Correct Answer: C. Expected return 11%, Standard deviation 8

Rationale: According to modern portfolio theory (MPT), the investment opportunity set consists of all available risk-return combinations. Standard deviation is the measure of volatility used in MPT. Assuming a normal distribution of returns, 68% of all returns will fall within one standard deviation of the mean return and 95% of all returns will fall within two standard deviations of the mean return. An efficient portfolio is a portfolio that has the highest possible expected return for a given standard deviation. In this question, the highest expected return with the lowest standard deviation is 11% and 8.

Upcoming Series 63, 65 and 66 Changes

The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) has announced that it will implement updates to the Series 63, Series 65 and Series 66 examinations on July 1, 2016. What has changed? Continue reading

The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) has announced that it will implement updates to the Series 63, Series 65 and Series 66 examinations on July 1, 2016.

The changes are aimed at better aligning the skills and knowledge required by professionals in the securities industry.

The new exam outlines are similar to the current exam outlines, but some significant changes have been made.

What has changed?

Series 63

The weighting of the exam sections has been modified to put more emphasis on the registration of broker-dealers over investment advisers
Several new topics have been added which reflect an emphasis on communications with customers and cyber-security. Specifically, the following topics have been added or amended:

Exceptions for foreign B-Ds
B-D supervision of agents
Prospectus delivery requirements
Types of customer accounts
B-D and agent commissions
Cyber-security and data protection
Outside securities accounts
Due diligence for B-Ds
Regulation A amendment
Regulation D amendment

Series 65

The weighting of the exam sections has been modified to put slightly more emphasis on the characteristics of investment vehicles and slightly less emphasis on rules and regulations.
Several new topics have been added which expand the types of investment products and add regulations on electronic communications, cyber-security, pay-to-play and anti-money laundering. Specifically, the following topics have been added or amended:

Valuation of equity securities
Real estate investments
Viatical and life settlements
Structured products
Commodities and precious metals
QDROs
High frequency trading
Regulation A amendment
Regulation D amendment
Electronic communications and social media
B-D and agent commissions
Cyber-security and data protection
Pay-to-play rule
Anti-money laundering
Business continuity plans

Series 66

The passing score has been lowered from 75% to 73%.
The weighting of the exams sections has been modified to put slightly more emphasis on the characteristics of investment vehicles and slightly less emphasis on rules and regulations
Several new topics have been added which expand the types of investment products and add regulations on electronic communications, cyber-security, pay-to-play and anti-money laundering. Specifically, the following topics have been added or amended:

Valuation of equity securities
Technical analysis
Real estate investments
Viatical and life settlements
Structured products
Commodities and precious metals
QDROs
High frequency trading
Regulation A amendment
Regulation D amendment
Electronic communications and social media
B-D and agent commissions
Cyber-security and data protection
Pay-to-play rule
Anti-money laundering

How will this affect my Solomon Exam Prep products?

Solomon Exam Prep will be updating all products offered for the NASAA exams. For those students that currently have materials and are testing after July 1, 2016, we have added an addendum to their Resources folder (located on their student account), that includes all rule changes and updates.

Our Online Exam Simulator has already been adjusted to reflect the new changes, so students will see an option to take full exams structured prior to July 1 or after July 1 – this will allow for any and all students to utilize our products regardless of their anticipated exam date. We are always adding new questions to our database and that will be reflected in the Online Exam Simulator.

In the coming weeks we will also be releasing a new/ updated digital Study Guide that will reflect the upcoming changes. Any current students will have the option of having their digital Study Guide changed to the new edition at that time, or they can continue to study with our current edition and the supplied addendum.

If you have any questions about the changes or our materials, please do not hesitate to call our office at 503.601.0212 or email info@solomonexamprep.com.