Thanks for participating in "What the +?: Supporting Understanding and Supporting Expansive LGBTQ+ Identities." On this page you'll find a list of materials that correspond to the learning objectives in today's session.

Want to provide feedback on this session? Still have questions about the content? Send us an e-mail at [email protected] today.

Many people do not know about the credit scoring system—much less their credit score—until they attempt to buy a home, take out a loan to start a business or make a major purchase. A credit score is usually a three-digit number that lenders use to help them decide whether you get a mortgage, a credit card or some other line of credit, and the interest rate you are charged for this credit. The score is a picture of you as a credit risk to the lender at the time of your application. 

Each individual has his or her own credit score. If you're married, both you and your spouse will have an individual score, and if you are co-signers on a loan, both scores will be scrutinized. The riskier you appear to the lender, the less likely you will be to get credit or, if you are approved, the more that credit will cost you. In other words, you will pay more to borrow money.

Scores range from approximately 300 to 850. When it comes to locking...

FINRA views the protection of senior investors, as well as baby boomers who are retired or approaching retirement, as a top priority. Because a large number of American investors are approaching retirement and control a substantial portion of investment assets, FINRA encourages firms to review and, where warranted, enhance their policies, procedures and practices, in light of the special issues common to many senior investors.

For example, a firm's procedures and controls should take into consideration the age and life stage (whether pre-retired, semi-retired or retired) of their customers. Of particular concern to FINRA is the suitability of recommendations to senior investors, communications targeting older investors, and potentially abusive or unscrupulous sales practices or fraudulent activities targeting senior investors.

How strong is your password, really? Do you use the same one on a number of accounts? Or refer to your dog Fluffy in all of them? Chances are some or all of your login codes could use a change.

Our passwords are a key component of our lives, and as more of the services we rely on every day move online, the stakes grow ever higher. Here are 7 tips to improve your passwords—and your security online.

Throughout your securities industry career, FINRA, other regulatory organizations and your employer collect and maintain a variety of information. Learn about all phases of your career in the securities industry, from considering becoming registered to taking exams to obligations when you leave the industry.

“The position has already been filled” might sound like the last thing you’d want to hear when arriving for a job interview. But for Kayte Toczylowski, that interview-day setback put her on an unexpected career path in finance.

Toczylowski originally had set her sights on law school. But when her undergraduate student loan bills started rolling in, she decided to press pause on chasing that (very expensive) dream and work for a bit instead. With no runner-up career in mind, “I cast a wide net for my first job search,” she says.

Two weeks as a headhunter was enough to convince her that field wasn’t for her. The day after she quit, she applied for an HR position at a broker/dealer. When she arrived, the aforementioned snafu took place—but the company had another opening, this one in the compliance/legal department. “I had no idea what compliance meant, but legal struck my fancy,” she says. Her enthusiasm landed her the gig, which she held for eight years before...

Perhaps you spoke with an investment professional about an existing variable annuity (VA) you own, and the possibility of exchanging your current VA with a new one came up. Before you rush into an exchange, be aware that replacing one VA with another involves a comparison of the complex features of each security.