This course is part of the The Fundamentals of Personal Finance Specialization

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Brian Walsh

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Offered By

The Fundamentals of Personal Finance SpecializationSoFi

About this Course

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This course is designed for anyone who currently has, or will have in the future have, savings goals. Learners will come to understand the importance of compounding growth, the variables that impact setting goals like retirement savings, and how much money you need to save now to reach future goals. The course will help learners think through individual goals, like retirement, but also how those goals fit into your bigger financial picture. For example, saving for retirement, buying a home, and funding college for your kids all at the same time. The instructors will also cover how preparing for emergencies can prevent the derailment of those financial goals.
The concepts covered in this course are broad but through the activities offered, learners will see how to apply what they are learning about saving money for the future to their lives now. This course is geared towards learners in the United States of America.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Course 2 of 5 in the

The Fundamentals of Personal Finance Specialization

Beginner Level

This course is for anyone who is working towards, or planning to work towards, a savings goal (retirement, buying a home, college, etc.).

Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

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Skills you will gain

saving money
setting financial goals
paying for college
planning for retirement
retirement savings

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 2 of 5 in the

The Fundamentals of Personal Finance Specialization

Beginner Level

This course is for anyone who is working towards, or planning to work towards, a savings goal (retirement, buying a home, college, etc.).

Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Brian Walsh

Senior Manager, Financial Planner

12,836 Learners

3 Courses

Offered by

SoFi

SoFi’s mission is to help people reach financial independence to realize their ambitions. And financial independence doesn’t just mean being rich - it means getting to a point where your money works for the life you want to live. Everything we do is geared toward helping our members get their money right. We’re constantly innovating and building ways to give our members what they need to make that happen.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week

Week 1

2 hours to complete

Building Your Financial Foundation

2 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 36 min), 8 readings, 7 quizzes

9 videos

What Are Accumulation Goals?5m

5 Steps to Achieving Your Savings Goals6m

Investing to Achieve Your Goals4m

Saving vs Investing3m

Emergency Fund Basics3m

How Much is Enough for Your Emergency Fund?4m

How to Earn Interest on Your Emergency Fund3m

Building Your Emergency Fund3m

Using Your Emergency Fund2m

8 readings

Welcome to Saving Money for the Future3m

Savings Goals by Age5m

5 Types of Savings You Should Consider Having4m

7 Fun Ways to Save Money4m

How to Start an Emergency Fund (and Why You Should)5m

Activity - Calculate Your Target Emergency Fund10m

Should You Invest Your Emergency Fund?6m

6 Real Questions About Your Emergency Fund—Answered5m

7 practice exercises

Compounding Growth2m

Rule of 723m

Saving for Goals3m

Target Emergency Fund3m

Places for Emergency Fund2m

Saving for Emergencies3m

Building Your Financial Foundation30m

Week

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Funding Your Financial Freedom

3 hours to complete

15 videos (Total 87 min), 9 readings, 5 quizzes

15 videos

An Introduction to Retirement Planning4m

Key Considerations for Retirement4m

The Power of Investing for Retirement5m

How Social Security Works4m

How Pensions Work3m

Retirement Considerations by Life Stage7m

Understanding How Much You Need to Save for Retirement4m

Assessing If You Are On Track for Retirement6m

Catching Up If You Are Behind4m

Overcoming The Unique Challenges Physicians Face Saving for Retirement11m

Ways to Save for Retirement7m

Utilizing Traditional and Roth IRAs for Retirement5m

Utilizing Employer Retirement Plans for Retirement6m

Using an HSA for Retirement Savings4m

Choosing the Right Way to Save for Retirement5m

9 readings

Activity - Create Your Vision of Retirement10m

Typical Retirement Expenses to Prepare For8m

Top 5 Social Security Myths5m

When Will Social Security Run Out?6m

Explaining the 3-Legged Stool of Retirement

Activity - Calculate Your Retirement 10m

5 Ways to Rebuild Your Retirement Savings4m

Understanding the Different Types of Retirement Plans11m

Retirement Options For the Self-Employed7m

5 practice exercises

Key Retirement Variables4m

Social Security Basics4m

Saving for Retirement4m

Retirement Accounts5m

Quiz: Funding Your Financial Freedom30m

Week

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Saving for Other Milestones

2 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 30 min), 6 readings, 4 quizzes

4 videos

Homebuying Basics9m

How Much Home Can You Afford6m

Renting vs Buying a Home9m

Buying vs Leasing a Car5m

6 readings

Costs of Owning a Home4m

Home Buying Mistakes to Avoid5m

The Ultimate Home Inspection Checklist5m

How Much Should I Spend on a Car?5m

What Should Your Average Car Payment Be?6m

Importance of Time Horizons For Investing7m

4 practice exercises

Buying a Home5m

Rent vs. Buy2m

Time Horizon2m

Saving for Other Milestones30m

Week

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Funding Your Child's Education

2 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 44 min), 5 readings, 7 quizzes

7 videos

Is College Still Worth It?6m

Calculating the Return on Education4m

The True Cost of Education7m

Types of Financial Aid5m

Choosing the Right Way to Save for College6m

How 529 Plans Work7m

Choosing the Right 529 Plan6m

5 readings

Do the Benefits of College Still Outweigh the Costs10m

Trends in Higher Education Series10m

What Percentage of Parents Pay for College?4m

How to Start Saving for Your Child's College Tuition5m

Paying for College - A Parent's Guide8m

7 practice exercises

Components of College Savings3m

Return on Education1m

Cost of College2m

Paying for College2m

529 Plans3m

Saving for College2m

Funding Your Child's Education 30m

About the The Fundamentals of Personal Finance Specialization

This Specialization is intended for anyone looking to take control of their finances. Through these five courses, you will cover a variety of personal finance topics, including budgets, investing, and managing risk. The readings, videos, and activities will prepare you to understand the current state of your money, as well as take actions to work toward your financial goals. This specialization is geared towards learners in the United States of America.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Saving Money for the Future

About this Course

Skills you will gain