Build your financial advisor career roadmap

A financial advisor career roadmap lists the exams you need from the SIE on, whether a firm must sponsor you, and your registration with FINRA and your state, with each fee and date.

Build your roadmap

What do you do now?Question 1 of 4

Which grades do you teach?

What do you do now?

Which state do you want to work in?Question 2 of 4

What kind of work do you want to do?Question 3 of 4
Have you passed any exams or earned any licenses?Question 4 of 4

Exams

Licenses

Designations

Make it yours

When do you want to start?
Will you keep your current job while you start?
How many hours a week can you study?

Your roadmap to get started

Fees still to pay
$100
Exam fees, each with its source
Steps
2
Some you can start alone
Firm needed
Not yet
Nothing here needs one
Dates
Add a start
To see your deadlines

Your answers live in this link. We ask for contact details only if you choose a next step.

  1. Step 1. Pass the SIE, which needs no firm

    No firm needed1

    Fee $1001

    Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam, given by FINRA. The fee is $1001. Once enrolled you have 1202 days to sit it.

  2. Step 2. Pick what you want to do

    Fee No fee

    Advice for a fee leads to the Series 65, which needs no SIE and no firm to sit. Selling securities leads to the Series 7, which only a sponsoring firm can enroll you in. Doing both leads to the Series 7 plus the Series 66.

    Exam and FINRA fees come to $8003 to sell with the Series 63, $8303 to sell and advise with the Series 66, and $1874 for the Series 65 alone, before state fees.

What to do this week

  1. Create a FINRA account and enroll in the SIE. FINRA's own steps are to create an account, enroll and pay, then schedule the exam1. The fee is $1001. Open
  2. Pick your state to see its regulator, its exam rule and its fees.
  3. Read which licenses each kind of advisor work needs, then pick a goal. Open

Fees, item by item

Fees still to pay on this plan, as published when checked October 29, 20265. State fees from the schedules dated August 6, 20266.
SIE$1001
Total$100
  • FINRA assesses exam and registration fees with the filings a firm submits, and it does not say who bears them.7
Sources for this plan
  1. FINRA, Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) Exam, checked October 29, 2026. finra.org
  2. FINRA, Schedule an Exam, checked October 29, 2026. finra.org
  3. advisorroadmap.com arithmetic on FINRA and NASAA fees, derived from exam fee and FINRA registration fee records, checked October 29, 2026.
  4. FINRA, Series 65 exam page (NASAA exam administered by FINRA), checked October 29, 2026. finra.org
  5. FINRA, FINRA Qualification Exams, checked October 29, 2026. finra.org
  6. FINRA, SRO/Jurisdiction Fee and Setting Schedule and IA Representative Fee and Setting Schedule, Fees As Of 8/6/2026. finra.org
  7. FINRA, Register a New Candidate, checked October 29, 2026. finra.org

About this tool

To sell securities, pass the SIE, FINRA's entry exam, on your own. Get hired by a brokerage firm that sponsors your Series 7. Pass the state law exam most states require. Then the firm registers you with FINRA and your state. No firm has to take you on, and no rule sets how long that step takes.

FINRA, which oversees brokerage firms, lets anyone 181 or older take the SIE without a firm, so you can start while still in your current job. The state exam is usually the Series 63, or the Series 66 if you will also give advice. With the Series 63, exam and FINRA fees add up to $8001-5 before your state's fee, from the fees FINRA publishes, checked October 29, 20266.

To give advice for a fee only, pass the Series 65 alone, which needs no SIE or Series 7 but does not let you sell securities, and an investment adviser firm, known as an RIA, has to file to register you with your state as an investment adviser representative (IAR). The builder above turns either route into your own plan. Answer its four questions and it lists your steps in order, each with its official source, its fee, whether a firm has to come first, and the dates the rules put on your calendar.

Each plan can be copied as a link, printed, or added to your calendar as dated milestones.

DataFINRA, NASAA and state exam and registration fees and rules as read October 2026, O*NET 31.0. Data updated

How we made this page

Quick facts

Exam and FINRA fees to sell securities (SIE, Series 7, Series 63)
$8001-5 plus your state's agent fee
Exam and FINRA fees to sell and advise (SIE, Series 7, Series 66)
$8301,2,4,5,8 plus your state's agent and IAR fees
Series 65 exam fee only, to advise for a fee
$1879 plus your state's IAR fee
How long an SIE pass lasts with no firm
41 years
How long a Series 63, 65 or 66 pass lasts before you register
210 years in most states
Time to sit an exam once enrolled
12011 days for FINRA exams, 12010 days for the Series 63, 65 and 66
FINRA wait after a first or second failed exam
3012 days now, 1513 days from 14
Exams you can book with no firm
SIE, Series 63, Series 65, Series 66
Exams that need a sponsoring firm
Series 6 and Series 7
Degree
No securities exam asks for one. BLS lists a Bachelor's degree7 as the typical entry-level education, which employers set.
States with full fees in the builder
Texas, Florida, California, New York, North Carolina, Colorado
Fees last checked
October 29, 20266

Where to start, and what to do this week

With nothing entered, the builder returns this plan for someone who holds no license and has no state or goal yet. Fees are as published when checked October 29, 20266.

  1. This week, enroll in the SIE

    On FINRA's SIE page you create an account, enroll and pay, then schedule the exam1. The fee is $1001. Some sites still show $8015, the fee before FINRA raised it. FINRA notes that veterans who qualify for the GI Bill may be able to get it reimbursed, so check your own benefits with the VA before counting on it. If you only want to give advice for a fee, skip the SIE and start with the Series 65, which needs no other exam. Selling securities later would still take the SIE and Series 7. SIE prep on Advisor Train.

  2. Pick your goal before the next exam

    Advice for a fee leads to the Series 65. Selling securities leads to the Series 7, which only a sponsoring firm can enroll you in. Doing both leads to the Series 7 plus the Series 66. What each kind of work involves is on which licenses financial advisors need and broker-dealer vs RIA careers.

  3. Get a firm to take you on before your clocks run out

    Sponsorship means a broker-dealer, the legal term for a brokerage firm, associates you (usually by hiring you) and enrolls you in the Series 7 or 6. The advice-only route needs an investment adviser firm to take you on and file for you, so every route has a hiring step, and passing an exam does not mean a firm will take you on. The firm's Form U4, the registration form, asks about criminal, regulatory, civil court, customer complaint, job termination and financial history, so past events come up here (Form U4 and background checks). The SIE clock and the state exam clock keep running while you look, so the builder places the state exam (Series 63, 65 or 66) close to your expected start at a firm, not first. How career changers find a sponsor is on how to get a firm to sponsor your Series 7.

  4. Let the firm register you

    It files your Form U4 on CRD, FINRA's registration system, and your fingerprints go through FINRA. FINRA's fees are $1254 for a first Form U4 and $335 for each electronic fingerprint submission, FBI fee included, assessed with the firm's filing. Your state then registers you, and only then can you do the work. Each state's steps are in the state guides.

  5. Keep it current

    FINRA Rule 1240 sets yearly continuing education for every registered person, and many states add their own for IARs.

  6. Your first years at a firm

    BLS classes the job's training as Long-term on-the-job training7, with new advisors working under senior advisors for more than a year16 while they learn to build a client network. The work is meeting clients about their goals, explaining what the firm offers, reviewing accounts and, as BLS notes, a lot of marketing. CFP® certification is optional, and these years may count toward its experience requirement (CFP® certification requirements).

Add a state and a goal to see your regulator, your state's fee and your total.

How the builder works

Every step comes from a rule or a fact an official body publishes, and every fee from a record re-read at its source, with the date it was checked.

How the builder works
Part of your planWhere it comes from
Which exams, and which need a firmFINRA Rule 1210 and Rule 1220, FINRA's exam pages, and the exam FAQs of NASAA, the association of state securities regulators whose Series 63, 65 and 66 exams FINRA administers
Exam feesFINRA's exam pages, checked October 29, 20266
Form U4 and fingerprint feesFINRA's CRD fee schedule
State agent and IAR feesFINRA's state fee schedule and the IARD representative schedule, checked against each state regulator
Which designations replace the Series 65Each state's own rule, because the lists differ
Insurance stepsYour state insurance department
Skills that carry overO*NET OnLine ratings for your job against personal financial advisors (13-2052.00)
DatesYour start date, the rule clocks below, and the study hours you enter. No official source sets a study time, so the builder never assumes one

The rules that set your dates

  • SIE.A pass counts for 41 years with no firm. The plan shows the date yours runs out and puts your job search well before it.
  • Exam windows.Each exam date sits inside its enrollment window, 12011 days for a FINRA exam and 12010 days for a NASAA exam.
  • State exams.Most states give you 210 years from passing the Series 63, 65 or 66 to get registered. On the advice-only route the Series 65 comes first, so the plan shows the date by which you need to be registered, and an adviser firm has to file for you before it.
  • Retakes.Each exam step dates the earliest retake after a first fail. For FINRA exams the wait is 3012 days after a first or second fail and 18012 days after a third, falling to 1513 and 6013 days on 14. For NASAA exams it is 3010 and 18010 days, and 3017 and 6017 days for windows opened from 18. Some guides still give the longer waits as permanent.
  • Keeping your job.Once a broker-dealer registers you, FINRA Rule 3270 requires prior written notice to the member firm19 before you hold any outside job or take pay for any outside work. Rule 3290 replaces it on October 25, 202720 and narrows the notice to investment-related outside activities, insurance work included, so a job outside finance, such as police work, would no longer need one under the rule. Form U4 still asks about other business, and your firm may require more. The plan shows what the rules say.
  • Leaving and coming back.Representative exams lapse after 221 years unregistered. FINRA's Maintaining Qualifications Program stretches that to 522 years for $10022 a year, checked October 29, 20266.
  • Military service.Under the conditions in Rule 1210, FINRA pauses the exam lapse clock and the SIE clock for registered people, and people who left registration less than 221 years earlier, who are called to or volunteer for active duty, until 9023 days after service ends. It does not cover someone who has passed only the SIE and was never registered. When the pause applies, the plan holds your dates still.

What the builder never does

  • It never shows pay (government pay data for all employers is on the career map)
  • , never names or suggests firms
  • , never asks about your background (Form U4 and background checks covers that)
  • , never promises a pass or a hire date
  • , and never teaches the exams, which is Advisor Train's job.

Outside the six states with full fees in the table below, it shows your regulator from the NASAA directory and no fee.

Steps in order for every goal and starting point

This is the full rule set the builder runs, so the answer is readable without it. Find your goal, then the row for what you already hold. "Exam and FINRA fees" means exam fees plus the FINRA Form U4 and fingerprint fees, before your state's fee, as checked October 29, 20266.

Steps in order for every goal and starting point
You already holdYour steps, in orderFirm needed beforeFees still to payClock to watch
Advise for a fee
NothingSeries 65, then an adviser firm files your Form U4, then the state registers you as an IARAn adviser firm, to register you$1879 exam fee, plus the state IAR feeRegister within 210 years of passing
CFP® certification, or a ChFC, MSFS, CFA, PFS or CIMA designationCheck that your state accepts it, then an adviser firm files your Form U4 claiming the waiverAn adviser firm, to register youState IAR fee onlyNone from an exam
A CPA license onlySeries 65, because the license alone is not on NASAA's list of designations that replace itAn adviser firm, to register you$1879 exam fee, plus the state IAR fee210 years from passing
SIE and Series 7, registered at a broker-dealerSeries 66 or Series 65, then IAR registrationAn adviser firm, which may be the firm you are with$1778 for the Series 66 or $1879 for the Series 65210 years from passing
Sell securities
NothingSIE, then a broker-dealer hires and sponsors you, then Series 7, then Series 63 or your state's rule, then Form U4, fingerprints and state agent registrationThe Series 7$8001-5 in exam and FINRA feesSIE runs out after 41 years
The SIEA broker-dealer sponsors you, then Series 7, Series 63 and registrationThe Series 7$7002-5 in exam and FINRA feesBe registered before your SIE's 41 years end
Sell funds and variable products only
Nothing, or a life licenseSIE, then a broker-dealer sponsors you, then Series 6 and Series 63, plus a state insurance license that covers variable productsThe Series 6$5051,3-5,24 in exam and FINRA fees, plus the insurance licenseSIE runs out after 41 years
Sell and advise
NothingSIE, then a broker-dealer sponsors you, then Series 7 and Series 66, then registration as agent and IARThe Series 7$8301,2,4,5,8 in exam and FINRA fees, or $9871-5,9 with the Series 63 and 65 taken separatelyThe SIE clock, then 210 years from the Series 66
The Series 65SIE, then a broker-dealer sponsors you, then Series 7 and Series 63The Series 7$8001-5 in exam and FINRA feesYour Series 65 lapses after 210 years unless you register as an IAR first
Start with insurance
NothingYour state's pre-licensing course where required, the state exam, then the producer application. Securities exams can followNo firm for the licenseSet by your stateSome states set a deadline from exam to application, 125 year in Texas
Not sure yet
NothingSIE, then choose a goalNo$1001SIE runs out after 41 years
Any
Registered before, left less than 221 years agoA firm files a new Form U4. Your exams still countRegistration$1254 and $335221 years, or 522 years inside FINRA's Maintaining Qualifications Program
Registered before, left longer ago and not in the programRetake the exams that lapsed, then register as aboveAs aboveAs aboveAs above

Three rules sit behind the table.

  • The Series 66 counts only once you also hold the SIE and Series 7.
  • No exam is a license by itself, since registration is what lets you work.
  • And state lists of accepted designations differ, so the builder checks your state's own rule. Some sites say a CPA license replaces the Series 65, but NASAA lists the Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) designation that CPAs can earn, not the CPA license alone.

Total fees and regulators by state

For the states the builder fully covers today, these are the totals it shows, with fees as checked October 29, 20266. "All fees" adds the exams, the FINRA Form U4 fee, one fingerprint submission and the state's own fees. Each total is broken down fee by fee in cost and time to get licensed.

Total fees and regulators by state
StateSecurities regulatorSell securities, all feesAdvise for a fee, Series 65 plus IAR feeSell and advise, all feesIAR continuing education
TexasTexas State Securities Board26$8351-5,27$2229,28$8651,2,4,5,8,27,29Not adopted
FloridaFlorida Office of Financial Regulation, Division of Securities30$7031,2,4,5,31$2379,31$9301,2,4,5,8,31,32Adopted
CaliforniaCalifornia Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI)33$8501-5,34$2379,35$9301,2,4,5,8,34,35Adopted
New YorkNew York Attorney General, Investor Protection Bureau36$8701-5,37$3879,38$1,1001,2,4,5,8,37,39Not adopted
North CarolinaNorth Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Securities Division40$9251-5,41$2629,42$1,0301,2,4,5,8,41,42Not adopted
ColoradoColorado Division of Securities (Department of Regulatory Agencies)43$6671,2,4,5,44,45$2019,44$8581,2,4,5,8,32,44Adopted
IllinoisIllinois Secretary of State, Securities Department46Fees on the Illinois Securities Department siteOn the state siteOn the state siteAdopted
  • Florida has no state law exam for brokerage agents. It takes a Form U4 attestation instead, so its selling total has no Series 63.
  • Colorado does not require the Series 63 for representatives of FINRA member firms, so its selling total has none. Its agent and IAR fee dropped to $1444 on 47, and the totals use the new fee.
  • Texas counts one Texas fee in the sell and advise total, because Texas law charges one fee to someone registered as both agent and IAR for the same firm.

Example plans

These are inputs and the plans they produce, not people. Fees are as checked October 29, 20266. Each plan assumes the exam is taken on the last day of its window, so every date shown is the latest the rules allow. Each also lists the skills O*NET rates close to an advisor's for that job and the main gaps, as the builder does for every job it covers (from your job to financial advisor). The ratings describe each job as a whole, not any one person's skill.

Teacher in Texas who wants to give advice for a fee

Inputs. High school teacher, Texas, advice for a fee, holds nothing, starts November 2, 2026, keeps the job and studies six hours a week.

  1. No designation is held, so the Series 65 is required. Texas would accept CFA, CFP® certification, PFS, CIMA, ChFC48 instead.

  2. Enroll in the Series 65 on your own through FINRA for $1879. Sit it by March 2, 202710, the end of the window. After a first fail, the earliest retake is April 1, 202710,49.

  3. Pass by then and, under the two-year rule most states follow, you need to be registered by March 2, 202910, so an adviser firm has to file your Form U4 before that date.

  4. The Texas State Securities Board26 registers you as an IAR for $3528. Exam plus state fee comes to $2229,28.

  5. Texas has not adopted IAR continuing education (Not adopted50 as of October 29, 202650), so the state sets no yearly training for you, though your firm may.

Skills that carry over. O*NET rates speaking, active listening and critical thinking about as important for Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education51 as for advisors, and instructing and monitoring higher. The main gap is economics and accounting knowledge, which the Series 65 starts to cover.

Links in the plan. From teacher to financial advisor, the Texas guide, Series 65 prep.

Insurance agent in North Carolina who wants to sell securities

Inputs. Insurance sales agent, North Carolina, sell securities, holds a life and health license, starts January 4, 2027, keeps the job and studies ten hours a week.

  1. Enroll in the SIE for $1001. No firm is needed. Sit it by May 4, 202711, and after a first fail the earliest retake is May 19, 202711,13,14. A pass that day counts until May 4, 20311,11, the date a broker-dealer has to register you by.

  2. If a broker-dealer takes you on, it sponsors you for the Series 7 ($3952), or for the Series 6 ($10024) if you will sell only funds and variable products.

  3. North Carolina requires the Series 63, or Series 7 plus Series 6652 for agents, and it tells insurance agents who want to sell variable annuities to pass the Series 63 and have their broker-dealer file a Form U4.

  4. The firm files your Form U4 and fingerprints, and the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Securities Division40 registers you for $12541. All fees come to $9251-5,41 with the Series 7, or $6301,3-5,24,41 with the Series 6.

  5. Once registered, Rule 3270 requires notice to your firm before you keep earning from insurance work outside it, and Rule 3290, which still covers insurance work, takes over on October 25, 202720. Your firm may require more.

Skills that carry over. O*NET rates customer and personal service, persuasion and negotiation as high or higher for Insurance Sales Agents51 than for advisors. The main gaps are economics and accounting knowledge and complex problem solving.

Links in the plan. From insurance agent to financial advisor, the North Carolina guide, Series 7 prep.

Police officer in Florida who wants to sell securities and advise

Inputs. Police officer, Florida, sell and advise, holds nothing, starts studying November 2, 2026, leaves the job in November 2027 and studies eight hours a week until then.

  1. Enroll in the SIE for $1001 and sit it by March 2, 202711. After a first fail the earliest retake is March 17, 202711,13,14,53. A pass that day counts until March 2, 20311,11, which covers the separation date with years to spare.

  2. The plan puts the search for a sponsoring broker-dealer before your last day, because only a firm can enroll you in the Series 7. If one does, the Series 7 ($3952) follows inside its FINRA window.

  3. Take the Series 66 ($1778). With the SIE and Series 7 it covers both agent and IAR registration. Florida has no state law exam for agents.

  4. The firm files your Form U4 as agent and IAR, and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, Division of Securities30 registers you on both sides at $5031 each. All fees come to $9301,2,4,5,8,31,32.

  5. Florida has adopted IAR continuing education, 1254 credits a year.

Skills that carry over. O*NET rates active listening, critical thinking and judgment and decision making about as important for Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers51 as for advisors, and psychology knowledge higher. The main gaps are economics and accounting knowledge and mathematics.

Links in the plan. From police officer to financial advisor, the Florida guide, Series 66 prep.

Cite this tool

Financial advisor career roadmap builder, Advisor Roadmap, https://www.advisorroadmap.com/tools/roadmap-builder/, with the date you used it.

Questions people ask

What is a typical career path for a financial advisor?

No rule sets one path. A support role such as client service associate or paraplanner is one way in, because a brokerage firm you already work for may sponsor your Series 7 while you learn the work. CFP Board's research on financial planning careers names five rungs, Analyst, Associate Advisor, Service Advisor, Lead Advisor, Partner55, though each firm sets its own titles. Which license each role needs is on jobs at a financial advisory firm.

How hard is it to get hired as a financial advisor?

No official source publishes hiring rates, so there are no honest odds to quote. What the rules settle is that hiring is a required step on every route, since the Series 6 and 7 need a sponsoring firm and an adviser firm has to file for you on the advice route. BLS lists sales skills among the job's important qualities, because advisors are expected to grow their own client base. How career changers approach it is in becoming a financial advisor as a second career.

How long will it take, and what will it cost?

No rule sets a total time, because three parts depend on you and the firm. Those are your weekly study hours, whether and how soon a firm takes you on, and the training after you join (step 6 above). So any single figure you see for the licensing phase is an estimate, not a rule. The fixed parts are the exam windows and clocks above, which the builder turns into dates. Exam and FINRA fees to sell securities come to $8001-5 before your state's fee, and the Series 65 route starts at $1879, as checked October 29, 20266. More on how long it takes and the cost and time tool.

Can I be a financial advisor without CFP® certification?

Yes. Registration rests on exams and state approval, and CFP® certification is a voluntary credential from CFP Board. It can stand in for the Series 65 in most states, and it takes education, the CFP® exam, 6,00056 hours of experience or 4,00056 on the apprenticeship pathway, and an ethics commitment. Details are on CFP® certification requirements.

Are there jobs for new advisors, and will AI replace them?

BLS expects about 17,1007 openings a year for personal financial advisors from 2025 to 2035, mostly to replace people who retire or change careers, while total jobs grow only 1%7. Higher figures such as 9.6%57 growth still circulate from an older BLS release. On AI, BLS says tools may moderate demand while many clients still want a person for complex advice, and it names this among the factors behind its projection. More on whether it is a good career.

Sources

FINRA BLS NASAA Texas Department of Insurance Texas State Securities Board Texas Legislative Council, Texas Constitution and Statutes +11 moreShow sourcesHide sources

FINRA

  1. Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) Exam, FINRA SIE exam page, as read October 29, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  2. Series 7 exam page, FINRA exam page, as read October 29, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  3. Series 63 exam page (NASAA exam administered by FINRA), FINRA exam page, as read October 29, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  4. Fee Schedule (Classic CRD), as read October 29, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  5. Fingerprint Fees, FBI fee change effective October 1, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  6. FINRA Qualification Exams, Pages as read October 29, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  7. Series 66 exam page (NASAA exam administered by FINRA), FINRA exam page, as read October 29, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  8. Series 65 exam page (NASAA exam administered by FINRA), FINRA exam page, as read October 29, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  9. Schedule an Exam, as read October 29, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  10. scalar of rule.finra.retake-wait.current, as read October 29, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  11. scalar of rule.finra.retake-wait.2027, as read October 29, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  12. Qualification Exams page notice, Effective January 19, 2027.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  13. Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a Proposed Rule Change To Adjust FINRA Fees To Provide Sustainable Funding for FINRA's Regulatory Mission (SR-FINRA-2024-019), Federal Register Vol. 89, No. 229, November 27, 2024, Filed November 8, 2024. 2024 column of the qualification examination fee table.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  14. scalar of rule.nasaa.retake-wait.2027, as read October 29, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  15. Series 63 exam page notice, Effective January 4, 2027.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  16. FINRA Rule 3270, Outside Business Activities of Registered Persons, Rule as read October 29, 2026, last amended by SR-FINRA-2015-030 eff. Sept. 21, 2015.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  17. FINRA Regulatory Notice 26-20, Regulatory Notice 26-20.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  18. FINRA Rule 1210, Supplementary Material .08, Rule text as read October 29, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  19. Maintaining Qualifications Program (MQP), Page as read October 29, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  20. FINRA Rule 1210, Supplementary Material .10(c), Rule text as read October 29, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  21. Series 6 exam page, FINRA exam page, as read October 29, 2026.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  22. IA Representative Fee and Setting Schedule, Fees As Of 8/6/2026.iard.com, accessed October 29, 2026
  23. IA Representative Fee and Setting Schedule, Fees As Of 8/6/2026, Fees As Of 8/6/2026.iard.com, accessed October 29, 2026
  24. Regulatory Notice 26-18, Effective January 19, 2027.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  25. Register a New Candidate.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  26. Rule 1220, Registration Categories.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  27. Rule 1240, Continuing Education Requirements.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  28. SRO/Jurisdiction Fee and Setting Schedule.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  29. Form U4, Uniform Application for Securities Industry Registration or Transfer.finra.org, accessed October 29, 2026

BLS

  1. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Personal Financial Advisors, OOH 2025-35 edition (projections released August 27, 2026).bls.gov, accessed October 29, 2026
  2. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Personal Financial Advisors, How to Become One, Occupational Outlook Handbook, as read October 29, 2026.bls.gov, accessed October 29, 2026
  3. Employment Projections 2024-34 (archived release), occupation.xlsx, Employment Projections 2024-2034 (archived, superseded by the 2025-2035 release on August 27, 2026).bls.gov, accessed October 29, 2026

NASAA

  1. NASAA Exam FAQs, NASAA FAQ, as read October 29, 2026.nasaa.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  2. Exam FAQs, Effective January 4, 2027.nasaa.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  3. NASAA IAR CE map, Page as read October 29, 2026.nasaa.org, accessed October 29, 2026
  4. Contact Your Regulator.nasaa.org, accessed October 29, 2026

Texas Department of Insurance

  1. General lines life, accident, health, and HMO agent license, how to apply, Current as read October 29, 2026.tdi.texas.gov, accessed October 29, 2026

Texas State Securities Board

  1. Texas State Securities Board website, Current page as read October 29, 2026.ssb.texas.gov, accessed October 29, 2026
  2. Texas State Securities Board fee information, Current as read October 29, 2026.ssb.texas.gov, accessed October 29, 2026
  3. Texas State Securities Board fee information, Current as read October 29, 2026.ssb.texas.gov, accessed October 29, 2026
  4. 7 Tex. Admin. Code 116.3, Texas State Securities Board Electronic Rulebook, Amended eff. 3/13/2025, 50 TexReg 1809.ssb.texas.gov, accessed November 2, 2026

Texas Legislative Council, Texas Constitution and Statutes

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O*NET

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NAIC

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