Managing My Money (FutureLearn)

This online course starts by giving you practical guidance on compiling a budget and using it to make good decisions about your spending.

You’ll explore debts and investments, and how mortgages are used to finance home ownership. The critical issue of pension planning is explained, with guidance on different products.

The course concludes by examining different types of insurance. It offers practical advice on how to make rational decisions about which insurance products to buy.

What topics will you cover?

Week 1: Financial planning and the life-course

Week 2: Income, taxation and benefits

Week 3: Expenditure and budgeting

Week 4: Debt and borrowing

Week 5: Savings and investments

Week 6: Housing and the household balance sheet

Week 7: Pensions

Week 8: Insurance

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

- Report to understand how to undertake financial planning, including drawing up a budget and a household balance sheet.

- Compare and understand loans and mortgages and other debt products and their cost.

- Explain the core categories of personal investments, their characteristics and the returns they provide to investors.

- Describe pension products and how to undertake pension planning.

- Summarise insurance products and how they are priced.