When did you first feel like an adult? After your first credit card? When you wrote your first check or paid your first bill? It can be an exciting time, but many young adults really do not know the ins and outs of financial products, paying bills, writing checks, and budgeting. Have you learned to manage your personal finances?
It’s so exciting to become independent, but it takes a lot of wisdom to approach your financial adulthood in a healthy way. It is completely understandable if you do not know how it all works. The problem is that you can make a lot of bad choices that take a lot more effort to fix than if you had the knowledge prior to making those decisions.
We all also understand that many schools lack these types of classes. One of the best investments that you can make for long-term financial success is trying out a course to help you manage your personal finances.
The Core Four of Personal Finance, Udemy
A great starting point is The Core Four of Personal Finance. This an easy-to-understand course that includes the core 4 pillars of personal finance.
“At the end of this course, you will know how to get your finances under control, get and stay motivated. Later on, if you want to become an expert on personal finance and retire early, for example, you will have a strong foundation to understand how to do so. You’ll also understand the advantages and disadvantages of different personal finance paths.”
Personal Finance 101, Udemy
This course is designed for a range of topics, from taxes to credit cards. Beginners in finance will be welcomed with open arms.
“As for how this course is structured, we designed it to maximize your enjoyment and engagement. That’s why we teach you an entire personal finance curriculum through a series of short (<5 min), engaging, animated videos. Each video teaches you everything you need to know (practically speaking) about a specific topic, like investing, in a way that even a total beginner can understand. And with over 52 videos in total, more than 3 hours of content, you’ll learn everything you need to know about personal finance, from how to pay your taxes to how to buy a car to how to pay off your student loans!”
Personal and Family Financial Planning, Coursera
This FREE course designed by the University of Florida is where you are going to learn about the basics of investing, managing risk and building your own personal financial plan.
Personal Finance Planning, edX
This course incorporates 4 modules: investments, credit, and retirement. Learn all the jargon and get ahead with your finances.
“Want to better understand investments? How credit works? How to maximize your retirement savings? This course aims to make finding the answers to these questions, and many other similar questions, interesting and fun.”
Finance for Everyone: Smart Tools for Decision-Making, edX
As the name states, this course is for everyone. The University of Michigan is behind this course that explores the power of finance, both as a professional and individual.
“Starting with time value of money, the course will help you develop a full appreciation for the many applications of finance. Using real-world examples, the course will enable you to understand and analyze many personal and professional decisions we confront on a daily basis. You will understand stocks and bonds, learn to allocate scarce resources in a value-add way, and adopt smart tools for making everyday decisions.”
Financial Literacy, ALISON
An interactive class that helps you with setting up accounts, budgeting, taxes, and government benefits, Financial Literacy has it all.
“What you don’t know about personal finance management can really affect your bank account and your day-to-day life. This free personal finance course will teach you all the essential tricks and techniques for managing your finances and saving your money, from learning to budget and deal with debt to insurance and retirement planning.”
Introduction to Managing Your Personal Finance Debts, ALISON
For those that need a push when it comes to debt resolution, this course is for you. You’ll learn how to prioritize your debts, best practices for contacting credit card companies and setting up a debt spreadsheet.
Introduction to Simple and Compound Interest, ALISON
Simple versus compound interest, do you know the difference? No worries, this course covers that and how it affects you.
My Financial Mountain: Understanding Your Path to a Solid Financial Foundation, Skillshare
Want financial freedom and stability? This is your course.
“We all have financial needs and will be dealing with personal finances until death, so it is important for us to create a plan or to follow a plan to strengthen and solidify our finances.”
Personal Finance, Missouri State University on iTunes
This finance course is at your fingertips thanks to iTunes.
“Topics include the preparation and interpretation of personal financial statements and budgets, the time value of money, personal saving, financial market and investment fundamentals, the effective use of consumer credit, personal bankruptcy, insurance principles, automotive and housing decisions, principles of personal taxation, and retirement planning.”
Bottom Line
No matter what financial boat you are in, these courses are ready to set you up for financial success. There’s no shame in getting the basics covered for your bank account. Things can get pretty complicated, but you do not need to suffer from those consequences.