It’s tough being an adult. Holding a job, managing a household, navigating personal and professional relationships, raising kids, and handling day-to-day life in addition to planning for the future can be overwhelming. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a step by step instruction manual you could just follow? “Being an Adult 101” would be an instant best-seller. Sadly, there’s no all-encompassing book or class on how to manage all of these facets of adult life. However, there are resources available for educating people on one of the most important components of their adult life: personal finance. In fact, there are tons of great personal finance courses for people in many modalities. So many that it can be hard to know which one is the right one to take. Here are some considerations when choosing one:
What will be taught?
There are courses about all sorts of aspects of personal finance. Some are very general, and some more specific. An introductory course will introduce learners to the basic concepts, whereas a more advanced one might tackle higher-order skills, such as investing.
Giving consideration to personal learning goals, and understanding what will be taught in a course should make the selection process easier. Learners should choose a course that will teach the knowledge and skills they desire.
Who’s teaching it?
Doing a bit of research on the instructor teaching a class can be helpful in determining if the class is going to be a good fit.
Skim the instructor’s published works to get a sense of their philosophy around personal finance.
Look for online reviews from others who have taken the course to get an idea of an instructor’s approach to teaching.
Knowing a bit about these two factors can greatly inform one about how the class is going to go.
How much does it cost?
Finally, learners should give some thought to what (if anything) they are willing to pay for a course. The cost of a course is not necessarily an indication of the quality.
For those just dipping their toes in the personal finance waters, there are numerous quality courses that you can get completely free!.
Those looking for advanced-level courses should not be surprised by a higher price tag. While refunds are often available if the course turns out to be the wrong fit, prospective students should understand all the terms prior to paying the course fee.
This blog/website is only made available for educational purposes. It is designed to give visitors general information and a general understanding of select financial topics. It is not intended to provide specific financial or investment advice. Conduct your own due diligence or consult a licensed financial advisor/broker before making any and all financial/investment decisions