frequently asked questions (FAQ)

• What's your teaching style?

• Why should I hire Basic Wisdom?

• How do I book a tutoring session?

• What types of tutoring are available?

• Can our online sessions be recorded?

• How much does tutoring cost?

• I really need help, but I can't afford your rates. What do I do?

• Is there an extra cost for small group tutoring?

• How do I pay for tutoring?

• Do you teach classes?

• What do I need to join an online session?

• What if I have technical issues during our tutoring session?

• What web platform do you use for tutoring?

• What if I need to cancel my session?

• What if I’m not sure that I need tutoring? Can I still reach out?
  

Relating test material to the real world is the most efficient and fun way to learn this material. Whether it’s discussing how buying a bond is similar to acting like a bank or examining real stories of insider trading, context is significantly important. It’s a big thing that your study materials are missing. Where do these rules come from? How have they been applied? What’s a different way of thinking about these concepts? Brandon or Chris are happy to answer all of those questions for you.

Basic Wisdom tutors are big believers in visuals. We utilize numerous pre-made presentations, Achievable practice questions, and create custom visuals. Additionally, we supply these visual resources to you by e-mail after the session is complete.

There are numerous choices out there for tutoring help on FINRA/NASAA exams. However, most tutors don't have the experience of Basic Wisdom tutors and only tutor part-time.

You can learn more about Brandon and Chris’ background on the main tutoring page, but we’ve both personally helped a over 4,000 financial professionals (combined) pass a variety of licensing exams over the last 15 years. While working for Fidelity Investments, our responsibilities included running a local program (coaching, tutoring, and teaching classes) with over 400 associates requiring licenses every year. Additionally, Brandon managed a team of licensing facilitators that trained over 2,000 Fidelity associates annually to pass a variety of FINRA and NASAA exams.

After more than a 20 years combined industry experience, both Brandon and Chris left their positions to provide FINRA and NASAA licensing support as a business venture. When we’re not tutoring, we shoot & edit licensing videos, create training materials, and Brandon writes content for Achievable. Basic Wisdom takes up all of our time and efforts; neither of us have any other jobs or responsibilities other than helping students pass difficult licensing exams.

You can book tutoring with either Brandon or Chris using Basic Wisdom’s online calendar. You decide the date, time and length of the session. If we’re not available when you need us, please reach out and we’ll be happy to consider your request.

There are two types of tutoring sessions available: general and specialized.

General tutoring covers any testable topic you prefer to discuss. Bring a list of concepts and/or questions and we’ll cover them in detail. Nothing is out of bounds.

Crash courses cover a specific topic or category. For example, we have presentations that cover suitability, options, debt securities, equity securities, margin accounts, investment companies, rules & regulations, and ethics. This type of tutoring is appropriate if you’re aiming to master a specific topic.

Brandon records all of his sessions and uploads them to his YouTube channel. Don’t worry - the public won’t be able to see your session. The video will be unlisted, meaning only you and Basic Wisdom can see the video. Chris currently does not offer video recording.

Brandon charges a flat rate of $175 per hour, while Chris charges a flat rate of $150 per hour.

We recommend reaching out to your sponsoring company. Although not common, some companies will pay for their employees to obtain tutoring for these licenses. Check with your manager to see if this may be a possibility. 

We can also recommend other tutors with lower fee structures. Feel free to reach out for a referral.

We charge an extra $10/hour for each additional participant in our discussion.

To book a session on our online calendar, you must enter a credit or debit card and prepay for our services. If you cancel the session with at least 24 hours notice, we will work with you to reschedule the appointment. If a reschedule is not possible, we are happy to fully refund the cost of the appointment.

If you cancel within 24 hours of the session, we reserve the right to retain your payment.

Brandon teaches large classes, typically for financial corporations. In fact, this was his specialty when he worked for Fidelity Investments (teaching classes on various licenses to groups of 20-25 employees). He estimates that his review sessions helped increase scores on average by 15-20%. 

Brandon is happy to teach your team at your location or virtually. Please contact us for additional information.

As long as you have an internet connected device (phone, tablet, laptop, or PC) and a way to talk with me (microphone + speakers or earbuds), then connecting with us is easy (we use Zoom)! When you schedule a session, we’ll send you a calendar invite with a Zoom link. You are welcome to try out the link prior to our session to ensure your connection works.

While it’s rare that our clients have technical issues, we will not charge you if we can’t figure out a fix. To avoid potential connectivity issues, we recommend having your workstation (phone, tablet, laptop, or PC) close to your wireless router or plugged directly into the router.

We utilize Zoom, which is a very user-friendly platform. Zoom offers many built-in benefits, including a whiteboard, screen sharing, virtual backgrounds, and more. When it’s time to join our session, you’ll only need to click a link to join.

If you cancel with at least 24 hours notice, we will work with you to reschedule the appointment. If a reschedule is not possible, we will refund your entire pre-payment for the session.

If you cancel within 24 hours of the session, we reserve the right to retain the payment.

Absolutely! We’re always up-front and honest with our clients. If we don’t think you need our help, we’ll tell you. If you want our thoughts on where you stand, please contact us directly.