About this Course

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Financial Planning for Young Adults (FPYA), developed in partnership with the CFP Board, is designed to provide an introduction to basic financial planning concepts for young adults. The FPYA course is organized across eight separate modules within a 4-week window. Topics covered include financial goal setting, saving and investing, budgeting, financial risk, borrowing and credit. Because financial planning is such a personal topic, you will be encouraged to define your own financial goals and objectives while we discuss concepts and provide tools which can be applied in helping you reach those goals.
Within each module, you will view a combination of traditional lecture style videos along with video vignettes that introduce financial topics for discussion among participants. The video vignettes provide a unique and exciting component to this course. Each vignette introduces a real-world scenario where financial decisions must be made and financial planning concepts can be applied. You will be challenged to think critically about each scenario and decide how you might come to a resolution if ever faced with a similar situation.

Finally, the course also includes material throughout which is focused on career opportunities in financial planning, including video interviews with actual CFP® professionals and other professionals working in this exciting and growing career area. The final module in the class is devoted to the topic of financial planning as a career.

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.

Beginner Level

Approx. 20 hours to complete

English

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Skills you will gain

Risk Management
Budget
Saving
Investment

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.

Beginner Level

Approx. 20 hours to complete

English

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

Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.71/5 (540 Ratings)

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating97%(13,292 ratings)

Week

1

Week 1

2 hours to complete

Orientation

2 hours to complete

2 videos (Total 4 min), 5 readings, 2 quizzes

3 hours to complete

Module 1: Setting Financial Goals and Assessing Your Situation

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 41 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

7 videos

Street Interview: If Money Were No Object...2m

Lecture: Dream Big5m

Vignette: Belize for Spring Break?2m

Lecture: What Influences Our Financial Decisions?11m

Vignette: Education, Retirement, or Fun?3m

Lecture: Where Are You Now?9m

Lecture: Turning Dreams into Goals7m

2 readings

Module 1 Overview10m

Reading: Exploring Money Personalities Further10m

1 practice exercise

Module 1: Financial Goals & Assessing Your Situation Quiz30m

Week

2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Module 2: Budgeting and Cash Flow Management

3 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 60 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes

8 videos

Street Interview: Do You Keep Track of Your Monthly Expenses?2m

Lecture: Budgeting Overview14m

Street Interview: How Can You Avoid Overspending?2m

Interview: Investment Advisor Interview7m

Vignette: Creating a Budget2m

Lecture: Financial Services14m

Lecture: Alternatives to Cash14m

Street Interview: What Are the Pros and Cons of Using a Credit Card?2m

1 reading

Module 2 Overview10m

1 practice exercise

Module 2: Budgeting and Cash Flow Management Quiz30m

2 hours to complete

Module 3: Saving Strategies

2 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 40 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

1 hour to complete

Module 4: The Time Value of Money

1 hour to complete

1 video (Total 14 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

Week

3

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Module 5: Borrowing and Credit

2 hours to complete

11 videos (Total 59 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

11 videos

Lecture: Loans and Consumer Credit5m

Lecture: Borrowing and Credit: Pros and Cons8m

Lecture: Loan Amortization Part One5m

Lecture: Loan Amortization Part Two6m

Lecture: Loan Amortization Part Three5m

Vignette: What Is a Credit Report?2m

Lecture: Credit Reports10m

Lecture: Credit Scores9m

Loan Denial Testimonial: Bad Credit History1m

Loan Denial Testimonial: No Credit History1m

Loan Denial Testimonial: Identity Theft1m

1 reading

Module 5 Overview10m

1 practice exercise

Module 5: Borrowing and Credit30m

2 hours to complete

Module 6: Investing

2 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 48 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

7 videos

Street Interview: How Would You Invest $100,000?1m

Lecture: Introduction to Investing Terms13m

Lecture: Understanding Investment Risk6m

Street Interview: What Does It Mean to Diversify Investments?1m

Lecture: Diversify Your Investments9m

Vignette: When to Start Saving for Retirement?2m

Lecture: Investing Tips for Young Adults13m

2 readings

Module 6 Overview10m

Building on Your Knowledge10m

1 practice exercise

Module 6 Investing30m

Week

4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Module 7: Risk Management

3 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 68 min), 2 readings, 2 quizzes

7 videos

Lecture: Risk Management Overview11m

Street Interview: Why Do You Buy Insurance?1m

Lecture: Insurance Basics21m

Street Interview: What Determines the Cost of Insurance?1m

Lecture: Life Insurance13m

Vignette: Are You Ready for Life Insurance?4m

Lecture: Insurance Risk Panel Discussion15m

2 readings

Module 7 Overview10m

Financial Literacy Quiz5m

2 practice exercises

Post-Test Financial Literacy30m

Risk Management Quiz30m

2 hours to complete

Module 8: Financial Planning as a Career

2 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 57 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

8 videos

Street Interview: What Does a Financial Planner Do?1m

Lecture: Financial Planning as a Career Part One8m

Mock-Up Video: Middle-Age Couple Meeting with a Financial Planner3m

Mock-Up Video: Young Client Meeting with a Financial Planner3m

Lecture: Financial Planning as a Career Part Two20m

Interview: Interview with a Financial Planner Video One8m

Interview: Interview with a Financial Planner Video Two7m

I Am A CFP® Pro: Campaign Spokepeople2m

2 readings

Module 8 Overview10m

CFPPro.org10m

1 practice exercise

Financial Planning as a Career Quiz30m

Reviews

4.6

326 reviews

5 stars
70.07%
4 stars
22.20%
3 stars
4.34%
2 stars
1.60%
1 star
1.76%

TOP REVIEWS FROM FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR YOUNG ADULTS

by MKApr 22, 2020

It was a wonderful course offered by University of Illinois . It was a practical course and has helped me learn a lot of new concepts and widen my horizon of learning.

by LGMar 31, 2018

Great class overall. I would like to see more updated information, as many of the links no longer work and the material is from about 2012. I would also love to see more diversity in the vignettes.

by SBMay 10, 2021

this course is really beneficial, I highly recommend it to people of any age. I was in doubt about it because I read it is good for young people, but I learned a lot from this course. Thank you all.

by DMJan 2, 2021

I learned a lot, things are very well explained and slow so that you don't miss anything and so that you understand everything perfectly. Its perfect for beginners and for young adults.

View all reviews

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 purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, 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.

Financial Planning for Young Adults