Exception handling is an important aspect of any C++ programming, especially in domains such as AI and finance where error tolerance is incredibly low. As a senior engineer, following certain best practices can reduce the risks and improve the efficiency of your code:

1. Do not ignore exceptions: Ignoring exceptions or leaving them unhandled can have drastic consequences. It's better to handle them appropriately according to the context.

2. Use meaningful exception messages: a good practice is to make custom exceptions convey meaningful messages which directly specify the type and cause of error.

3. Don't use exceptions for flow control: Exceptions should be used for exceptional situations and not as a way to control the standard flow of your program.

4. Do not throw exceptions in destructors: An exception that is thrown and not caught can result in a call to std::terminate. If a destructor throws an exception while processing another exception, the program can terminate.

5. Clean up resources after exceptions: In C++, exceptions often bypass the usual flow of control, so cleanup code must be carefully structured to prevent leaks (especially important if your code is related to predictive financial models). In the AI/finance field, a memory leak, even a minor one, could bring down the entire system.

The concept of RAII (Resource Allocation Is Initialization) is often used in C++ to ensure that resources are correctly cleaned up, using the scope of variables to control their lifetimes. This can help avoid memory or resource leaks and makes your code safer and more robust, especially when dealing with exceptions.

Reviewing these best practices on a regular basis is a great way to avoid common pitfalls in C++ exception handling. By incorporating these practices into your work, you can ensure the robustness and reliability of your code, contributing to reliable AI models and optimized financial strategies.