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 primary sources of earned income are wages, salaries, tips, and net earnings from self-employment.

• To distinguish earned income from unearned income like interest, dividends, pensions, and unemployment benefits.

• That only the net profit from self-employment, not gross receipts, counts as earned income.

• The specific rule for disability benefits: they are earned income only if received before minimum retirement age and from an employer-paid plan.

• How to spot and ignore distractor income sources like unemployment benefits in exam questions.

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