The Personal Finance Professional Certificate is designed for individuals to develop an understanding of the building blocks of financial planning including cash flow, investment strategy, and retirement savings. Designed as three, self-paced courses, the online Personal Finance Professional Certificate prepares you with the practical skills needed to create a secure financial plan and meet your financial goals.
The three courses within the Professional Certificate in Personal Finance can be audited for free, thanks to a gift from the Brian and Sheila Jellison Family Foundation. Brian D. Jellison, a 1968 IU graduate, created the foundation with his wife, Sheila, and their three daughters before he passed in November 2018. Brian was a respected business leader at Roper Technologies, where he was CEO for 17 years. Institutional Investor recognized Brian as the Best CEO in the Electrical Equipment & Multi-Industry sector and Harvard Business Review named him one of the Best Performing CEOs in the World. Brian was passionate about financial literacy skills. With this gift, the foundation hopes to make financial literacy resources and expertise accessible to all.
To audit the Personal Finance Professional Certificate courses for free:
- Click “Enroll” on this Personal Financial Professional Certificate page.
- On the edX program page, under “Courses in this program,” choose one of three courses (Introduction to Personal Financial Planning, Managing Personal Cash and Credit, and Planning for Risk and Retirement).
- Click “View the course.”
- On the course page, click “Enroll.”
- After creating an account, scroll down and click “Audit this course.”
Improve your financial situation
You don’t need to have any prior knowledge of business or finance to earn the Personal Finance Professional Certificate. No application is required, and you can enroll at any time. Next, begin one of our three courses, offered on a rolling basis. You can set your own pace and schedule, completing courses in four-week increments.
Earning the Personal Finance Professional Certificate will prepare you to:
- Create a sound financial plan
- Improve your credit score
- Prepare financial statements
- Understand taxation basics
- Avoid common financial mistakes
Understand how financial planning impacts your personal wealth over a lifetime. This course develops your ability to work with income statements, balance sheets, budgets, and taxes to achieve your financial goals.
Discover the five c’s of credit, how to improve your credit score, and how to determine if a line of credit is right for you. This course prepares you to choose the right financial institution for your specific situation, evaluate cash management products, and use credit wisely.
Learn to assess your tolerance for risk, evaluate investment products, and develop an investment mindset. This course prepares you to compare insurance policies, calculate your need for retirement income, and includes a step-by-step workshop on retirement planning.
Develop your financial mindset
Begin your path to a responsible financial future with the Personal Finance Professional Certificate.
Questions? We're here to help.
Email us at kelleypd@iu.edu with any questions you may have, and a member of our team will be happy to assist you.