The mission of this course is to share the fundamentals of money/personal finance to empower as many people as possible to secure their financial future. This course is designed to be concise and fun, but also to provide sufficient coverage of the following fundamental areas:
The importance of money and financial literacy;
Key financial concepts everyone needs to know;
Budgeting;
Saving;
Investing;
Debt, credit cards, and your credit score;
Income generation and expense reduction;
Utilizing financial safety nets; and
Essential money concepts and their application.
Basic financial literacy is the foundation upon which we make sound financial decisions which will help us to become self-sufficient, financially stable, empowered, and fulfilled. Unfortunately, personal finance and money fundamentals are not broadly taught in schools. Geography, math, physics, chemistry, etc. all have their place, but the knowledge need that is common to all of us is money. Whether you want to be a lawyer, doctor, pop star, teacher, athlete, or whatever it is you dream to be or currently are, the knowledge of money, at least at the basic level, is absolutely crucial.
As a result of the lack of this very important knowledge, the two biggest and fundamental consequences being faced by billions worldwide are high and unsustainable consumer debt and low levels of savings and investment:
Debt - credit has become so accessible and people are simply taking on more than they can afford to. The amount of household debt all over the world is absolutely crazy to even think about, and continues to cripple people and prevent them from achieving the things they want to and experiencing true financial freedom.
Savings and investing - people are just not saving and investing enough. There have been numerous surveys conducted in recent times which indicate that too many people do not even have enough funds put away to cover a relatively small unexpected expense if it were to arise. Additionally, financially independent retirement has become that much harder, with persons in this life phase having to work longer or depend on others.
Financial distress can have many negative impacts such as stress, anxiety, depression, family issues, and so much more. One of the biggest preventative measure we can take is to educate ourselves and those around us about money and healthy financial habits. This increased knowledge can be facilitated through so many sources such as doing courses like this one, reading personal finance books, actively seeking advice and guidance from professionals, and talking to people in your circle who may know more than you do. This should be a life long, never ending journey.
Please note: Course content is intended to, and should, be used for informational purposes only. The information shared in this course and the resources available for download are not intended as, and should not be understood or construed as, financial advice. The course instructor is not a financial advisor and the course information is not a substitute for financial advice from a professional who is aware of the facts and circumstances of your individual situation.
