Securities are stocks, bonds, units, and investment fund shares. They used to be printed on paper, but today they are digital. That is, they are records in brokerage and depository accounts, just like records of your deposits or loans in ordinary bank accounts.
The possession of financial securities gives the right (depending on the type of security) to receive part of the company’s profits, participate in the business, receive repayment of debt with interest, etc. The state, a municipality, or an individual company can become financial security issuers.
Securities have certain features:
- they are standardized;
- they are subject to state registration;
- they can be bought and sold;
- they are traded on the stock exchange.
Several types of securities must be studied by those who obtain financial securities licenses. First, there are equity securities. They certify the right to a share of something – for example, the company and its profits in the form of dividends. Furthermore, equity securities allow holders to vote in the management of the company, but this right corresponds to the size of the stake. It means that the larger the stake, the greater the weight of the asset holder.
There are also debt securities that certify the fact of borrowing money by the issuer from the investor for a certain time and for a certain fee. Investors buy them to receive a regular stream of current payments in the form of interest or lump-sum income in the form of a discount. This distinguishes them from equity securities, in the purchase of which the investor doesn’t expect to receive dividends, but rather an increase in invested capital.
Overview of Financial Securities Licenses
A financial securities license is a certification provided by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) that is required for professionals to obtain the right to sell securities and offer financial advice. FINRA is a US-only nonprofit organization that keeps track of the work of broker-dealers and is authorized by the government. A registered financial expert is a person who holds one or more securities licenses. Today, it’s possible to obtain different types of licenses, and each of them determines the services or financial products one may offer to clients.
These documents are a necessity for experts who want to become an investment advisor, securities salesperson, or select other professions in this niche.
Types of Financial Securities Licenses
The most common types of financial securities licenses issued by FINRA include:
- Series 3. After getting the needed result of this test, examinees are permitted to sell commodities futures contracts and options on commodities futures contracts.
- Series 6. This exam is designed for life insurance professionals. With such a license, experts are allowed to provide particular types of insurance, mutual funds, and variable annuities.
- Series 7. This type is more in-depth than the previous one, and passing it enables individuals to market and sell a wider variety of securities products. The list includes mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and options on corporate stocks and bonds.
Moreover, some licenses are issued to high-level professionals, are required to get a more sophisticated career with an increased pay, and are overseen by the SEC. Thales Capital experts work with all of the FINRA licenses. Contact us to obtain the needed document:
Phone: +35220334030
Email: structuring@thales.lu
Address: 2 Place de Strasbourg L-2562 Luxembourg
How to Obtain a Financial Securities License
Financial securities licenses are issued in several steps:
- Find out the type of license that you need to issue.
- Understand if the needed license requires to be sponsored by a company or work for a broker-dealer.
- Learn about requirements specified for a particular state.
- Complete the needed exam education and pass the test.
There are courses for training for the SIE exams which are required for obtaining a license.
Benefits of Holding a Financial Securities License
Professions obtained financial securities licenses get numerous benefits:
- Earning potential. Financial professionals increase their income by qualifying for payroll employee positions with greater pays and the potential to earn significant commissions. They can complete extra tasks and, if possible, bring new clients for a charge, depending on their company.
- Customer satisfaction. Professionals can offer extra services by selling securities. One person can take care of all of their clients’ financial needs, saving them from having to contact other experts.
- Professional credibility. A license allows professionals to seek out new customers, launch their own companies, or get higher positions inside a reputable financial corporation.
Being a certificate meaningful in the industry, a financial securities license is hard to obtain. Besides passing an exam, a professional should study for it and prepare documents to access new job prospects. To ensure everything is completed according to the requirements, it’s better to work with the expert team during the entire process.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
