Series 6 Customer Communications and Disclosures

Communication questions on Series 6 are usually disguised compliance questions. The exam wants the candidate to recognize what kind of communication is involved, what standards apply, whether principal review or filing is required, and what disclosures must appear before the message can be used with customers.

Communication Framework

Strong answers in this chapter usually favor supervision, documentation, and balanced disclosure over speed or sales convenience.

Key Takeaways

• Communication rules are there to protect the customer from misleading or incomplete sales messages.
• The type of communication often determines the rest of the answer.
• The safest answer is usually the one that adds supervision, balance, and disclosure.

In this section

• Series 6 Communication Types
  Retail communications, correspondence, and institutional communications tested on the Series 6 exam.
  • Series 6 Retail Communications
    FINRA retail communication rules, examples, and exam-tested distinctions for Series 6.
  • Series 6 Correspondence
    How correspondence differs from other customer communications under FINRA rules.
  • Series 6 Institutional Communications
    Institutional communications standards and how they differ from retail communications and correspondence.
• Series 6 Content Standards
  Fair, balanced, and non-misleading content standards for customer communications on Series 6.
  • Series 6 Fair and Balanced Communications
    The fair, balanced, and non-misleading standard applied to securities communications.
  • Series 6 Prohibited Content
    Statements, promises, and omissions that make customer communications improper under FINRA rules.
• Series 6 Approval and Filing Requirements
  Principal approval and FINRA filing rules for communications tested on the Series 6 exam.
  • Series 6 Principal Approval
    When communications require prior principal approval and what that approval covers.
  • Series 6 FINRA Filing and Review
    When communications must be filed with FINRA and how the review process works.
• Series 6 Electronic Communications and Social Media
  Digital communication, social media, and recordkeeping standards tested on the Series 6 exam.
  • Series 6 Electronic Communication Compliance
    How firms supervise, review, and control electronic communications and social media use.
  • Series 6 Electronic Communication Recordkeeping
    Books and records duties for emails, social media posts, and related electronic communications.
• Series 6 Disclosure Requirements
  Prospectus, compensation, and conflict disclosures tested on the Series 6 exam.
  • Series 6 Prospectus Delivery
    When prospectuses must be delivered and what the delivery obligation means on Series 6.
  • Series 6 Compensation Disclosure
    Required disclosure of sales charges, compensation, and related investor-facing costs.
  • Series 6 Conflict of Interest Disclosure
    How representatives disclose conflicts of interest in customer communications and recommendations.