Securities Training Corporation

What STC is

Securities Training Corporation (STC) prepares people for the licensing exams of the US securities industry. Its home page headline is "Trusted Securities Licensing Exam Prep and Training," and the About page says the company "was founded over 50 years ago with one purpose in mind - to help you pass your licensing exam and begin to achieve your professional goals." The About page gives its location as New York, and the footer places STC in "the Colibri family of brands," alongside sister brands for insurance, mortgage, CFP and accounting training.

STC serves three readers. Candidates buy exam prep for a license. Licensed professionals buy continuing education. And firms and universities buy training for staff and students. The home page puts the scale in four claims: "95% first-time pass rates," "Over 1,500,000 financial professionals trained the past 50 years," "Trusted by the top 35 banks and broker-dealers and 3,500 corporate clients worldwide," and instructors "with over 300 years of combined experience."

Securities licensing prep

The licensing menu lists the SIE, Series 7, Series 66 and Series 24, and the home page also describes Series 6 prep.

• SIE: "a FINRA sponsored exam that is a prerequisite to working within the financial services industry." The page notes that "Individuals do not need to be associated with a member firm to take the SIE," and adds a promise: "Follow our proven study best practices and we guarantee you'll pass."
• Series 7: with the SIE, "required to be able to sell a broad range of securities." STC offers "three different Prep Packages based on your learning needs."
• Series 6: allows you "to sell certain securities products, such as mutual funds, variable annuities, and unit investment trusts," with "three different exam prep packages taught by experienced instructors."
• Series 24 and Series 66: listed in the licensing menu, and named by students in the testimonials.

How you study

STC's pitch is choice of format. The About page runs through it as a checklist, ticking off a physical textbook you can read and highlight, the chance to talk to or email an instructor directly with questions, video explanations, and a targeted study plan "with a roadmap to pass." The home page adds "live and virtual classes and ON-Demand lectures," and says the study manual "is available in online and print formats." The FAQ index shows what else sits around a course: virtual class system requirements, closed captions on on-demand videos and classroom recordings, custom exams, a "Top Off" exam, final exams in the online account, private classes, and a way to send an instructor feedback on a question you think is wrong.

Testimonials point to the classroom side. One Series 7 student who took a class "in NYC 8/1-8/4, with David Morris as the instructor" writes that "David is a great instructor. He is very knowledgeable, engaging, breaks concepts down for easier understanding." Another, after Series 24 prep: "I took the Series 24 yesterday and passed with flying colors."

Live virtual tutoring

For one-on-one help STC sells "1-on-1 tutoring with an experienced instructor to help you pass your exams." The page says its tutors "have taught thousands of students, know where students typically get tripped up, and how to fix it," and that this "isn't generic homework help." Its outcome claim: "Students who hire a tutor have a 99% pass rate." Pricing is published: "Rates start at $375 per hour" with a "Minimum of 3 hours recommended," which the page says gives time to diagnose knowledge gaps, reinforce problem areas and practice exam strategy. You book through a form and the team schedules the sessions.

The same page shows first-time pass rates for STC students overall: SIE Exam 94%, Series 24 Exam 94%, Series 7 Exam 92% and Series 6 Exam 85%, described as "Self-reported pass rates by STC students who passed their exam on their 1st try. Last updated July 2023."

Continuing education

STC's continuing education covers three areas in the menu: IAR CE, Firm Element CE and Insurance State CE.

• IAR CE: "Choose from over 30 NASAA approved IAR CE courses written by industry experts and covering today's trending financial topics. Courses are offered in both six-hour and 12-hour bundles." The page adds that you can "earn free CFP CE credits."
• Firm Element CE: aimed at compliance teams: "Avoid the hassle of designing Firm Element Training Courses. Choose from 100's of courses with content experts available for custom courses."
• Insurance: the About page says that "With insurance pre-licensing solutions available in all 50 states, STC can customize Annual Compliance Meetings and develop Firm Element and Regulatory Element training materials to meet all CE requirements." For full insurance pre-licensing in Life, Accident, Health and Property & Casualty, the home page sends learners to its sister company, Xcel Solutions.

A Professional Designations section lists Certified Financial Planner, Certified Retirement Counselor and accounting education.

For firms and universities

Corporate Solutions "offers training on all FINRA required exams, Life and Health qualified education, and continuing education for securities registered members," and the page says "Over 3,500 satisfied corporate clients trust us for their employee training." The College Program works with those clients: "we sponsor 15+ courses (and periodic webinars) at over 35 universities nationwide," teaching students practical securities knowledge before they enter the job market.

Guarantee, refunds and support

The FAQ has a Pass Guarantee section that answers how to claim the refund, what the refund will be, and what score you need to qualify. Its Customer Service and Miscellaneous sections cover returning materials, receiving a refund, and what to do if your access has expired, and the footer links to a refund policy. Promo codes are accepted at checkout, though the FAQ addresses codes that do not work in the cart.

Customer service is by phone on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, and by email, with a reply promised "within 24 hours." Shipping questions for printed materials, technical support and instructor contact each have their own FAQ.

Who it suits

STC suits someone starting a securities career who wants a long-established prep provider with several ways to study: books for readers, lectures for listeners, live classes for people who need structure, and a tutor for anyone who keeps missing on the same topics. It is particularly strong for the SIE and Series 7 sequence that most new brokers take. Licensed advisers can complete IAR CE in prepared bundles, compliance teams can source Firm Element content, and banks and broker-dealers can train hires at scale. Learners after insurance licensing are routed to the sister brand, so STC itself is the securities specialist in the group.