In this week’s episode, the BIF Crew discusses the workings of international currency exchange using Adam's recent trip to Iceland as an example. Jerry shares tutoring-tested strategies to simplify exchange rate calculations. Adam recounts how an Icelandic ATM machine helped his kids understand currency exchanges!…

Listen in as Jerry covers all of the financial planning considerations that go along with winning the lottery or other large unexpected windfall.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Jerry views cryptocurrency as the future currency in the global economy and a high-risk/high-reward store of value that, if handled properly, could lead to large portfolio gains.In Adam’s mind, cryptocurrency is like the screaming parent at Little League field: volatile and unpredictable, with behavior that cannot be explained logically.Listen in a…

Question palooza is back, this time with double the action and double the fun! Jerry and Adam round out a baker's dozen of CFP exam questions and discuss how they would approach answering each one.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Every year, the BIF Crew responds to thousands of questions from students enrolled in the BIF / Bryant CFP® Education Program and The BIF Review. Our “CFP® Questions & Misconceptions” mini-series is a place to share and talk through those questions.Jerry takes the reins solo in this episode as he covers three of the most common mistakes students ma…

Mike, Jerry and Adam sit down to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the two types of CFP students, those brand new to the industry, and those with several years of experience. See what new to the industry students can do to get a leg up, and learn how having too much experience can be a double-edged sword.…

Every year, the BIF Crew responds to thousands of questions from students enrolled in the BIF / Bryant CFP® Education Program and The BIF Review. Our “CFP® Questions & Misconceptions” mini-series is a place to share and talk through those questions.Jerry is tackling General Principles today. Enjoy!Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Every year, the BIF Crew responds to thousands of questions from students enrolled in the BIF / Bryant CFP® Education Program and The BIF Review. Our “CFP® Questions & Misconceptions” mini-series is a place to share and talk through those questions.Mike Long flies solo in this episode as he navigates some common misconceptions our students experien…

Every year, the BIF Crew responds to thousands of questions from students enrolled in the BIF / Bryant CFP® Education Program and The BIF Review. Our “CFP® Questions & Misconceptions” mini-series is a place to share and talk through those questions.Today Adam wraps up 2023 with a few common misconceptions from Estate Planning.…

In this episode, Adam and Jerry talk about COLLECTIBLES. There are special rules governing the tax treatment of collectibles held for investment purposes that you need to know. Also, there are special considerations for protecting your collectible investments by way of insurance coverage. All of this and more are covered!Look out Comi-Con, here com…

Every year, the BIF Crew responds to thousands of questions from the students enrolled in the Bryant/BIF CFP® education program & the BIF Review. In our newest BIF Bites podcast mini-series “CFP® Questions & Misconceptions” we’ll share these FAQs, plus, the concepts that are most likely to cause confusion.This week, Mike shared some common misconce…

Homes are one of the most valuable assets in a client’s financial ecosystem and mortgages are an area where financial planners can provide valuable insight and support, adding a ton of value along the way. This week, Jerry and Adam talk about down payments, lending ratios, PITI, PMI, VA mortgages, USDA mortgages, and much more.“We P.I.T.I the fool”…

Every year, the BIF Crew responds to thousands of questions from the students enrolled in the Bryant/BIF CFP® education program & the BIF Review. In our newest BIF Bites podcast mini-series “CFP® Questions & Misconceptions” we’ll share these FAQs, plus, the concepts that are most likely to cause confusion.Jerry continues the solo series this week c…

Every year, the BIF Crew responds to thousands of questions from the students enrolled in the Bryant/BIF CFP® education program & the BIF Review. In our newest BIF Bites podcast mini-series “CFP® Questions & Misconceptions” we’ll share these FAQs, plus, the concepts that are most likely to cause confusion.This week, Adam delivers some tax fact-chec…

Mike, Jerry, and Adam recorded this important roundtable discussion to support all who fell short of the ‘Preliminary Pass’ on their recent CFP® exam. The BIF Crew shares common retaker pitfalls, best practices, strategies for interpreting results, and the importance of self-reflection before diving into another CFP® exam cycle.“What is delayed is …

Jerry and Adam sit down with financial advisor and financial content producer Anthony Ruffalo to discuss content and social media strategies that yield meaningful results.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

It's the final round of our inaugural BIF Bites CFP Snake Draft. A champion will be crowned soon. To cast your vote please head over to BIFBites.com and let us know who drafted the best overall squad!Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Here it is... the one... the only... The BIF Bites QUESTION PALOOZA!Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Every single one of BIF's Monte Carlo simulation machines crashed when we fed them the data from our most recent CFP Snake Draft round. Here are the highlights...• Adam’s bold first pick earns him the awful nickname “Vanilla ISO”• Jerry shocks the crew with a sneaky move-up in the draft order• Mike reminds us that ‘eligible designated beneficiary’ …

Each CFP® Exam cycle Adam invites back former BIF Review students to share their own personal study experiences with the current group of BIF Review students that are actively preparing for the next upcoming Exam. We've decided to release a few of these recent conversations here as a BIF Bites podcast episode so that the broader CFP® community can …

This week Jerry and Adam sit down with Dr. Michael Thomas of Modom Solutions and the University of Georgia to discuss Financial Empathy. Learn the importance and how to better connect and understand your clients on an empathetic level in order to better serve their needs.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Jerry and Adam sit down with Hannah Moore to discuss the FPA Externship Program that she runs. Learn how students can gain valuable industry experience and hundreds of credit hours toward the CFP experience requirement.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

This week The BIF Crew continues their snake daft of the CFP topics, tackling Adam's main wheelhouse of Tax.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Olivia Luper stops by to talk marketing for Financial Advisors. We learned a lot in this episode. What strategies work best? What content are clients looking for? How do we convert prospects into full-fledged clients? Listen in and learn from a true marketing guru.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Jerry and Adam consider the "performance mindset" with psychologist Dr. Jennifer Serlin. How should we think about success in the workplace? How can we best manage inevitable career stress?Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Jerry and Adam discuss the growing field of financial therapy with Nathan Astle. Big (and sometimes even small) financial decisions can take an unanticipated emotional toll. A good advisor knows when and how to put on the therapy hat and help their clients navigate the decision, or, place a call to a Financial Therapist for additional support. List…

Jerry, Mike and Adam continue their fantasy draft of the CFP exam topics. Tempers flare over some controversial choices and the commissioner is called in to settle the dispute.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

It's draft week! Who gets the best sleeper pick? Which BIF Crew member needs a Draft Pick Insurance Policy? Listen in to find out. Round 2 starts now. Enjoy!Por The Boston Institute of Finance

This week Jerry and Adam sit down with author and financial planner Chris Mamula to talk about the F.I.R.E way of life (Financial Independence, Retire Early). Chris talks about his journey to retire at the ripe old age of 41 and how you can too.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Fantasy Draft + CFP Topic List. Does it make sense? No, not really. Was it fun? Yes, absolutely. Listen in as Mike, Adam and Jerry draft the CFP topics from the General Principles domain that they think are most important. 3 rounds, 9 picks, and the first overall pick in this year's draft is...Por The Boston Institute of Finance

In this episode, Jerry and Adam discuss the 5 ways to structure a business for tax reporting. Sole Proprietorship, LLC, Partnership, S Corp and C Corps. They talk about the pros and cons of each, and how to choose the correct one for a client in the CFP exam.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

This week Jerry and Adam sit down with Robin Snell, CFP® to discuss the process behind setting up her brand new RIA firm - Nested Financial. Robin tells the story of how she started on the financial planning path and how she made the jump from working in a big box broker dealer’s office to running her own firm. This episode also serves as a guide f…

Jerry and Adam give some last-minute help to the July test takers with this new iteration of a BIF Bites classic. The guys break down 6 questions, one from each of the main sections of the CFP curriculum and talk about how they would answer them on the CFP exam.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

This week we revisit an early BIF Bites episode that feels particularly relevant again with the July Exam looming ahead on the horizon. We hope you enjoy!Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Jerry and Adam connect with Daniel Kopp, CFP®, MA, MS, founder of Wise Stewardship Financial Planning. The conversation explores Daniel's unique experience building and operating a financial practice that focuses on military families and widows.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Jerry and Adam discuss estate planning for the common man. We cover a few simple planning steps that will save loved ones from a world of headaches.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Jerry sits down with his former student, Jeff Sussman, CFP®, to talk about what life is like with the marks. Jeff has now been a CFP® Professional for 18 months. He shares how the marks have enabled him to better help clients, grow his business, and earn recognition from colleagues.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Jerry and Adam discuss the trials and tribulations of helping clients buy a home in the current market. Jerry shares his experience of shopping for a home from both a buyer's perspective and also a CFP’s perspective.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Jerry and Mike cover the complexities of claiming spousal benefits for social security. Listen in for the do's, the don’ts, and the everything in between.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

A listener recently requested we cover the business tax gauntlet that is IRC Sections 1231, 1245, and 1250. Adam steps up to help. Do you have a topic request? Let us know!Por The Boston Institute of Finance

The BIF Crew put ChatGPT to the test with tough questions:“Can you pass the CFP® exam?”“Do you plan on taking financial professional’s jobs?”“Which risk-adjusted performance measurement should be used when the Beta statistic is unreliable?”“Are you related to HAL 2000?”Tune in for a ‘no holds barred’ CFP v. AI BATTLE ROYALE!…

Got an uninsured client? Need an overview of the 3 pillars of life insurance? Mike and Jerry are here to break down the basics on term, whole, and universal life insurance policies. Plus, they serve up a contrarian view on the old “buy term & invest the rest” rule of thumb.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Financial planning is all about sequencing. The ability to place a set of competing goals and needs in order is a key skill for planners to develop. Is adequate life insurance coverage more important than a fully-funded emergency fund? Should you fund a 529 or purchase extra long-term disability insurance coverage? How does having kids change your …

Fellow Financial Professionals, have no fear. Mike and Jerry are here (as always) to run through SECURE Act 2.0 provisions going into effect in 2023 ONLY. We cover the new RMD age and new exceptions to early withdrawal penalties as well as a couple of new tax credits that could benefit your clients.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

How do you file if your spouse is sleeping on the couch? Better yet, what if the couch sleeper is you ex? What filing status do you go with if you currently have your divorce attorney on speed dial? Or if you think your spouse is actively committing fraud? Adam and Jerry tackle some doozies on this episode. Listen in. It's a fun one!…

Jerry and Brendan sit down to discuss the recent collapse of SVB and the resulting banking crises. The two dig into how increasing rates and bond duration led to the collapse of the bank and tie it all back to how these lessons can be applied to the CFP exam.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

In this episode, Jerry sits down with BIF grad Gene Witt to discuss his recent success on the CFP Exam. They cover the process of requesting additional accommodations from CFP Board as well as study tips and tricks for students with a wide range of learning disabilities.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

Adam takes a deep dive into the world of Enrolled Agents. He explains why the designation is important, who its suited for, and how it can be used to better serve your clients.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

In this episode, Mike and Jerry sit down to talk about the Social Security Trinity: the three things every advisor must consider when helping a client decide when to start taking social security.Por The Boston Institute of Finance

In this episode Adam and Jerry sit down to talk about constructive receipt and how it can impact your taxes in everything from running a small business, to setting up an estate trust.Por The Boston Institute of Finance