Retirement accounts
Series 7 retirement accounts
A Series 7 retirement-accounts guide covering IRAs, qualified plans, rollovers, tax deferral, distributions, annuities, and suitability clues.
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436-page handbook
1,000 mapped questions
385 recall cards
Direct answer
Series 7 retirement accounts
A Series 7 retirement-accounts guide covering IRAs, qualified plans, rollovers, tax deferral, distributions, annuities, and suitability clues.
- Start with the free diagnostic to find weak topics.
- Use the related study pages below to repair the missed rule.
- Then prove the rule in mapped practice questions and a timed exam simulation.
Study sequence
Use the page, then prove it in reps.
Read the strategy, run a short diagnostic, repair the missed rule, then move into mapped practice.
On this page
Retirement questions combine account type and tax treatment
Retirement-account questions usually ask what the account allows, how contributions or distributions are treated, what kind of product fits the customer, or what disclosure matters. A traditional IRA, Roth IRA, employer plan, rollover, and annuity can all support retirement planning, but they do not behave the same way.
The account clues to separate
Traditional IRA
Tax-deferred growth and distribution rules are central.
Roth IRA
After-tax contribution logic and qualified distribution treatment matter.
Employer plans
Qualified-plan concepts, vesting, employer involvement, and rollovers can appear.
Annuities
Tax deferral, surrender charges, guarantees, and suitability disclosures need careful reading.
How to answer retirement-account questions
Start with the customer objective and account type. Then identify whether the question is about tax treatment, distribution timing, contribution limits, rollover process, investment suitability, or disclosure. That sequence keeps a retirement product from looking suitable simply because the customer is older.
Do not treat all retirement products the same
A retirement label is only the beginning of the analysis. The account wrapper, product inside the account, customer age, liquidity need, tax situation, and surrender period can all matter. The exam may make two answers sound retirement-friendly, but one may create unnecessary cost, weak liquidity, or a mismatch with the customer's objective.
Account wrapper
Identify whether the stem is about an IRA, employer plan, rollover, or taxable account used for retirement.
Product fit
An annuity, mutual fund, ETF, or bond can each behave differently inside a retirement plan.
Distribution facts
Notice age, penalties, tax deferral, and whether the customer needs access soon.
Candidate questions
Frequently asked
Are retirement accounts tested on the Series 7?
Yes. They appear through account types, tax deferral, rollovers, annuities, suitability, and distribution-related facts.
Should I memorize contribution limits?
Know the account structure and the kind of facts the exam uses, but avoid building your entire study plan around isolated numbers. Account purpose and tax treatment matter most.
Why do annuities show up with retirement accounts?
Annuities are often framed around retirement income, tax deferral, fees, surrender periods, guarantees, and suitability.
Are rollovers tested on the Series 7?
Rollover concepts can appear through retirement objectives, account movement, tax treatment, suitability, and disclosure. Read the stem for who controls the assets, what problem the customer is solving, and whether tax consequences are part of the recommendation.
Next study steps
Related Series 7 resources
- Series 7 taxation
Taxable, tax-free, tax-deferred, capital-gain, and retirement-account tax clues.
- Investment companies
Mutual funds, ETFs, UITs, share classes, sales charges, and suitability.
- Series 7 customer accounts
Account registrations, approvals, authority, and required customer profile details.
- Series 7 suitability
Customer facts and recommendation logic for Series 7 suitability questions.
- Free Series 7 practice test
A free sample test with explanations and next-step scoring guidance.
- Series 7 retirement practice questions
IRA, rollover, annuity, tax-deferral, and distribution drills with visible explanations.
- Series 7 taxation practice questions
Municipal, retirement, gains, basis, and options-tax drills with visible explanations.
- Series 7 investment companies practice questions
Mutual fund, ETF, UIT, breakpoint, and share-class drills with visible explanations.
Turn the article into reps
Study retirement accounts in context
PassSeries7 ties retirement-account facts to tax treatment, customer objectives, product mechanics, and practice explanations.
PassSeries7 is an independent study product and is not affiliated with FINRA or any official exam body. The 2026 FINRA Series 7 outline is published at finra.org/series7.
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