The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. and the University of Illinois are offering a free online course to the general public titled Financial Planning for Young Adults (FPYA). The course is conducted through Coursera, a web-based education institute.
Coursera was established in 2012 and works with top universities and organizations to offer “MOOCS,” Massive Open Online Courses to all students.
The Financial Planning for Young Adults MOOC is a free seven-week module-based course, with a different core topic each week. These modules focus on personal financial goals, saving strategies, long-term investments, budgeting, risk management, credit, and careers in financial planning.
FPYA uses several learning techniques, such as lecture videos, video vignettes with real-life financial situations, quizzes, student discussions, and several assignments graded by fellow students.
The purpose of the course is to familiarize young adults with basic financial planning, but it is not restricted to the youth. FPYA also provides an opportunity for students to get advice from CFP professionals across the nation.
For those students interested in pursuing an occupation in the financial planning industry, FPYA administers information on relevant career opportunities. The goal of the course is to introduce students to the field of financial planning and illustrate the benefits of basic financial planning knowledge.