Saturday, July 28, 2007

The Level I Results

Well, that was some radio silence, but finally an update.

This week I found out results to the Level I CFA exam - I passed! Not only did I pass, I scored above 70% in each of the 9 topics (for each topic, they tell you whether you scored below 50%, between 51-70%, or above 70%). Nothing could have been better validation.

Just wanted to do a quick post to get myself going again. I'll do another one soon to review my life over the past few months, so that anyone with real-life questions about the pre-CFA exam experience might learn something.

Friday, January 26, 2007

CFA startup

SO, I've just finished my first week of studying, and can tell you how to properly reference the term CFA (it's an adjective, not noun!). But did I just use it as a noun...? Up next is Time Value of Money, which has always been fun. Looking ahead also made me realize that I should get myself a proper calculator, so an order just went into Amazon for a spiffy new TI BAII Plus Professional. I've heard that the Pro version is pretty nice, so figured I'd invest into it, and use my old regular BAII Plus as a backup. Turned out being around $45, the cheapest of TI's official distribution vendors, and Amazon offers free shipping as well. It's also a far cry from the HP 12c, which I think I saw listed at over $100. Why you would spend that much on a machine that only understands Reverse Polish Notation is beyond me. There's already enough material to study; while I'll have to spend some time getting used to my new 'lator, hopefully it won't take too long.

Other unintended consequences of this exam - shopping for a new credit card. Though I expect to get reimbursed by my company, study and enrollment fees will max out my limit for a while, and I enjoy the convenience of credit over ATMs. The Citi Dividend Platinum Select Card looks quite nice (woo cashback), and I'm hoping they'll approve me. Creditcards.com was useful for browsing potential vendors. The Discover gas card rated highly on the site, but Discover isn't as widely accepted is it?

Back to exam prep...though it's only been a week, this week has been exhausting. Suppose I'm not used to studying anymore (not that I ever really was). But I must keep at it, because I don't want to let anyone (myself, my family, my managers) down. Plus, I've postponed my desired purchase of a PS2 until June, so I'd better make these gameless months worth it.


"Hey, BBP, want to go out tonight?"

Friday nights now: "Sorry, CFA."
Friday nights 4 months from now: "Sorry, DDR."

Friday, January 5, 2007

Resolutions: less at the waist, more in the head

Happy new year! Similar to many others, end-of-year festivities kept me from this blog. More generally though, my mind was completely diverted from the general topics that this blog only reflects. It is shamefully surprising how quickly do-gooding falls by the wayside when things get busy. Thank goodness for people who have dedicated their livelihood to doing good, or worldwide philanthropic efforts would be as stop-and-go as public attention.

Again, as many others, I have woken this January with a Holiday Hangover. It's now time to sober up and strengthen my character with some resolutions for self-improvement. But because I would like to be different from most people in some respect, this time I'm putting money on the line to keep my resolutions. And no, I'm not dedicating the steady financial drip of an underused gym membership. The membership I seek requires buckets of funds and hours of toil before setting foot in the establishment: charter to the CFA Institute.

This isn't a decision I've taken lightly, because of the big commitment of time and money. However, I've always taken great stock in titles and certifications, and this is something that I can pursue while working. I'm also fortunate that my company offers some reimbursement for the costs.

So while my resolve is afire, I'll push forward, and have you join me on this venture. This weekend I will
  • review the company forms again and gather all of the information I need for reimbursement.
  • order the Schweser study materials, which I have heard are good. The Essential package (practice exam book and QBank) should be sufficient, since practice questions are the best way I prepare myself.

Once the materials arrive, I can flip through to get a handle of the amount/type of material. I haven't yet decided on whether to take the June or December exam; once I've settled on that, I can create a study plan.

But first, I should probably get some dinner.