Worked on the virattt/ai-hedge-fund repository to enhance the reliability of the automated test suite, focusing on reducing continuous integration noise and improving deployment confidence. Addressed a recurring issue where live Financial Datasets tests would fail due to missing API credentials by implementing a credential-aware testing approach in Python. Tests are now gated behind the presence of an API key, ensuring that they are skipped when credentials are absent, which prevents false negatives and streamlines the CI process. Emphasized secure handling of optional credentials and traceability by linking code changes to specific commits, demonstrating a methodical approach to Python testing.