Finance Exam Prep
Finance Exam Prep is a daily podcast designed to help future tax and finance professionals pass their certification and licensing exams with clarity and confidence. Built and operated by OpenExamPrep, this podcast breaks down major tax exams into focused, easy-to-digest episodes covering the CPA & Enrolled Agent (EA) Exam, including Part 1 (Individuals), Part 2 (Businesses), and Part 3 (Representation, Practices, and Procedures). Each episode targets one key tax concept, common exam trap, or high-frequency test topic—making it ideal for studying during commutes, workouts, or short study sessions. Created by Ran Chen, EA, CFP®, a financial professional and exam specialist who has personally pas...
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[CFA Level I] 6, Fair Dealing When Recommendations Change
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How Standard III(B) Fair Dealing governs material changes in investment recommendations. - Why fair dealing requires equal opportunity to act rather than identical individual service. - The requirements for disclosing tiered or premium services to current and prospective clients. - The duty to notify clients of updated ratings before executing t...
[CFA Level I] 5, Misrepresentation and Crediting Other Analysts
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: * The core scope of Standard I(C) Misrepresentation under the CFA Level I curriculum. * How to distinguish recognized statistical reporting from third-party analytical research. * Why research developed within a firm remains firm property when colleagues depart. * How misrepresenting risks or guaranteeing investment returns violates professional conduct. * Practical decision rules to prevent plagiarism a...
[CFA Level I] 4, Material Nonpublic Information and the Mosaic Approach
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: • The criteria for material nonpublic information under Standard II(A). • How the mosaic approach permits combining public data and nonmaterial nonpublic clues. • Why material nonpublic information cannot be sanitized by blending it into research reports. • The distinction between broad public dissemination and selective insider disclosure. • A two-step decision rule evaluating materiality and nonpublic s...
[CFA Level I] 3, Professional Independence Under Gifts and Pressure
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to distinguish modest gifts from third-party benefits that impair independence under Standard I(B) - Standard practices for issuer-paid travel and when corporate transportation is permissible - Why disclosure alone does not cure compromised research or non-independent recommendations - The key procedural differences between handling client gifts and third-party benefits ...
[CFA Level I] 2, Ethical Decisions When the Legal Minimum Is Not Enough
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: * How ethical expectations differ from mere legal compliance in investment decision making * The core principle of Standard I(A) Knowledge of the Law regarding conflicting requirements * Why members and candidates must always adhere to the stricter law, rule, or regulation * Common exam traps involving rationalizations, disclosure limits, and local custom arguments * A p...
[CFA Level I] 1, The Ten Topic Areas and Your Study Plan
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: * The ten official 2027 CFA Level I topic names and weight ranges. * How to construct a flexible study schedule based on topic weighting and spaced practice. * Exam-relevant traps regarding topic pass thresholds and overall scoring. * The distinction between core exam topics and required Practical Skills Modules. * The Weight First Rule as flexible editorial g...
Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 3] 75, Final Review and Representation Strategy
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - To differentiate Form 2848 (Power of Attorney) from Form 8821 (Tax Information Authorization) to avoid common exam traps. - To master critical deadlines, especially the 90-day period to petition the Tax Court after a Notice of Deficiency. - How to analyze taxpayer scenarios to select the most appropriate collection alternative: Installment Agreement, Currently N...
Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 3] 74, E-File Acknowledgments Rejects and Post-Filing Corrections
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The three e-file acknowledgment statuses and what an "Accepted" status truly means. - How to use the "perfection period" to correct and retransmit rejected returns to preserve the original filing date. - The critical difference between correcting a rejected return (never filed) and amending an accepted return with Form 1040-X. - C...
Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 3] 73, Electronic Signatures PINs and Form 8879
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The crucial difference between the Practitioner PIN and Self-Select PIN methods for e-filing authorization. - Why Form 8879 must be signed and dated by the taxpayer *before* the Electronic Return Originator (ERO) can transmit the return. - The mandatory procedure for handling changes to a tax return *after* Form 8879 has already been s...
Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 3] 72, E-File Mandate EFIN and Authorized Providers
This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The specific '11 or more' aggregate filing threshold that triggers the mandatory e-file requirement for a preparer or firm. - Key exceptions to the e-file mandate, such as taxpayer choice to file on paper and how to document it with Form 8948. - The components of the IRS suitability check for an E...
