Courses

Economics for Financial Advisors OverviewUnderstanding the mechanics and drivers of global economies and being able to develop and express a clear and well-thought-out opinion is an essential part of being a knowledgeable financial advisor.Economics for Financial Advisors Learning ObjectivesUpon completing this course, you will be able to:Describe the fundamental drivers of consumer decision-making and how these decisions impact an economyExplain what GDP is and how changes to it are driven by static effects and shock that ultimately drive business cyclesIdentify the key stages of a business cycle and explain what key economic leading and lagging indicators would help predict or confirm what stage an economy is inDifferentiate the role of fiscal versus monetary policy and what institution is responsible for each Interpret what impact interest rate fluctuations – up and down – have on inflation and the economyWho Should Take This Course?This course is for anyone interested in becoming a financial planning or wealth management professional. This course is designed as a primer that introduces all of the foundational economic concepts an Advisor needs to understand.

Understanding Your Financial Life What you'll learn: Master Personal Financial Well BeingUnderstand Personal BudgetingUnderstand Debt ManagementUnderstand Personal Income TaxesUnderstand Retirement PlanningUnderstanding Determining WealthUnderstand Basic & Advanced InvestingUnderstand InsuranceUnderstand Estate Planning Money is important. Money sets limits on your dreams, hinders or magnifies your happiness, and dictates the quality of your life. And yet... They taught you next to NOTHING about how to manage it in school! The result has been a generation who has mismanaged budgets, racked up debts, defaulted on mortgages, lost investments, and failed to keep retirement plans. While a small proportion of the country has figured out how to make money work for them, most of us are part of the shrinking middle class who are losing out. That's where Personal Financial Well Being comes in. University Instructor and former Silicon Valley Chief Financial Officer Richard Okumoto has developed this course for the Dot University to narrow the Wealth GAP and demystify personal money management. The course applies two core techniques which Accelerates Time-to-Knowledge. Starting with a landscape view then introducing primary building blocks provides an accelerated path to connect-the-dots on how money works: How do you manage your money? How do you manage debt? How do you determine your financial wealth? How do you pay your fair share of taxes, and nothing more? How do you prepare for retirement? How should you invest your money? How do you prepare your estate for when you pass on? Personal Financial Well Being means having the answers to all of these questions and knowing how they interlock and work together. The course is built on the following (3) CORE Building Blocks (GAP Approach): 1. Generating Positive Cash Flow – “Understanding your money to keep more of it!” Tools and techniques to understand your money. This includes: Personal Budgeting, Debt Management, Personal Income Taxes, and Retirement Planning (Part 1). 2. Accumulating Wealth – “Understanding Wealth; how to create it and how to hold onto it!” Tools and techniques to understand wealth creation and retention. This includes: Determining Wealth, Investing (part 1 & 2), and Retirement Planning (Part 2). 3. Protecting What you Have – “How to conquer Financial Risk!” Tools and techniques to understand asset protection. This includes: Insurance (part 1 & 2) and Estate Planning. Who might benefit from this Course – Anyone who wants to remove fear from finances and master their Personal Financial Well Being.

Explore the potential of AI as a supportive advisor and its impact on education in this 20-minute talk by Ulf Hermjakob, a computer scientist at USC Information Sciences Institute. Discover how developing empathy for AI could be beneficial in certain scenarios and gain insights into the unexpected spread of AI across various fields. Learn about Hermjakob's experiences as a teacher, including AI's influence on student learning and his vision for improved AI education. Examine the speaker's journey in AI research, including a moment of self-correction, and understand how his work aims to enhance human understanding and increase access to online information.

Personal and Family Financial Planning will address many critical personal financial management topics in order to help you learn prudent habits both while in school and throughout your lifetime.

In today’s data-driven financial landscape, effective advisors and investors go beyond analysis—they transform data into stories that inspire action. This course introduces practical techniques to translate complex financial insights into clear, engaging narratives that strengthen client communication and decision-making. You’ll learn how to structure financial stories, design impactful data visualizations, and use tools like Python and Sankey diagrams to present insights with clarity and influence. Designed for financial advisors, investment mentors, quantitative analysts, and individual investors, the course is ideal for professionals who want to complement financial analysis with persuasive storytelling. Learners should have a basic understanding of investment principles, data analysis, and visualization, with some experience using Python and generative AI tools. By the end, you’ll be equipped to craft compelling, data-driven financial stories that engage clients, differentiate your services, and drive better investment outcomes.

Discover the basic concepts of financial planning and financial wellbeing Most of us will interact with a form of financial service many times during our lives, whether for budgeting, borrowing, saving, or one of many other services. On this four-week course from the Chartered Insurance Institute, you’ll learn about the various financial concepts and explore financial planning throughout the various stages of life. Learn how to plan for different life stages and the financial protection available It is very important that financial planners and advisers understand the different financial needs at each life stage so that they can shape their services to each person’s circumstances. You’ll examine the potential life stages that people go through and the different financial products and objectives that might be used in each stage. You’ll also explore the various types of financial protection available and how they work. Develop effective strategies for investing and saving for the future The ability to help people save and invest is a crucial function of the financial services industry and allows people to plan for their futures. This course will guide you through the key differences between savings and investments, how different products and assets work, the risks involved with each, and how a financial adviser can help. Explore estate planning, retirement planning, and pension advice A pension is a financial product designed to help people save for their retirement. Pension planning can, and arguably should, start as soon as someone can afford it. During the final week of this course, you’ll learn about estate planning and retirement planning, from income strategies and tax planning to pension options and the challenges of retirement planning. You’ll also discover how financial advice plays into each of these areas. This course is designed for anyone starting out, or aspiring to work, in the financial planning sector. It is also useful for anyone looking to better understand how to manage their financial planning, whether in respect of protecting their financial future or in providing for it.

Introduction to Personal Financial Planning is made possible by the Brian and Sheila Jellison Family Foundation. The Introduction to Personal Financial Planning course is designed for individuals to build financial literacy, one of the most pressing needs Americans face today. Financial decisions made by individuals impact the larger community in significant ways with pervasive cost due to financial mistakes. A recent study by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) reveals over 50% of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement. In addition, over 50% of Americans have no emergency fund, unable to cope with an unexpected car repair without borrowing funds. Financial literacy is an urgent need for many. In this course, you’ll gain the basic building blocks of financial literacy to build a secure foundation for your future. This fast-paced course prepares you to: Build a financial plan through a step-by-step approach designed to meet your personal financial objectives Understand financial planning essentials including income statements, balance sheets, and budgets Recognize how planning and timing impact your personal wealth over a lifetime Go deeper into your understanding of taxes and how tax decisions impact your wealth Identify obstacles to sound financial decisions, including common cognitive errors and confirmation biases Discover valuable resources including personal financial planners Explore the scope and purpose of personal finance and its role in the broader spectrum of financial knowledge Appreciate how positive reinforcement and research-based evidence impact your financial goals Build your money management skills through course videos, selected short readings, and self-paced activities. You’ll gain practical skills, understand the core concepts of financial planning, and achieve a broader understanding of how personal financial planning contributes to a successful and fulfilling life. Improve your financial situation, net worth, and retirement plan by registering for the Personal Finance Program.

Build Your Own Robo-Advisor Overview Robo-advisors have become more prominent in the financial services industry and may be quite attractive due to their lower management fees. In this course, we’ll start by guiding you through creating a simple robo-advisor on Excel. Once we finish this, we’ll move onto a more complex version to show you a general idea of how robo-advisors work in the real world.Build Your Own Robo-Advisor Learning ObjectivesExplain different qualitative and quantitative questions a robo-advisor may ask. Build your own robo-advisor model on ExcelUse data validation and functions such as VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP on Excel Recommended Prerequisite CoursesThis preparatory course is optional, but we recommend you complete the stated prep course(s) or possess the equivalent knowledge prior to enrolling in this course: Excel Fundamentals – Formulas for FinanceWho should take this practice lab? Anyone who has an interest in wealth management or WealthTech.

Explore the concept of financial independence in this 15-minute TEDx talk by Stoyne Vasilev, an independent financial advisor and investor. Discover why financial independence may not be suitable for everyone and gain insights into achieving it. Learn from Vasilev's extensive experience as the creator of SmartMoney.bg, Chairman of the Bulgarian Association of Personal Financial Advisors, and author of the best-selling book "Smart Money." Gain valuable knowledge on money management, investment strategies, and sustainable business development from a professional with over 18 years of experience in Bulgarian and international financial companies.

This course delves into the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in financial planning, offering a comprehensive understanding of how AI tools and technologies are transforming the industry. Through three detailed modules, learners will explore the integration of AI in financial planning, innovative AI tools, and the ethical considerations involved. Designed for financial professionals, advisors, and anyone interested in leveraging AI to enhance financial planning and advisory services, this course equips learners with the knowledge and skills to effectively and ethically incorporate AI into their financial planning practices. Featuring Experts: Mark Friedenthal: Founder and CEO of Tolerisk Dr. Matt Goren: Financial Educator and Consultant Tyrone Ross Jr.: CEO and Co-Founder of Turnqey Labs Charles Clark: Founder of Sales Pistons LLC Mikel Van Cleve: CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional Rick Williamson: Director of Brand Experience at Redtail/Orion Advisor Technology Kellan Brown: COO / CDO at 100 Women in Finance Johnny Poulsen: CEO and Co-Founder of Income Lab Dr. Julie Ragatz: Vice President of Financial Planning and Advisor Growth at Carson Group This course is a non-credit course that is part of the College of ACES suite of online programs. Learn more about online programs and explore ways to work toward a degree program at College of ACES Online Programs at acesonline.illinois.edu.

Learn how to construct personal financial statements and budgets from a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) What you'll learn: How to read personal financial statementsHow to create a personal balance sheetHow to create a personal income statementList and understand how to use personal bookkeeping toolsHow to create a personal budget This course will focus on personal financial statements, a fundamental tool for personal financial planning.We will include many example problems, both in the format of presentations and Excel worksheet problems. The Excel worksheet presentations will include a downloadable Excel workbook with at least two tabs, one with the answer, the second with a preformatted worksheet that can be completed in a step-by-step process along with the instructional videos.Financial statements are the core tool we used to measure our current financial position as well as our past performance. The balance sheet and income statement are our major financial statements.The balance sheet shows us where we stand as of a point in time. The income statement looks back for a period of time, usually a month or year, to measure performance, discerning how we got to this current position represented by the balance sheet.Personal financial statements are similar to business financial statements but are less standardized. Personal financial statements are less standardized in part because there are fewer formal regulations restricting them and because our financial goals are different.The primary financial goal for a business is revenue generation. However, our personal financial goals will include, but not be limited to, revenue generation, the revenue being a means to an end rather than an end in and of itself.Learners will know how to construct financial statements and how the balance sheet and income statement are related.Once we have our financial statements, which map out past performance and our current position, we can use them as a basis to look forward, creating a budget.Learners well know how to construct a personal financial budget. We will also discuss common personal ratios used to measure performance.

Learn to use the financial planning tool and how it compares, and or, complements other accounting and finance tools What you'll learn: What the Personal Capital Software is and how it can be usedHow Personal Capital Software compares to other accounting and financial management softwareHow to access and set up the free softwareHow to use financial data to create an income statementThe benefits of having net worth or balance sheet data in one locationHow to access and use investment tools and analysisHow to use the financial planning tools like a retirement plannerHow to use a home appraisal toolHow to add non financial institution assets and liabilities to make the net worth or balance sheet more complete Personal Capital is currently a free software that can connect to financial institutions, pulling in financial asset and liability balances, as well as transaction detail, into one location.The strong areas of benefit of using Personal Capital software are its ability to provide net worth or balance sheet information, investment management information, and planning tools such as retirement planning and other large planning goals.The Personal Capital software also downloads transaction detail and allows for the categorization or assigning of accounts and tags that can then be used to generate an income statement. It also has budgeting tools to help with shorter-term cash flow management.This course will discuss how to set up the Personal Capital software and link to accounts. We will also discuss some reasons why the software may be offered for free and look over Personal Capital data security.We will compare the Personal Capital software to other types of software that can connect directly to financial institutions and pull financial information, such software generally falling into the category of accounting software that uses the double-entry accounting system or financial management software.Accounting software using the double-entry accounting system includes packages such as QuickBooks, Xero, & Wave accounting. Although accounting software utilizes financial institution connectivity it generally does so differently than Personal Capital software, which falls into the financial management category. We will discuss the differences in software.Other financial management and budgeting software include Quicken, Mint, and Microsoft Excel, Excel actually having a template called Money in Excel that has financial institution connectivity.Learners will practice converting financial data into an income statement by downloading transactions from financial institutions, categorizing them, and then exporting them into Excel for sorting. We will compare the process with what would be done using accounting software like QuickBooks.The course will discuss the benefits of the personal net worth or balance sheet functionality of Personal Capital software, the software pulling in assets and liability balances automatically for items such as bank accounts, investment accounts like 401(K), savings accounts, CD accounts, credit card balances, mortgage balances, and loan balances.We will also discuss the benefit of the software providing more detail on our investment holdings and providing insights and suggestions to improve returns and reduce risk. The ability to pull investments into one place allows a more rounded analysis of the data than you may get from one brokerage account analyzed in isolation.Learners will be able to use the projection planner to help plan for retirement and other large investment items. The Personal Capital software utilizes sophisticated analytical tools including a Monte Carlo Simulation tool.We will also explore the home appraisal tool offered by the software and we will practice adding non-financial institution assets and liabilities, making our net worth or balance sheet completer and more accurate.

How to secure your financial future the fun & easy way! Personal Finance: Financial Security Thinking & Principles What you'll learn: How your mind keeps you from having better control over your financesThe time-tested wealth principles that the financially successful useHow to reduce spending without reducing funHow to increase your value and increase your incomeAction plan to change your financial life for good! Welcome to ourPersonal Finance: Financial Security Thinking and Principles! Managing your finances is one of the most important things you can do in your life.It is the difference between living a life your handed or living the life you choose! In this course you will learn how to control your money, rather than letting it control you! You Will Learn: Why we have a problem with our perspective on moneyand how you can change itHow to maximize your time so that your money is working for youThe 10 money paradigms; which one you are and which one you wantThe 7 principles of financial security and how to apply them to your lifeHow to find additional revenue streamsHow to read a financial statementAn effective action plan &more!Your instructor for this course is Alex Kouramanis, a full time Real Estate Investor who graduated withdistinction in the honoursdouble majorCognitive Science and Philosophy program.When Alex was in University, he managed to come out of his degree with over $20,000 in savings, while his peers were in over $30,000 of student debt. He did this by learning how our mind engages with the worldand learning what the financially successful do differently.Through applying his knowledge of cognition and analytical philosophy, Alex has learned thefinancial tools and strategies to apply tohis spending and saving behaviour. Now as an accomplished full timeReal Estate Investor and OnlineEducator, Alex has prepared thisin-depth course to pass on his experience to you. Enrol today to learn how to take control of your financial future!

Explore the landscape of green financial options in this 1-hour 12-minute panel discussion from Aspen Ideas: Climate in Miami Beach, Florida. Discover sustainable banking, 401K providers, and investment platforms as experts Trenton Allen, James Regulinski, Lauren Dubé, Franz Hochstrasser, and Amy Cortese guide you through steps to make your financial footprint more environmentally friendly. Learn about the latest developments in sustainable finance and gain practical insights to align your investments with your environmental values. Part of the second annual Aspen Ideas: Climate event, co-organized by the Aspen Institute and the City of Miami Beach, this session offers valuable knowledge for individuals seeking to make a positive impact through their financial decisions.

Improve your financial wellness by learning how to create a healthy, stable, and flexible relationship with money, including a four-step model for managing your personal cash flow.

Unlocking Financial Freedom: Master the Art of Money Management & Investment Strategies. What you'll learn: Creating Personal "Financial Snapshot"Creating "Emergency Fund" for the futureDebt ManagementLoan Management"Credit Score" Tips"Credit Cards" Tips"Loyalty Programs" TipsFreelance Work & Side IncomeImportance of Insurance in your lifeProper Retirement PlanSaving for children's education expensesCovid Effects on Global EconomyInflationInterest RatesExchange RatesCredit RatingsFuture Predictions about Financial MarketsSavings AccountsT-Bills and Bonds as an investment toolGold & Silver as an investment toolStock MarketsETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) as an investment toolFX (Foreign Exchange) as an investment toolReal Estate and REITs (Real Estate Investment Trust)Creating a proper Investment Portfolio Personal Finance & Financial Literacy Unlock Financial Freedom: Master the Art of Money Management and Investment Strategy Are you ready to take control of your financial future? Dive into the comprehensive world of "Personal Finance & Financial Literacy" and equip yourself with the essential tools to navigate the complex landscape of finance.This course is carefully designed to empower you with step-by-step guidance on managing debts, loans, savings, and investing, transforming you into a confident financial decision-maker. Course Highlights:Smart Money Management: Discover the art of efficiently managing your debts and loans, and gain insights into crafting a solid financial foundation.Spending Strategies: Uncover daily life spending tips that will help you make the most of your hard-earned money.Economic Indicators: Decode economic indicators such as inflation, interest rates, exchange rates, and credit ratings, enabling you to interpret economic news and make informed investment choices.Mastering Investment Tools: Explore a comprehensive range of investment options, from fixed income tools to riskier assets like ETFs and the stock market. Develop a deep understanding of each tool's potential and risks.Crafting Your Portfolio: Create your portfolio tailored to your unique risk appetite and personality. Once you've gained a comprehensive understanding of 8 distinct investment instruments including stocks, ETFs, Forex (Foreign Exchange), Gold & Silver, creating your portfolio will become both more professional and effortless. Learn the crucial percentages and strategies for a resilient and dynamic investment portfolio. Upon completing this course,You'll be equipped with the knowledge and skills to shape your financial future with confidence.Our comprehensive curriculum ensures you understand the complexity of personal finance, investment strategies, and economic trends.Whether you're a beginner or have some financial knowledge, this course is designed to elevate your and empower you to make well-informed decisions.Are you ready to embark on a transformative journey towards financial empowerment? Enroll in "Personal Finance & Financial Literacy" today and take your first step towards securing a brighter financial future. Your financial success story starts now…

Explore a 25-minute conference talk from BSides Cleveland 2021 featuring Rick Yocum, an advisor person. Gain insights into cybersecurity topics and industry trends as presented at this renowned security conference. Delve into the expertise shared by Yocum, potentially covering areas such as threat intelligence, risk management, or emerging security challenges. Learn from this valuable contribution to the BSides Cleveland event, which brings together security professionals, researchers, and enthusiasts to discuss cutting-edge security issues and solutions.

Understand SAP S/4HANA FICO GL in 3 Hours What you'll learn: General Ledger Accounting Fundamentals: Students will gain in-depth understanding of the basic principles and concepts of general ledger accounting.SAP S/4HANA System Operations: Students will learn how to perform critical tasks in general ledger accounting within the SAP S/4HANA environmentPractical Application and Demonstrations: The course combines theoretical explanations with practical SAP S/4HANA demonstrationsBest Practices and Tips: The instructor will share valuable tips and best practices to help students enhance their work efficiency and accuracy in SAP S/4HANAApplication to Real-World Scenarios: Through this course, students will be prepared to apply their acquired knowledge to real-world scenarios Welcome to the comprehensive online course on SAP S/4HANA's General Ledger Accounting in the FICO module! This course is designed to provide you with in-depth knowledge and practical skills to effectively manage general ledger processes using the SAP S/4HANA FICO Module.In this 2-hour and 53-minute video course, you will embark on a journey that simplifies complex concepts and empowers you to navigate the General Ledger functionality with ease. The course instructor, an experienced SAP consultant with a wealth of industry expertise, will guide you through the course material in a clear and concise manner.Throughout the course, you will gain a solid understanding of the fundamental principles of General Ledger Accounting, including the creation and posting of journal entries, ledger master data maintenance, and the reconciliation of accounts. You will learn how to perform essential tasks such as document posting, document splitting, profit center accounting, foreign currency valuation and month end closing, all within the SAP S/4HANA FICO environment.The course follows a carefully structured approach, starting with a comprehensive introduction to the General Ledger module and gradually progressing towards more advanced topics. Each section of the course combines theoretical explanations with practical demonstrations, allowing you to observe the concepts in action within the SAP S/4HANA FICO module. Additionally, the instructor will share valuable tips and tricks, highlighting best practices and efficiency-enhancing techniques.This course is ideal for finance professionals, accountants, and individuals working in the financial accounting field who are seeking to deepen their understanding of SAP S/4HANA FICO General Ledger Accounting. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced SAP user, this course will equip you with the necessary skills to confidently manage general ledger processes and contribute to the success of your organization.By the end of the course, you will have acquired a solid foundation in SAP S/4HANA's FICO General Ledger Accounting and be well-prepared to apply your knowledge in real-world scenarios. Additionally, the course materials and video content will serve as valuable references for future use, allowing you to quickly access the information you need whenever necessary.Enroll now and unlock the power of SAP S/4HANA's FICO General Ledger Accounting to streamline financial processes, ensure accurate reporting, and drive business success. Gain the skills you need to excel in your career and make a lasting impact within your organization. **Disclaimer**SAP and SAP S/4HANA is a registered trademark of SAP AG in Germany and many other countries. I am not affiliated with SAP.SAP, Fiori and SAP GUI are proprietary SAP software. Neither Udemy nor I are authorized to provide SAP Access.

Follow along with a comprehensive tutorial video that demonstrates how to build an AI-powered financial advisor using Java and Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) with Spring AI. Master essential concepts including token management, context windows, and vector databases while constructing a practical application that analyzes financial documents. Explore the fundamentals of RAG implementation, understand its limitations and importance, and learn to work with technologies like Spring Boot 3.3.4, PG Vector, Docker, and the OpenAI API. Progress through hands-on demonstrations covering document ingestion, vector database setup, REST controller creation, and thorough testing of the RAG implementation. Gain valuable insights into best practices for API usage, cost management, and error handling, all while building a complete RAG application from scratch using Java 23. Access accompanying resources including a GitHub repository, Spring Initializer setup, and comprehensive Spring AI documentation to support the learning process.

Learn about financial services, financial institutions, and how to create a personal bank reconciliation from a CPA What you'll learn: How to apply money management strategiesHow to apply tax management strategiesExplain the difference between marginal tax rate and average tax rate and how to use the proper rate when planningDescribe the difference between tax deductions and tax credits and how to use this information when doing tax planningList the different tax filing statuses and their impact on the tax calculationExplain the different tax preparation options and the pros and cons related to themList common financial services needed by individualsList financial institutions and the services they provideDescribe what a bank reconciliation isComplete a personal bank reconciliation This course will focus on the importance of performing the bank reconciliation process and how to complete a bank reconciliation.We will include many example problems, both in the format of presentations and Excel worksheet problems. The Excel worksheet presentations will include a downloadable Excel workbook with at least two tabs, one with the answer, the second with a preformatted worksheet that can be completed in a step-by-step process along with the instructional videos.Cash management is a critical component to financial planning and taxes are a material part of cash management.Learners will understand basic money management strategies and tax planning strategies. We will discuss the difference between a marginal tax rate and an average tax rate and how to use the appropriate tax rate when making financial plansThe course will also cover the differences between a tax deduction and a tax credit, an important distinction when doing tax planning.Learners will know the different tax preparation options and understand which options may be best under different financial circumstances.We will also be able to list and explain different financial services and the financial institutions that provide them, allowing us to make good decisions about which financial services to use and which financial institutions to work with.The course will discuss the importance of reconciling the bank account, the bank reconciliation process being a big internal control over cash.The purpose of the bank reconciliation is not just to make sure our ending cash balance is correct, but also to check that we have recorded the activity correctly.Cash is the lifeblood of a business and of our financial activities. When thinking in terms of the double entry accounting system, cash will impact every financial cycle, meaning it will impact our revenue generation, our purchases, and our expenses, whether personal our business.Therefore, the surer we are about the correctness of our cash transactions the surer we are about the correctness of our revenue, purchases, and expenses.The bank reconciliation process will match our bookkeeping related to cash to the banks bookkeeping related to cash, giving us an external verification that the activity recorded is correct.