MATT PASSED!!

Matt has passed the last level of the CFA. I asked him to write this blog himself, but since it's been over a week and he hasn't, I will do the honors.

For those of you not familiar with the test, it is a 3 level exam, offered once a year, in order to become a very fancy title: Chartered Financial Analyst. It is similar to the CPA in that it tests you on finance, accounting and ethics in business. But this test in particular has been deemed by Matt to be the ''hardest test in the world.''

Matt has stated this to be the case on several occassions. And if you dare, I would suggest you try to challenge him on this. He has a special part of his brain whose exclusive responsibility is to store pass rates for each level of any given year for the past 10 years, the number of CFAs in the US as well as in the world, and various other facts that you nor I care nothing about, we're just glad he passed. My sister in particular has found this declaration to be quite obnoxious, being a fellow CPA herself, and upon the news of Matt passing I told Matt that I can just imagine her response: ''So much for it being the hardest test in the world, if YOU passed!'' (My sister and Matt have a love-hate relationship - their personalities are very similar).

For almost as long as Matt and I have been dating (approaching 5 years this winter), he has spent 6 months out of the year either studying for this test or worrying about not studying enough. In turn, January through June has become a high-stress period for him. But don't forget about me. It has been quite stressful for me too.

The funny part is, that for most of you who know Matt will agree, I have very rarely heard Matt say, "I really nailed that exam/presentation/meeting/interview/etc." He is quite modest. But he has been very successful in his career, and he even got better grades than me in college (except for Presentations - sorry, Matt). And what he will never let me forget, he scored 30 points higher than me in the SATs (who cares about SATs anyway). Matt is very driven, very intellegent, and very eager to learn. So please join me in sending him a huge CONGRATULATIONS for passing the hardest test in the world. And maybe one to me too for dealing with him for these past 4 years that he's been taking it ;-).