Personal finance is an area of life that many Americans say they could use some guidance. From budgeting to planning for the kids’ college to other large expenses, learning how to manage money is an endeavor some find hard to navigate. Knowing who to ask for advice, along with not wanting to spend money to learn how to save money, are two major roadblocks to moving forward with finance education. Thankfully, there are some free online classes about personal finance that exist for the taking. These courses are all wise options for anyone considering how to better prepare for the future while not breaking the bank in that pursuit.
Alison offers a variety of personal finance courses, many of them free of charge. Topics such as budgeting, saving, paying off credit card debt, insurance, and retirement planning are covered in their basic financial literacy course. They also offer additional courses for those looking to expand their knowledge about a particular piece of the financial puzzle, including a class about life insurance and retirement. A quick search on their website will lead you to a variety of courses in this niche that can help with financial goals and literacy.
Created by the National Endowment for Financial Education, an independent, non-profit operating out of Denver, Smart About Money courses are designed for a variety of ages, including high schoolers. With options for teenagers, college students, and adults, this option offers a wide variety of education for a cross-section of the population. Additionally, they dive into subjects such as stocks and mutual funds, making Smart About Money a viable option when searching out free online education in the personal finance realm.
Online Educational Powerhouse, Udemy, offers a class entitled Personal Finance 101: Everything You Need to Know. In this free course, they tackle issues like building good credit, investing, vehicle purchases, saving for college, retirement plans, and more. They even broach a difficult subject like dating and marriage finances. It is a great start for anyone looking to increase their personal finance knowledge in a wide array of topics.
Created by the University of Florida and marketed to help people with their financial planning while in school or at any stage in their career. This course is one that deserves a spot on the list of classes worth looking into. They tout their expertise on various financial management topics and are dedicated to helping their students solidify positive and long-lasting habits in this part of their lives.
This course answers common questions about how investments work, the relevance of various insurance options, how to maximize retirement savings, how credit works, and more. The premise of this class is that people often find themselves in conversations, or even decision-making scenarios, in which their knowledge about finances is lacking. The education Edex provides in these areas will afford the average person the ability to carry on intelligent conversations and make wise financial decisions. Both of these are helpful and relevant in their own right, but it can be said that the former is often overlooked. Keep in mind, when networking in the professional world, knowledge about a wide array of topics, especially finance, can help with conversation and with career development.
The purpose of this course is to educate users about how to gain financial ground that provides long-lasting stability. Slightly different in scope from the course by Edex, Skillshare’s goal is to provide information that will perpetuate financial literacy and a subsequent foundation upon which a life of financial stability can be built. Their website maintains that a person may not walk away from the class of a financial guru but will have all he needs for a stable future built on age-old financial truths.
This University offers classes at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, providing a place for everyone on the financial literacy spectrum. This allows anyone who takes the course to consider where they are on this spectrum and educate themselves accordingly. This is helpful in that no one is in the same place in their financial prowess, and these courses cater to that truth. Whether the goal is financial stability or simple, base knowledge about stocks, this course is worth considering at the level that makes the most sense.
Khan Academy came on the scene years ago and quickly made a name for themselves in the arena of free education. From helping teenagers study for the ACT to assisting adults in their navigation of personal finance, they are a sort of one-stop-shop for education. Their videos are known for being easy to understand and navigate, and their finance classes are no different. They offer courses in housing, personal investment, taxes, and more. Visit their website to learn about what they offer and what might best serve your needs.
Retirement is something that many don’t consider until it’s looming closer and sooner than anyone expects. Courses about how to navigate successful retirement are wise to consider and worth pursuing, especially when they are free. Purdue’s course is located on the Agriculture page of their website and includes ten modules which should help in successful retirement planning. Most retirees will claim they wish they would have planned earlier and more wisely than they did. Educating yourself puts you in a position to be ahead of the game when the time comes to think about retirement.
Questions about whether to rent or to buy, along with inquiries into investment dealings, can be answered in this course. Taught by two economics professors, “Money Skills” is a personal finance class that is perfect for those with no prior financial knowledge. Truly a beginner course, it’s for those who want to learn the basics about budgeting and making wise decisions about homeownership and investments.
This course also presupposes no previous financial knowledge and is convenient in its availability on iTunes. The format they chose makes it easy to navigate, portable and utilizes a platform that is familiar to most. This course ranks high in ease-of-use and covers goal setting, budgeting, credit, insurance, investing, annuities, and the time value of money. This latter section is one that is sometimes overlooked but is important in understanding the ins and outs of personal finance.
This list is a gathering of some of the best minds in the financial industry, making it fairly comprehensive in scope. However, there are a variety of other websites and entities that tout stellar financial knowledge in the personal finance arena that are also worth pursuing. Those looking to glean knowledge about finances and establish long-lasting financial stability can enroll in any of the above free courses or search out a different one similar in scope and reliability. Of all of the ways the young and old alike can plan for their future stability, it may be argued that moving personal finance to the top of the list is not only wise but necessary.