If you want to learn how to make smart investing decisions, save more and eliminate debt, you’re in luck. Today, there are plenty of online personal finance courses offering money-management lessons.
Take the 3rd Decade education program from the TCI Foundation, which is currently in the development stages of transitioning from an in-person to an online course. The Tucson, Arizona-based nonprofit offers millennials looking to brush up on their financial skills the chance to enroll in free financial literacy courses. Participants receive a $1,000 contribution for their Roth IRA account after passing an exam and signing up for two years of free financial advice with a fee-only financial advisor.
While most personal finance classes typically require a fee, fortunately they generally offer a high return on investment if you apply the information you learn to improve your finances. For this reason, you may want to consider learning more about topics such as Roth IRAs, 401(k)s, stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit and strategies for eliminating credit card debt in an enriching online course.
If you’re looking for a class to help you better manage your money, check out these online personal finance courses.
Ramsey Solutions’ Financial Peace University
Cost: $129
Why it’s worth considering: If you’re an admirer of Dave Ramsey, you may be interested in signing up for his affiliated educational course. Ramsey, the nationally syndicated radio talk show host of “The Dave Ramsey Show,” author and all-around money guru, has financial counselors around the country teaching money-management classes through Financial Peace University. However, this nine-class course, which covers topics such as getting out of debt and building wealth, is also available online in 45- to 60-minute courses. What’s more, the $129 fee also includes access to EveryDollar Plus, Ramsey’s budgeting app that helps track expenses, which costs $99 separately.
Suze Orman’s Personal Finance Online Course
Cost: $54
Why it’s worth considering: Suze Orman, another renowned financial expert, offers a personal finance course that includes seven downloadable lessons, covering topics like paying off debt, the best types of life insurance products to buy and smart vehicles to invest in for retirement. While some critics suggest that Orman’s advice is too generalized and unrealistic if you’re struggling to get from paycheck to paycheck, if you’re looking to learn the fundamentals of managing your finances, you may benefit from the course. Best of all, the class comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Brigham Young University’s Personal Finance Course
Cost: Free
Why it’s worth considering: There’s a wealth of information available in Brigham Young University’s free online personal finance class, which offers beginner-, intermediate- and advanced-level courses. Users can access the coursework for free, and learn with videos and money-management assignments. The class offers a do-it-yourself approach, and covers topics such as tips for achieving financial independence, saving strategies, what to know before buying a house or car and tips for setting and achieving long-term financial goals.
Udemy.com’s Personal Finance Courses
Cost: Varies by class
Why it’s worth considering: Udemy.com, a popular online learning platform, features numerous personal finance classes. For instance, there’s “The Complete Personal Finance Course: Save, Protect, Make More,” taught by Chris Haroun, a venture capitalist and author. The class includes 121 lectures, covering topics like understanding your credit score, the best ways to file taxes and how to create the perfect budget, that span 16 hours. The course is currently priced at $10.99.
Purdue University’s Planning for a Secure Retirement Course
Cost: Free
Why it’s worth considering: This course has 10 modules, all with lessons designed to teach you how to have a successful retirement. Like the BYU course, it’s self-guided, and you can get educated on topics such as understanding your risk tolerance when saving for retirement and navigating simplified employee pensions. While the course offers a wealth of information, it’s best-suited for those interested in learning how to achieve a financially stable retirement.
The Investing for Your Future Course From Rutgers University
Cost: Free
Why it’s worth considering: If you’re interested in learning about investing, this class, which was developed by Rutgers University in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Financial Security for All community of eXtension and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, is a good place to start. Like other online personal finance courses offered by colleges, this class is self-guided. Plus, it’s updated annually. You can learn about investing in mutual funds, why tax-deferred investments might be a good idea, how to set aside money to invest and tips for selecting a financial advisor, among other topics.
Duke University’s Behavioral Finance Course
Cost: Free without certification
Why it’s worth considering: Coursera.org, a platform offering classes taught by university professors around the world, includes a three-week Behavioral Finance class from Duke University. In the class, you’ll learn how biases impact how much you spend money on food, how to tip and how much to allocate for insurance, along with tips for saving for retirement in a course taught by a university professor. You can also pay for courses (priced at around $49) for greater interaction with the course professors, graded assignments and certificates for completing the work. Alternatively, you can peruse the lectures and non-graded material for free. Check out the Coursera.org website and plug in “personal finance” in the search bar to discover more classes like Duke’s Behavioral Finance course.
