Join us for an insightful episode of the BIF Bites Podcast as we dive into estate planning with our NEW BIF/Bryant CFP® Instructor, Jennifer Belmont Jennings, a practicing attorney and CFP® Professional. Estate planning might sound daunting, but Jennifer breaks it down into simple, understandable best practices. Whether your clients are starting or…

Jerry and Adam celebrate the 100th BIF Bites Podcase episode (woohoo!!) with everyone’s favorite segment... The BIF Bites CFP® Exam Question Palooza!

This week, Jerry shares some really important tips and answer all those pressing questions you have about the financial calculator and nailing your CFP exam. Make sure to tune in so you are prepared on your big day!Von The Boston Institute of Finance

In this episode, Adam shares a valuable resource for candidates preparing for the CFP® Exam. He introduces the 'Question Breakdown Checklist' to help candidates dissect exam questions effectively. Adam explains how this checklist aids in identifying the core of each question, ensuring that candidates apply the correct information to arrive at the r…

In this week’s episode, Jerry goes over the many financial lessons he learned while planning his recent wedding.Von The Boston Institute of Finance

In this thrilling episode of BIF Bites, BIF Crew super-sleuth Adam dives into a gripping case of academic intrigue. Recounting a dramatic short scenario in which a rogue educator cunningly infiltrated the BIF Review, Adam leverages the CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct to unravel the mystery and identify the most likely violations…

Jerry goes back to the movies this week to explore the 1983 comedy classic Trading Places. What can CFP candidates and professionals learn from Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd? Listen in to find out!Von The Boston Institute of Finance

On this BIF Bites episode Adam welcomes Dr. Charles Chaffin from the Financial Psychology Institute to chat about a new partnership for BIF!The Financial Psychology Institute provides professional coaching and educational services in the fields of financial psychology and financial planning to financial professionals, therapists, and coaches.For mo…

-Cue the ‘COPS’ theme song.In this week’s episode, Jerry and Adam go through the CFP Board Case Histories, a database that includes information about orders issued by the Disciplinary and Ethics Commission (DEC). They discuss violations committed by Candidates for CFP® Certification & practicing CFP® Professionals to learn how CFP Board handled the…

In this episode, Jerry goes over the valuable lessons on cash value life insurance that we can learn from the classic holiday movie It’s a Wonderful Life.Von The Boston Institute of Finance

Jerry and Adam serve up a few last-minute practice reps for July Exam takers with a fresh version of the classic BIF Bites Question Palooza. The guys work through 6 questions. Listen in to hear how they break down each question body and then work through each answer stem.Von The Boston Institute of Finance

This just in: Boston-area meteorologists believe this BIF Bites episode will break all-time heat index records. Listen up as Adam delivers five sizzling-hot CFP® Exam takes that will guide your homestretch studies and keep it 100% as you head towards your Exam. Crank your AC and your volume up to the MAX!…

On today's BIF Bites episode Adam welcomes on fpPathfinder's co-founder Michael Lecours, CFP® to chat about a new partnership between BIF and fpPathfinder. Listen in to learn why we believe this partnership will greatly benefit BIF's students.Von The Boston Institute of Finance

In this episode, Jerry walks through a theoretical retirement plan using everyone’s favorite video game plumber, Super Mario, as a case study.Von The Boston Institute of Finance

We can't be friends with everyone... Jerry Seinfeld hates Newman... Mike Long hates IRMAA. Listen in to hear why.Von The Boston Institute of Finance

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.Von 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.Von 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!Von 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.Von 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!Von The Boston Institute of Finance

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