Ran Chen, EA, CFP®

Open Exam Prep

Education EN ↓ 440 episodes

Open Exam Prep: Mastering Financial ExamsThe path to becoming a certified financial professional is known for its difficulty, and finding high-quality, accessible study material shouldn't be the hardest part. Created by Ran Chen—an AI application enthusiast, Financial Advisor, and holder of the EA (Tax), Life Insurance, Series 6/63/65, and CFP® designations—this podcast was born from personal experience. Having navigated these challenging exams himself, Ran realized the need for better resources and created Open Exam Prep as a free solution for aspiring professionals. Each episode breaks down...

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Author

Ran Chen, EA, CFP®

Episodes

[Investment] 23, Original Issue Discount 11.04.2025 3:38

Bonds issued below par must accrete the discount annually for tax purposes. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Investment] 24, Yield Curve Theories 11.04.2025 3:50

Explain yield curve shapes based on liquidity preference, market segmentation, and interest rate expectations. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-pre...

[Investment] 17, Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) 11.04.2025 3:48

Relates risk and return using beta, helping in asset pricing and portfolio management. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Investment] 18, Portfolio Performance Measures 11.04.2025 3:46

Include Sharpe, Treynor, and Jensen's Alpha, evaluating risk-adjusted returns. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Investment] 22, Accrued Interest 11.04.2025 3:38

Buyers of bonds pay sellers for interest accrued since the last coupon payment. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Investment] 21, Yield Measures 11.04.2025 3:47

Include coupon rate, current yield, and yield to maturity, each providing different insights into bond returns. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-pr...

[Investment] 19, Efficient Market Hypothesis 11.04.2025 4:00

Assumes markets efficiently reflect all available information, making consistent outperformance challenging. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep....

[Investment] 20, Bond Duration 11.04.2025 3:39

Indicates a bond's sensitivity to interest rate changes, with higher duration implying greater volatility. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.co...

[Investment] 13, Correlation Coefficient 11.04.2025 3:59

Indicates how two assets move relative to each other, aiding diversification strategies. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Investment] 14, Beta 11.04.2025 3:54

Measures systematic risk, or sensitivity to market movements, relative to the market. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Investment] 15, Systematic vs. Unsystematic Risk 11.04.2025 3:42

Systematic risk is market-wide and undiversifiable; unsystematic risk is firm-specific and diversifiable. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com...

[Investment] 16, Modern Portfolio Theory 11.04.2025 4:00

Focuses on maximizing returns for a given risk level, using concepts like the efficient frontier. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Investment] 12, Coefficient of Variation 11.04.2025 3:53

Assesses risk per unit of return, useful for comparing investments with different returns. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Investment] 11, Standard Deviation 11.04.2025 3:57

Measures total risk of a portfolio, indicating volatility and risk level. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Investment] 30, Options 11.04.2025 3:54

Derivative securities providing the right to buy (call) or sell (put) an asset at a specified price. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Investment] 29, Investment Companies 11.04.2025 3:49

Include open-end, closed-end, and unit investment trusts, each with unique characteristics. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Investment] 4, Research Reports 29.03.2025 3:43

Value Line ranks stocks, while Morningstar ranks mutual funds and stocks, aiding investment decisions. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Investment] 3, Margin Requirements 29.03.2025 4:01

Initial margin is the equity needed to start a trade; maintenance margin is the minimum equity to avoid a margin call. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-...

[Investment] 2, Short-Selling 28.03.2025 3:45

Involves selling borrowed stocks hoping to buy them back at a lower price, requiring a margin account. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Investment] 1, Investment Options 28.03.2025 4:13

Includes stocks, bonds, derivatives, and pooled investments, each offering different risk and return profiles. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-pre...

[Insurance] 20, Social Security Benefits 25.03.2025 4:01

Includes retirement, disability, and survivor benefits, with eligibility based on work credits. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Insurance] 18, Long Term Care 24.03.2025 3:58

Covers various care types, with tax-deductible premiums and benefits for qualified policies. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Insurance] 19, Disability Insurance 24.03.2025 4:03

Provides income replacement, with definitions like "own occupation" affecting coverage and premiums. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Insurance] 16, HSA Eligibility 23.03.2025 4:02

Requires high deductible health plan, with tax-free distributions for qualified medical expenses. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.com/

[Insurance] 17, COBRA Coverage 23.03.2025 3:59

Allows continuation of group health coverage after employment changes, with specific eligibility criteria. -- The CFP Exam is known for its difficulty, and as I embark on this learning journey, I’ve found it to be quite challenging. I created this podcast to document my study notes, and I hope you find them helpful in your own preparation. -- More Exam Prep Content Visit: https://open-exam-prep.co...