Finance   

This course will introduce different strategies employed during the budgeting process, the techniques and tools commonly used to make budgeting forecasts, the components of a basic operating budget, and how businesses make certain decisions that may impact their budgeted amounts.

If the idea of creating a budget for your business, department, or project seems overwhelming, this course will alleviate all of those fears. Taught in an approachable and relatable format, this course walks you through the budgeting process so you can go from numbers averse to budgeting super-hero. The downloadable templates included in the course allow you to easily and quickly take what you learn and apply it to your job. The storytelling used throughout the course makes the topic more approachable and engaging so you can obtain the soft skills that will help you be successful implementing and tracking a budget in the real world. Finally, the course challenge is something that will pique your curiosity at the beginning of the course and provide motivation to complete the course and continue learning the material.

A company's budgeting process involves a lot more than just rows and columns of numbers on a spreadsheet. The reality is that budgeting is a sometimes organic and sometimes organized process. Most often, it's an equal mix of both in an attempt to add some level of certainty to an uncertain future. These processes are what we are going to explore in this course. You will be introduced to different strategies employed during the budgeting process, the techniques and tools that are commonly used to make budgeting forecasts, the components of a basic operating budget, and how businesses make certain decisions that may impact their budgeted amounts.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Predicting the Future

In this lesson, you'll explore how budgeting at its core is a process of looking forward. It's about making informed predictions about the future. Next, you'll see how a company's vision can lead to setting goals for the company. These visions are often aspirational and state the path for where the company plans to go in the future. Then, we'll also start the conversation about the human side of budgeting.

Budget Strategies

In this lesson, you'll begin to look at various budgeting strategies, including strategic, capital, and operations budgeting techniques. This lesson will include some real-life examples of planning activities, but to further bring these concepts to life, we'll also highlight a fictional company, Curly's Pool Service and Supplies. You'll finish the lesson by helping Curly formulate some plans and budgets!

It's All About Sales!

This lesson will focus all on sales, specifically the role that sales play in the budgeting process. We'll examine the best practices for compiling a sales forecast and how to increase the chances that the sales forecast will actually mimic real life. We'll also discover how to create an inventory needs budget to determine just how much inventory to purchase based on a sales forecast. Finally, we'll discuss how to formulate a labor requirements budget to accurately project just how much labor you may need to employ to meet the needs of the company, again based on the sales forecast.

Cost Behavior – Part 1

In this lesson, you are going to detour a bit from the actual preparation of a budget and dive into how certain types of costs behave. Understanding how costs increase or decrease relative to an activity is an essential part of learning how to accurately budget for costs in a business. So, in the upcoming chapters, you're going to discover how to distinguish between variable, fixed, and mixed costs. We will use these cost types to calculate the contribution margin for the business. Then, we will show you how to use contribution margin to make certain predictions and decisions in a business. Most notably, you'll see how to use contribution margin to calculate the all-important break-even point and margin of safety for a business.

Cost Behavior – Part 2

This lesson will be a continuation of our discussion about cost behavior. In this lesson, you're going to explore how to evaluate a company's sales mix and how to calculate operating leverage using tools given throughout the course. Operating leverage is just another key component of cost analysis that will allow you to, once again, easily make projections about the future. We'll end the lesson with a discussion about how companies set prices for the products and services they offer. You can probably guess that this process is a bit more involved than just selecting a price out of thin air. It's actually an essential part of a company's overall budgeting process and should not be taken lightly.

Expense and Manufacturing Production Budgets

In this lesson, we'll examine the steps needed to build both a direct materials budget and a direct labor budget. We'll also examine how a manufacturing company budgets for manufacturing overhead. All of these components are key to developing an overall production budget for a business that manufactures a product. Finally, we will end this lesson by describing the components of a production budget.

Cash Is King!

In this lesson, you'll learn how to prepare a complete cash budget for a business. You'll get the chance to take an even closer look at how a company might forecast cash collections from credit sales and cash payments on credit purchases for big-ticket items like inventory or other expensive capital projects. We'll even take a look at how some companies mitigate the risk of running out of cash by utilizing lines of credit and other sources of cash instead of just relying on cash generated from sales.

Capital Budgeting

In this lesson, you'll learn some of the basic methodologies that can be applied in many different capital budgeting scenarios. We'll begin with an explanation of a technique that does not include an evaluation of how time impacts the valuation of money. Then, you'll learn how the passage of time and its impact on the value of a dollar is incorporated into capital budgeting decisions. Since capital projects often span years, or even decades in some cases, the time value of money is key to improving accuracy in budgeting for capital projects. The lesson will finish up with a thorough review of, perhaps, the most common technique that is used in capital budgeting decisions: net present value.

Business Decision-Making – Part 1

In this lesson and the one that follows, we're going to explore how businesses use budgeted data in combination with a formalized decision-making process to improve their chances of making better decisions. For a business, a better decision is one that maximizes profit and aligns with the company's goals and values. We'll start with an examination of what types of budgeted information are relevant to making a decision and what types of information you can ignore. You'll see the differences between quantitative and qualitative information and how each can be used to improve decision-making. Then we'll finish up with an example including some specific steps you can use as a model for making better decisions.

Business Decision-Making – Part 2

In this lesson, you'll continue to practice with these same techniques by applying them to a few other common business decisions. You'll start by examining how a business uses budgeted information to make the choice to replace an existing asset with a new asset, such as replacing an old piece of manufacturing equipment with a brand-new one. Next, you'll explore how a business might use budgeted information when deciding whether to eliminate a product or service that it offers. We'll finish up the lesson by examining one of the most critical business decisions you'll ever need to make: how to allocate your most scarce resource to maximize profit in your business.

Bringing It All Together

In this lesson and the one that follows, we will focus on how best to evaluate the financial stability and performance of the business using budgeted information. We'll start by taking a close look at using the components of a company's operating budget to compile the pro forma balance sheet. Next, we'll examine the steps needed to prepare the pro forma income statement, again by using the information found in many of the other operating budget components. To finish up the lesson, we'll dive into some straightforward techniques that are useful to evaluate the balances found on the pro forma balance sheet and income statements.

Evaluation, Control, and Methods

In this lesson, you'll spend more time on the budget evaluation process by examining how companies use variance analysis to evaluate differences between actual results and the budget. To keep things manageable, we'll stick to the basics here so that you're equipped with some tools to take with you when applying these techniques in a real company. As part of this process, we'll take a look at how budget variances are defined and interpreted. Then, we'll discuss some techniques like flexible budgeting to evaluate and isolate certain budget fluctuations in a way that provides clarity to a business owner or manager. We'll finish up the lesson with a brief discussion of the budgetary control process and the soft skills needed for this process.

This course will help you understand business environments, financial statements, and strategy so you can make more profitable business and personal financial decisions.

Are you interested in making better business decisions to increase your company's profits, move you up the corporate ladder, and help you reach a better, personal financial position? If so, this course is for you.

Using practical explanations and real-life examples, this course will show you how money flows through a typical business. You will learn the basics of how a business operates, including how to develop successful business strategies and how to use financial statements to make better business decisions.

Whether you're an employee, sales executive, supervisor, or manager, this course will help you understand basic financial information and use that information to make decisions that will positively affect your company's financial situation.

This is a business finance course for non-financial employees and managers. In six weeks, you will obtain significantly improved business acumen skills and financial understanding. Position yourself to be more confident in your business and financial decisions.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

• The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Business Finance Basics

In this first lesson, you will learn the difference between financial knowledge and business acumen in a way that's easy to understand. You will also be introduced to a few basic financial strategies and explore what business finance can do for you, your company, and your personal finances.

The Business Model and Financial Flow

To gain a strong foundation in business finance, you'll need to understand the basic business model, its components, and how they fit into the larger organization. You will see how finances flow through the business and begin to master basic financial terminology. At the end of this lesson, you will be able to apply what you've learned to your personal household and finances.

Financial Terminology and Concepts

Do you know what ROI refers to? What's a Sales Forecast, and why is it so important? In this lesson, you will learn these terms and many more. You will also gain an understanding of financial forces, which provide a foundation for developing financial strategies and driving profit.

Financial Statements

Financial statements can be one of the most mysterious parts of business finance. As you will see, however, all you need is to make sense of the three basic financial statements. With this lesson under your belt, you will be ready to take on the next crucial step: recording and tracking the annual finances on these statements.

The Income Statement

In this lesson, you will gain a broader understanding of the first of the financial statements you will be considering: the Income Statement. You will visit the hypothetical company Bouncy Balls Incorporated (BBI) and examine its annual statement to comprehend what all these numbers mean.

The Balance Sheet

Still working with the fictitious company BBI, you will explore what information is included in the Balance Sheet. You will continue your work to determine BBI's financial position and see where changes in business strategy may be needed.

The Statement of Cash Flows

You will finish your introduction to the basic financial statements as you review the Statement of Cash Flows. You will see how financial personnel use this statement as you continue your tour of BBI. As you work through the Statement of Cash Flows, you will start to put all the information together to improve your understanding of BBI's financial position.

Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A)

In this lesson, you will listen in at a roundtable meeting of executives at BBI as they discuss the company's financial statements. The meeting offers a great opportunity for you to get an insider's look into how executives develop the Management's Discussion & Analysis (MD&A).

Business and Financial Strategy—The Process

Now you are going to put all of the financial knowledge you've gained during this course to work as you consider some strategies for improving BBI's financial condition. You will explore how executives bring their financial knowledge in line with business needs to make solid business decisions that will have a positive impact on the company financials.

Cutting Expenses to Boost the Bottom Line

In this lesson, you will tackle a key issue in business: cost cutting. Expenses are such a huge part of business. Here, you will see how to use your new knowledge of financial reporting and your business acumen skills to develop strategies that have a positive impact on a company's bottom line.

Inventory and Cash Strategies

Continuing your exploration of financial strategy, you will use the decision-making process to examine the inventory situation at BBI and develop strategies to increase supply and production efficiencies. You will also see how to develop strategies to improve the BBI cash position so that more things can be done to increase the bottom line.

SWOT Analysis and Strategy Implementation

Now that you've gone through various strategies to increase sales, decrease expenses, and better manage company assets, it's time to see how to complete an overall strategic analysis of an organization. This lesson focuses on using an analytical process called SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) to develop strategies to move your business and your personal financial life in a positive direction.

Becoming a Certified Credit Counselor shows clients that you hold the financial knowledge and counseling techniques needed to teach them how to improve their financial well-being.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.
• Speaker and video capabilities.
• Access to webcam for final exam proctoring.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Becoming a Certified Credit Counselor signifies that you have achieved a standard of excellence in the credit and personal finance counseling industry. Upon completing this course and passing the final exam, you will receive an industry-recognized Credit Counseling Certification from the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors (NACCC).

The knowledge gained in this course—core financial and credit concepts—is key to helping clients successfully take control of their finances. Certified Credit Counselors empower and counsel the financially stressed, implement financial plans with clients, and educate clients on finances.

This course also provides a foundation to explore additional counseling disciplines such as Housing Counselor and Student Loan Counselor. It prepares you for a career as a life coach and explores options for running your own consulting business.

1. The Defining Role of the Financial Counselor
   1. The Components of Financial Well-Being
   2. Establishing the Client/Counselor Relationship
   3. Rapport Building
   4. Poverty, Culture and Socioeconomic Variables
   5. Active Listening
   6. Asking the Right Questions
2. Taking Control of Finances
   1. The Problem-Solving Process
   2. Where the Client is Now
   3. Where the Client Wants to Go
   4. How the Client Will Get There
3. Demystifying Consumer Credit
   1. Banking Basics
   2. Credit Basics
   3. Choosing Credit Wisely
   4. Using Credit Wisely
   5. Understanding Credit Reports
   6. Credit Scoring
4. Understanding and Dealing with Debt
   1. Getting into Debt
   2. Debt Collection
   3. The Consequences of Unpaid Debt
   4. Getting Out of Debt
   5. Bankruptcy
5. Credit Counseling Today Supplement
   1. From Credit Cards to Credit Counseling
   2. Not Legal Advice or Therapy
   3. The Debt Management Plan
6. Keys to Success Review
   1. Section Review

What you will learn

• Counseling and communication techniques
• Poverty, Cultural and Socioeconomic Variables
• Understanding Consumer Protection Law
• Banking essentials
• Credit industry knowledge
• Credit scoring knowledge
• Credit counselor ethics
• Evaluating Alternatives to resolving debt

How you will benefit

• You will receive the NACCC Certified Credit Counselor designation after passing the final exam
• You will learn counseling techniques to help clients reach their financial goals
• You will learn banking and credit fundamentals to educate clients and help them eliminate debt and improve credit scores
• You will learn credit counselor ethics and other information to help future counselors work ethically, professionally, and legally

Bonnie Canty

Bonnie Canty is an attorney licensed in five states: Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and New York. She obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from Hofstra School of Law and practices general law through her firm ABC Law, PLLC. She has been hired by several businesses and organizations to train, coach, and consult. Canty currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Society of Financial and Career Counseling Professionals and has been a Certified Financial Counselor for almost two decades.

Many adults turn to a financial counselor for guidance when they need to improve their finances. In this course, you will learn credit counseling and financial assessment techniques, key aspects needed to earn the designation of "Certified Financial Health Counselor".

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
• Computer must have stable Internet access.
• Speakers and video capabilities are required for viewing lecture videos.
• Access to webcam for final exam proctoring.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Staying financially healthy is important regardless of the economic climate. To provide financial health counseling, one must have a strong knowledge of core financial and credit concepts. This course will prepare you for a career in financial counseling as an independent counselor or a consultant to other businesses supporting individuals.

You will learn skills that can be applied to counseling disciplines such as housing counselor, student loan counselor, or financial coach. Upon successful completion of this course, you will earn a Certified Financial Health Counselor designation from the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors. Earning this designation establishes that you have achieved a standard of excellence in training for the credit counseling, coaching, or personal finance industry.

1. The Defining Role of the Financial Counselor
   1. The Components of Financial Well-Being
   2. Establishing the Client/Counselor Relationship
   3. Rapport Building
   4. Poverty, Culture and Socioeconomic Variables
   5. Active Listening
   6. Asking the Right Questions
2. Taking Control of Finances
   1. The Problem-Solving Process
   2. Where the Client is Now
   3. Where the Client Wants to Go
   4. How the Client will Get There
3. Demystifying Consumer Credit
   1. Banking Basics
   2. Credit Basics
   3. Choosing Credit Wisely
   4. Using Credit Wisely
   5. Understanding Credit Reports
   6. Credit Scoring
4. Understanding and Dealing with Debt
   1. Getting Into Debt
   2. Debt Collection
   3. The Consequences of Unpaid Debt
   4. Getting Out of Debt
   5. Bankruptcy
5. Financial Counselor Today
   1. Ethics
   2. Consumer Resources
   3. Consumer Protection Legislation
   4. Housing Part 1
   5. Housing Part 2
   6. Housing Part 3
   7. Student Financial Aid
   8. Retirement Planning

What you will learn

• Credit industry and scoring knowledge
• Credit/financial counselor ethics
• Banking and finance essentials
• Counseling, motivation and communication techniques
• Fundamentals of consumer protection law
• Housing, retirement, and student loan information

How you will benefit

• You will learn effective counseling techniques for guiding clients towards reaching financial goals
• You will learn banking and credit fundamentals needed to educate clients and help them eliminate debt and improve credit scores
• Contains credit counselor ethics and other information to help future counselors work ethically, professionally and legally
• You will receive the Certified Financial Health Counselor designation after passing the final exam

Bonnie Canty

Bonnie Canty is an attorney licensed in five states: Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and New York. She obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from Hofstra School of Law and practices general law through her firm ABC Law, PLLC. She has been hired by several businesses and organizations to train, coach, and consult. Canty currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Society of Financial and Career Counseling Professionals and has been a Certified Financial Counselor for almost two decades.

Protect your assets and discover how best to achieve all your financial goals.

Do you have clear financial goals? Are you confident you will be able to retire someday? How can be sure you are making the right investments? Do you know how to change your credit report to reduce your expenses and increase your financial security? Do you know how to keep good financial records?

This course will prepare you for a lifetime of worthwhile personal financial planning. The tools you will learn are useful, realistic, and easy to work into your regular routine. They will help you gain control over the financial impact of the choices you make. You will learn to create and use a budget, borrow and invest wisely, make intelligent decisions about insurance, and plan for your financial future. You will develop a retirement savings plan, and you will be better prepared to make large purchases and plan for taxes. You will learn the essentials of household bookkeeping, record-keeping requirements, and much, much more.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Your Financial Situation

Throughout this course, you will learn how to use basic financial planning tools that you can work into your everyday routine. In this first lesson, you will examine your personal finances as they are today, set some basic financial goals, learn how to keep track of your finances, and gain some knowledge of record-keeping requirements. You will learn how to assess your current financial position. The information you compile during this lesson, and the methods you use to retain and store that information, can set the tone of your financial record-keeping for the rest of your life.

The Daily Grind: Earnings, Bills, and Taxes

If you think about your cash flow in terms of how to best control the money that comes in and goes out of your life, you may discover that you have many opportunities to improve your financial situation. This lesson focuses controlling certain aspects of your income collection and disbursement through daily financial events. You will learn about methods for increasing the amount of money at your disposal, saving money when paying your bills, and reducing your tax burden.

Your Credit

Don't be discouraged if your credit history is marred. Despite what you might think, you can establish good credit, control your credit rating so it remains positive, and repair a bad credit rating. This lesson teaches you how to read your credit history, correct errors in your credit reports, and improve your credit so that you're a good risk to potential lenders. Find out what creditors look at when they judge your credit, and how you can check your own credit rating for free.

The Art of Borrowing

Whether you intend to borrow money for a long term (as you might with a mortgage on a house), a medium term (such as a loan for a car or a college education), or a short term (such as using a credit card to pay for a dinner at a restaurant or your weekly groceries), there are factors about borrowing that you should consider. In this lesson, you will get the tools to make informed decisions about borrowing. You will learn about the concept of points or loan origination fees. Finally, you will find out how borrowing money can actually benefit you when tax time comes.

Creating and Living with a Budget

In the most popular lesson of the course, you will learn how you can create a workable budget and, more importantly, how you can make it stick. A budget is not difficult to make, and it's not difficult to follow. In fact, people who use budgets find they can talk about their finances and their financial goals more comfortably because they have a thorough knowledge of what they can actually achieve. A budget is like a playbook for the future.

Investing in Mutual Funds

In this lesson, you will learn about the different types of mutual funds, criteria for choosing a fund, how much to invest, the importance of timing your investments, when to sell, and the tax effects of your investment. You will find out the advantages to investing in mutual funds, including diversification, the opportunity to take advantage of a fund manager and a research team's expertise, the small minimum investment required to enter a fund, and the ease with which you can make regular investments.

Investing in Stocks

This lesson introduces financial advisors. You will find out why it's so important to follow the performance of your investments. You will also discover how to manage your portfolio, the tax effects of buying and selling investments, and how you can manage the amount of tax you pay. You will also learn how to compare companies that you want to invest in.

Other Types of Investing

If you want to invest, there are several different types of opportunities available to you. In this lesson, you will explore some of the places beyond stocks and mutual funds where you can invest your money, including interest-bearing accounts, bonds, commodities, precious metals, and collectibles. You will discover that you can begin investing with a very small amount of money, and you will find out how to familiarize yourself with different types of investments before putting your money at risk.

Insurance Considerations

In this lesson, you will get acquainted with the many types of insurance and how the purchase of insurance should fit into your overall financial plan. Your needs for insurance change throughout your life, so you will learn how and when to reassess your insurance coverage. You will also learn some tips on dealing with insurance agents and shopping around for the best value and the best coverage.

Planning for Your Retirement

Retirement might seem like it's a long way off, but it's never too early to start thinking about it. In this lesson, you will get familiar with the various types of retirement funds available to employees, business owners, and individuals; and you will learn about putting money into retirement funds, overseeing the investments in those funds, and when and how to take money out of your funds. You will also find out how the Social Security system works and the tax effects of retirement contributions and distributions.

Life's Big Expenses

There are certain occasions in life that require a major cash outlay. Events like weddings, purchasing a house or a car, or going to college require planning and saving. In this lesson, you will discover tips for estimating the costs of major purchases, as well as techniques for saving and borrowing to finance these expenses. You will also see what tax benefits are available when you incur these large expenses. You will learn about some of the different options for parents and students who are planning on, or are already attending, college.

Estate Planning

In the final lesson of the course, you will learn about estate planning and some of the basic rules that will guide you in making important decisions. In addition, you will get an introduction to inheritance and estate taxes, trusts, and other means of protecting your assets, as well as information about the duties of an executor for your estate.

Build and protect your wealth by investing in real estate.

Have you ever heard the old saying, "Buy low, sell high?" News stories about the softening real estate market might scare away some novice investors, but experienced investors recognize weak markets as opportunities to pick up bargains. In many areas, now is the time to buy before prices start climbing again. In this course, you will learn how to make money in any area, in good times and bad, even if you have little money to start with.

Real Estate Investing includes specially designed worksheets and hands-on activities to take the guesswork out of your investing efforts. Start developing a plan for your own investing efforts based on proven methods used every day by full-time, professional real estate investors. You will learn how to invest in foreclosures, manage a rehab project, and build your team of real estate professionals (title officers, lawyers, accountants, mortgage brokers, appraisers, and more). This course also explores the effects of higher interest rates and cover alternative strategies for a changing market. By the end of the course, you will be working toward your first (or next) deal.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Materials Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

Why Invest in Real Estate?

Real estate investors build wealth by providing a tremendous service to their community. Your first lesson explores the advantages of real estate and discuss why it's such a powerful investment vehicle. You will evaluate your current financial position and define your investing purpose and goals. Then you will begin networking with other investors in your local area.

Market Analysis

Do you know what's happening in your local market? In this lesson, you will learn about the major shifts in the real estate industry since the end of the Great Recession and how to use them to your advantage. You will learn to find and analyze critical market data.

The Transaction Process

What steps do you need to take to find a profitable deal? This lesson focuses on building a professional network, finding deals, and navigating the transaction process from start to finish. By the end of this lesson, you will understand how to quickly determine the profitability in a deal.

Wholesaling

Has anyone ever told you "it takes money to make money?" Well, it's not always true. This lesson debunks the myth and explores how to profit from wholesaling. Often referred to as "bird dogging," finding a deal to sell to another investor is a great way to hone your skills and create working capital.

Rentals, Lease Options, and Owner Financing

Looking to maximize your monthly cash flow while minimizing the hassles of being a landlord? In this lesson, you will learn how to create passive income with rentals, lease options, and owner financing. You will discover how to use the rent-to-own concept and how to structure deals to minimize tenant hassles.

Foreclosures

This lesson delves into the foreclosure process, including its mechanics, consequences, and opportunities. You will see how hard the process can be for homeowners going through it and learn how you can help families avoid this black mark on their credit history by using your problem-solving skills.

Rehabs

This lesson will show you how to effectively manage your rehab projects to create maximum value and profit. You will learn the characteristics of the perfect house for rehabbing. You will become an expert at working with contractors, estimating repairs, and crafting a plan for your rehab projects.

Condos

Looking for a great starter investment, a potential money-maker in both rising and falling markets, and a perfect rehab project? Think condos! In this lesson, you will find out why condos are one of the easiest and most profitable investments you can make.

Negotiation

Negotiation is a game you can win if you know the rules and use the right strategies. This lesson explores the psychology of bartering, how to present yourself in a negotiation, and more. This lesson includes a fun, interactive assignment where you get to test your skills by negotiating with a live opponent!

Funding Your Transactions

Finding the money to do a deal is the easy part but finding the deal that takes work. Not all real estate deals require large sums of money, but most people let lack of funds hold them back. In this lesson, you will discover that there's money available and waiting to be put into profitable deals.

Marketing Your Properties

This lesson explores how to quickly sell your properties for top dollar. You will learn the seven essential items that every effective classified ad must have, as well as how to present yourself and your property at an open house. You will see how to make your house stand out from others that are for sale.

Shifting Your New Business into High Gear

In your last lesson, you will put all the pieces together. You will learn the importance of asset protection, building a dependable team of professional advisers, and how to increase your profit margins. You will also discover powerful tools as 1031 exchanges, corporations and LLCs, and Self-Directed Roth IRAs.

Learn how to make wise investment decisions so that you have enough money to live comfortably through your retirement.

Looking for a good solid class in the basics of stocks, bonds, finance, and investing? Haven't the slightest clue how to prepare for retirement, pay for college, or even manage your personal finances? And do you wish you could do it all without having to pay a broker or a financial advisor? Well, look no further. The class you need is right here.

Stocks, Bonds, and Investing; Oh My! is an enjoyable class that walks you through the fundamentals of investing. The course will not only teach you about the stock markets, 401k plans, and retirement, but it will also address personal financial issues that are often ignored, but absolutely essential, to your success as an investor. Each lesson explains these concepts in detail, so you understand how and why things work in the investment world. Provide yourself with the independence and confidence you will need to make your own investment decisions.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Overview of Class

This lesson introduces the course and helps you set up your investing game plan.

The Theory and Importance of Investing

You need to fully and fundamentally understand the theories, laws, and concepts that govern investing. This lesson explores what gives money its value, how to increase that value, and more. Then you will learn how this pertains to the three most important investments: retirement, education, and housing.

First Things First

Which investments should you make first? Would it be more beneficial to invest in an IRA or should you be thinking about college? Or might this perhaps be a good time for you to invest in rental property? This lesson explores all of the benefits and drawbacks of these options to help you decide.

Stocks, Bonds and Mutual Funds - Part I

Mutual funds, IRA accounts, 401k plans, and other investments are primarily composed of two simple building blocks: stocks and bonds. This lesson takes a closer look at them in intricate detail. You will learn all about stocks and bonds, what gives them value, how to look up their prices, and much more.

Stocks, Bonds and Mutual Funds - Part II

Understanding stocks and bonds brings an understanding of whole new set of securities and investments like mutual funds, options, ADRs, REITs, and much more. This lesson focuses on different investments, how they work, why you might want to invest, and the pros and cons to investing.

The Markets and Exchanges

But where do you purchase said stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other investments? Never fear—there are many different exchanges throughout the world that are here to serve your trading needs. This lesson covers all the major global markets and exchanges.

Processes, Players and Operations

In this lesson, you will meet all the different people and institutions involved in trading and investing, such as brokers and traders and different types of brokerages from—traditional, discount, or online. Perhaps most important, you will learn what these people's real incentive is in trading for you.

Trades and the Trading Process

How are all these different stocks, bonds, and mutual funds traded? You will need an intricate understanding of the trading process, traders, brokers, and their incentives to know when you're getting a good deal. In this lesson, you will learn how to tell if you made a good trade or not.

Retirement Programs

While we briefly touched on retirement programs, the options are so varied, detailed, and important that they deserve a lesson all to themselves. This lesson takes a detailed look at the operations, contribution limits, and withdrawal requirements of IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP Plans, 401ks, 403bs, 529 plans.

Picking Stocks

While investing in your 401k may be good for your long-term investment plan, sometimes risk is a good thing. This lesson looks at stock valuation and analysis and reviews the basics of calculated investment risks.

Types and the Importance of Research

In this lesson, you will discover research techniques that you can use to analyze and pick stocks as well as valuation techniques used to price stocks. You will also learn how to read a company's annual report. This is required reading if you plan to make it big by investing in stocks!

Researching Resources

This lesson is all about researching resources, looking at a vast array of websites, publications and other sources of information that will help guide your future investments.

This course will train you for a career as a certified student loan counselor or specialist. You will learn how to counsel clients on borrowing, repayment, discharge, and curing default.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC or Mac.
• Computer must have stable Internet access.
• Speakers and video capabilities are required for viewing lecture videos.
• Access to webcam for final exam proctoring.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

About 43 million Americans owe $1.5 trillion in federal student loan debt. This number is staggering, and many debtors seek out financial counselors to help them navigate their repayment options. To work in this area of counseling, becoming a certified student loan counselor proves that you can accurately assist clients. This course will prepare you for the Certified Student Loan Counselor exam, offered by the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors (NACCC).

1. The Origin and Initial Funding of Higher Education
2. Assisting the Student/Borrower Assess, Evaluate and Obtain Funding
3. Counseling the Student Borrower
4. Assisting the Student Borrower with the Repayment Process
5. Student Loan Discharge, Cancellation and Forgiveness Basics
6. Default Consequences and Solutions, Ethical Considerations

What you will learn

• How the federal and private student loan systems work
• Latest in trends and legislation that governs student loans
• Strategies for borrowing, managing, and repaying student loans
• Methods for counseling and educating those struggling with student debt

How you will benefit

• A certified student loan counselor can enter the job market with a certification recognized by several industries including regional workforce development boards, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Disability Institute, and the United Way
• Provides credibility and demonstrates your ability to help clients

Bonnie Canty

Bonnie Canty is an attorney licensed in five states: Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and New York. She obtained her Juris Doctorate degree from Hofstra School of Law and practices general law through her firm ABC Law, PLLC. She has been hired by several businesses and organizations to train, coach, and consult. Canty currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Society of Financial and Career Counseling Professionals and has been a Certified Financial Counselor for almost two decades.

Discover valuable techniques that show you step-by-step how to research and value stocks.

The Analysis and Valuation of Stocks is a comprehensive course designed to provide you with conventional and advanced techniques in researching and valuing stocks. Starting off with the basics, you will learn how to read financial statements and calculate financial ratios, and then move on to perform industrial comparisons, value stocks, and conduct economic and industrial research.

This course is taught in a manner that uses everyday language, simple, yet insightful analogies, and a just the facts attitude that you will understand and appreciate. By the end of this course, you will have a strong foundation in the analysis and valuation of stocks.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

• This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 8 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Adobe Acrobat Reader.
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

• Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

1. Introduction and Welcome
2. Introduction to Annual and Quarterly Reports
3. Financial Statements - Part I
4. Financial Statements - Part II
5. Financial Ratios - Part I
6. Financial Ratios - Part II
7. Case Studies and Industrial Comparisons
8. The Value of a Stock
9. Valuation Techniques
10. Economics and the Outside Environment
11. Researching Resources
12. Hodgepodge