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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 distinction between broker-dealer best execution duties under FINRA Rule 5310 and investment adviser fiduciary standards.
• How Section 28(e) soft dollar arrangements permit advisers to pay higher commissions for qualifying research and analytics.
• Which expenses qualify for soft dollar safe harbor protection versus ineligible overhead and administrative costs.
• How directed brokerage agreements relieve investment advisers of best execution duties when proper disclosures are provided.
• The DIRECT decision rule for evaluating order routing, client disclosures, and overall execution quality on exam questions.
This independent study guide is designed to support your Series 66 exam preparation. For additional interactive practice questions and video explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/practice/series66 and subscribe to https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep .
Sources checked: September 14, 2026
https://www.finra.org/rules-guidance/rulebooks/finra-rules/5310
https://www.sec.gov/rules/interp/2019/ia-5248.pdf
https://www.nasaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Series-66-Outline-June-2023.pdf
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