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Finance Exam Prep

Finance Exam Prep

By: Ran Chen EA CFP®
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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 passed multiple professional licensing exams, Tax Exam Prep was developed from firsthand experience with how complex—and often poorly explained—tax exam material can be. The goal is simple: make tax exam preparation clearer, more accessible, and more effective through structured explanations and modern learning tools. Whether you’re preparing for the EA Exam, transitioning into a tax career, or reviewing before test day, this podcast is designed to guide you step by step—one concept at a time. Free practice tools, AI-powered explanations, and additional exam prep resources are available at: https://open-exam-prep.com/Copyright 2026 Ran Chen, EA, CFP® Career Success Economics Education
Episodes
  • Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 50, Involuntary Conversions — §1033 Deferral

    Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 50, Involuntary Conversions — §1033 Deferral
    Jun 16 2026
    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 calculate realized gain, recognized gain, and deferred gain in a §1033 transaction. - The critical tax impact of failing to reinvest the full amount of proceeds received. - The specific replacement periods: two years for most casualties and three years for condemned business real property. - The difference between the strict "similar use" test and the more lenient "like-kind" standard. - How to calculate the basis of the new replacement property after deferring a gain. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    4 mins
  • Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 49, Like-Kind Exchanges — §1031 (Real Property Only)

    Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 49, Like-Kind Exchanges — §1031 (Real Property Only)
    Jun 15 2026
    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 post-TCJA rule restricting §1031 exchanges exclusively to real property held for business or investment. - The non-negotiable 45-day identification period and 180-day exchange period for deferred exchanges. - How to calculate the recognized gain, which is the lesser of the boot received or the realized gain. - The correct formula for determining the basis of the new replacement property by subtracting the deferred gain from its fair market value. - The mandatory role of a qualified intermediary in holding sale proceeds to avoid constructive receipt. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    4 mins
  • Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 48, Section 1231 — Sale of Business Property

    Enrolled Agent Exam [Part 2] 48, Section 1231 — Sale of Business Property
    Jun 14 2026
    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: - That net Section 1231 gains are treated as long-term capital gains, while net losses are treated as fully deductible ordinary losses. - How to correctly net gains and losses from the sale of multiple Section 1231 properties to determine the final tax character. - The function of the five-year lookback rule, which recharacterizes current Section 1231 gains as ordinary income to the extent of unrecaptured Section 1231 losses from the prior five years. - That property must be used in a trade or business and held for more than one year to qualify for Section 1231 treatment. - That depreciation recapture under Sections 1245 and 1250 must be calculated *before* determining the amount of a Section 1231 gain. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    4 mins
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