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This week’s episode is a special one! It’s just me on the mic sharing a huge personal and professional milestone: I passed the CFP® exam! 🎉

In this solo episode, I’m walking you through what it took to go from “I think I want to do this” to actually sitting for and passing one of the most challenging exams of my life. Whether you’re considering a career shift into financial planning or you’re just curious what goes into becoming a Certified Financial Planner®, this is a real behind-the-scenes look at the process, the mindset, and the lessons I learned along the way.

I’ll cover why I decided to pursue the CFP®, what the education and exam prep process looked like, and how my own financial journey shaped this career change. Plus, I’ll share the exact amount of time I spent studying, my biggest challenges, what strategies worked best, and the moment I found out I passed. This one’s packed with encouragement for anyone out there trying to make a bold career move, or just get a little better with money.

💰 This Week’s Money Talking Points

1. What is a CFP?
2. What are the requirements to become a CFP?
3. When would someone work with a CFP?

⏱️ Key Timestamps

0:00 — Introduction and overview of the episode

1:57 — Skyler shares the motivation for becoming a CFP and career change

3:56 — What is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP)?

4:28 — Requirements to become a CFP

5:36 — When should you work with a CFP?

6:23 — Skyler’s personal journey and inspiration for financial planning

10:36 — Study strategies and exam preparation tips

13:20 — Challenges, mindset, and overcoming doubts

18:00 — What CFPs learn: education areas and hardest topics

20:44 — Exam experience and advice for future CFPs

23:20 — How to get started in financial planning and final thoughts

📚 Resources & Mentions

📖 Boston Institute of Finance (BIF) – The program I used for my CFP® education and review. Highly recommend!

💬 Text Me – Have questions? Want to chat about the CFP process or personal finance in general? Text me using the link at the top of the show notes.

🖥️ Schedule a Money Chat – moneytalk.show/chat – Let’s talk about your financial goals

🌐 LinkedIn – I’ll be sharing more about my CFP study breakdown here. Follow me for updates and insights: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjayf/

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"Upbeat Forever" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/