ChFC study plan

Build a marginal-versus-effective tax rate worksheet from the current bracket schedule and apply it to two hypothetical client income profiles

Classify ten supplied items as gross income, above-the-line deduction, below-the-line deduction, or credit, and state the authority for each classification

Trace the seven-step financial planning process against a written client fact pattern and name the required output of each step

Articulate how fiduciary duty, practice standards, and engagement scope constrain the recommendations in that fact pattern

Compute a life insurance need using both the human life value approach and the needs (capital retention) approach for one family and reconcile the gap between the two results

Contrast term, whole life, universal life, and variable life on premium pattern, cash value ownership, and allocation of investment risk

Determine the income and estate tax treatment of death proceeds, inside buildup, policy loans, and surrenders across three client scenarios

Evaluate disability income policy definitions of disability, elimination periods, and benefit periods against a specific client's occupation and cash reserves

Identify the funding role of long-term care coverage inside an otherwise complete risk-management plan

Compute a retirement funding gap from an income replacement ratio and rerun the projection after changing the savings rate by two percentage points

Compare after-tax terminal wealth across a 401(k), traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and taxable account using one shared set of return and tax assumptions

Apply the SECURE Act required minimum distribution start-age rules to three birth-year scenarios and adjust for a still-working exception

Rank Social Security claiming ages by present value of lifetime benefits for a married couple with unequal earnings records

Evaluate the sequence-of-returns and inflation risks on a decumulation plan for a 30-year retirement horizon

Compute holding-period return, arithmetic and geometric mean return, and standard deviation from a supplied multi-year return series

Calculate the tax-equivalent yield on a municipal bond and identify the breakeven tax rate against a comparable taxable bond

Quantify the price change on a bond from a 100 basis point rate move using duration and convexity

Plot a client's current allocation against an efficient frontier and justify at least two rebalancing moves

Distinguish systematic from unsystematic risk and state the diversification implication of each

Compare active and passive management on expense ratio and after-tax 20-year terminal wealth for one account

Match four client risk profiles to asset allocations and defend each with time horizon, correlation, and liquidity needs

Identify the required elements of a valid will and state the distribution outcome under intestacy for a supplied fact pattern

Classify eight asset transfer methods as probate or non-probate and state the practical consequence of each classification

Explain how titling and beneficiary designations can override the terms of a will

Assemble a federal transfer tax base from a supplied balance sheet, applying gross estate inclusions, deductions, and the marital and charitable deductions

Compare estate and income tax outcomes of an outright bequest, a bypass trust, a QTIP election, and a transfer-on-death designation using one fact pattern

Compute the income tax basis of inherited assets and show the effect of electing portability of the deceased spousal unused exclusion

Evaluate a gifting program against the annual exclusion and lifetime exemption, including the three-year lookback for life insurance

Select an irrevocable life insurance trust structure and explain the incidents-of-ownership and Crummey notice requirements

Integrate tax, insurance, retirement, investment, and estate recommendations for one full-length case into a single consistent plan

Resolve at least three internal conflicts in that case by comparing after-tax outcomes rather than product features

Draft the recommendations and implementation sections of the plan with prioritized action steps, owners, and timelines

Revisit your two lowest-scoring domains from the week 4 mock and close each gap with targeted practice

Apply the planning framework to nontraditional situations including a business owner, a blended family, sudden wealth, and an older client with diminished capacity

Identify the ethical and regulatory issues in three contemporary scenarios, including digital assets, client-directed preferences, and fee disclosure

Complete two full-length timed mock exams and rework every missed question back to the underlying concept

Reconstruct a one-page summary sheet for each of the eight domains from memory before checking your notes