University of Illinois
offers FREE online course on certified financial
planning
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[November 18, 2015]
URBANA
- A free, online financial planning course is now open for registration.
The course provides an introduction to financial planning, including the
benefits of a career in the field.
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Financial Planning for Young Adults is being offered by Certified
Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. and the University of
Illinois. The Massive Open Online Course or MOOC provides an
introduction to basic financial planning concepts. It is open to the
general public through Coursera, an education platform that partners
with universities and organizations worldwide to offer courses free
of charge.
For more information about the course and to register, visit
https://www.coursera.org/course/ personalfinance.
“This course is for people to learn more about how financial
planning can impact their lives in a positive way. It is also for
people who are interested in the field of financial planning and
maybe even thinking about becoming a CFP professional,” said
University of Illinois associate professor of agricultural economics
Nicholas Paulson.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Nov/18/images/ads/current/Dennis_Stoll_daily_sda_021114.png)
Within each module, students will view a combination of traditional
lecture-style videos, along with video vignettes that introduce
financial topics for discussion among the course participants. Each
of the videos introduces a real-world scenario where financial
decisions must be made and financial planning concepts can be
applied.
Although the videos were produced with young adults in mind, Paulson
believes they will engage students of any age. The videos will help
all students in the course think critically and decide how they
would resolve the financial situation presented.
The course is divided into seven separate modules, which are each
intended to be completed in approximately one week:
1) Setting Financial Goals and Assessing Your Situation
2) Saving Strategies
3) Long-term Savings and Investment
4) Budgeting and Cash Flow Management
5) Risk Management
6) Borrowing and Credit
7) Financial Planning as a Career
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Paulson is a co-developer and instructor of the course, along with Dr. Charles
R. Chaffin, CFP Board’s Director of Academic Programs and Initiatives, and
University of Illinois Extension consumer economics educator Kathy Sweedler. The
course also includes information about career opportunities in financial
planning with advice from CFP professionals across the country.
“Both the University of Illinois faculty and those working in the profession as
CFP professionals believe that this course will be a wonderful introduction to a
career, as well as a great way for people to learn more about financial
planning,” Chaffin said. He stressed that the course is not intended to be a
replacement for any portion of the education requirements for CFP certification.
The University of Illinois has worked with CFP Board in the past and offers a
bachelor’s degree in financial planning. Students study finance and economics as
they apply to individuals, households, and small businesses in the course of
accumulating and using financial resources. All students who graduate with a
degree in financial planning from the University of Illinois Department of
Agricultural and Consumer Economics are eligible to sit for the CFP
certification exam.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2015/Nov/18/images/ads/current/farmers_bank_sda_prom_050614.png)
“Because financial planning is such a personal topic, students will be
encouraged to define their own financial goals and objectives while we discuss
concepts and provide tools that they can apply to reach those goals,” Sweedler
said.
For more about the CFP Board, visit
http://www.cfp.net.
[Debra Levey Larson, M.A., News &
Public Affairs, University of Illinois College of ACES] |