Series 65 study plan

Map each major equity and fixed-income security type to its issuer, cash-flow claim, and primary risk exposure in a self-built reference table

Calculate current yield, approximate yield to maturity, accrued interest, and price change for a stated basis-point move in rates

Differentiate Treasury, agency, municipal, and corporate debt by credit risk, interest-rate risk, and tax treatment

Rank common stock, preferred stock, and senior secured debt by claim priority, income predictability, and price volatility

Distinguish the rights and obligations of option buyers versus writers and compute breakeven, maximum gain, and maximum loss for basic strategies

Contrast open-end funds, closed-end funds, ETFs, and unit investment trusts on pricing method, share creation, and cost structure

Explain how variable annuities, variable life, and qualified retirement vehicles differ in tax deferral, fees, and surrender features

Characterize hedge funds, REITs, private placements, and direct participation programs by liquidity, valuation, and suitability limits

Compute real return, after-tax return, and inflation-adjusted values from nominal data

Interpret GDP, CPI, PPI, unemployment, and central-bank policy signals and state the expected direction of equity and bond prices

Match each business-cycle phase to the sectors and asset classes historically favored in that phase

Apply fiscal and monetary policy tools to predict shifts in short-term rates and the shape of the yield curve

Re-take missed items from the Week 1 and Week 2 quizzes to confirm retention

Construct a complete investment policy statement documenting objectives, constraints, time horizon, liquidity needs, and risk tolerance

Calculate and interpret Sharpe ratio, Treynor ratio, alpha, beta, and standard deviation when comparing candidate portfolios

Select an asset allocation for a stated client profile using correlation, expected return, and rebalancing rules

Adjust a recommended portfolio for a client's tax bracket and inflation exposure

Compare active versus passive management, dollar-cost averaging, value averaging, and systematic rebalancing against a stated objective

Compute the after-tax outcome of a recommendation involving capital gains, wash-sale rules, and tax-loss harvesting

Recommend among IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k), SEP, and SIMPLE plans using stated client facts

Evaluate life insurance, annuity, and education-funding vehicles against an identified client need

Apply the suitability and fiduciary standards to resolve at least five client-scenario stems

Distinguish the authority of the SEC, state administrators, and self-regulatory organizations and identify which one regulates each registration category

Outline registration and exemption rules for securities, transactions, and persons, including Form ADV, Form U-4, and notice filings

Define the elements of fiduciary duty and identify where the standard for investment advisers diverges from that for broker-dealers

Summarize recordkeeping, custody, privacy, and advertising requirements with their specific triggers

Identify prohibited practices including churning, front-running, selling away, commingling, market manipulation, and guaranteeing performance

Audit sample marketing pieces and client communications against advertising and communication rules, flagging each violation

Explain anti-money-laundering, privacy, and cybersecurity obligations and the conduct each requires of a firm

Determine the remedies and consequences that follow from a violation for both the adviser and the client

Complete two timed 130-question practice exams under test-day conditions

Categorize every missed question by domain and by root cause (knowledge gap versus misread)

Re-drill the two weakest subareas until accuracy on them reaches 85%

Memorize a single-page sheet of key formulas and regulatory thresholds for final review