The Fundamentals of Personal Finance
$240 | ONLINE
+ registration fees
36 Hours (equivalent to 3 credits)
Offered in collaboration with Hudson County Community College
Instructor: Paola A. Leon
Saturday 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET / 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM PT
Sunday 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM PT
Check which Time Zone you are in!!
November 15-16, 2025
Zoom meetings will only take place ONE weekend, on Saturday, Nov 15 & Sunday, Nov 16 | CLASS END DATE: December 14, 2025
January 24-25, 2026
Zoom meetings will only take place ONE weekend, on Saturday, January 24 & Sunday, January 25 | CLASS END DATE: February 22, 2026
March 28-29, 2026
Zoom meetings will only take place ONE weekend, on Saturday, March 28 & Sunday, March 29 | CLASS END DATE: April 26, 2026
May 16-17, 2026
Zoom meetings will only take place ONE weekend, on Saturday, May 16 & Sunday, May 17 | CLASS END DATE: June 14, 2026
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to teach you the skills to take control of your financial life. Whether you’re looking to save money for travel, pay off debt, or invest for your future, this course will provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to achieve your financial goals. Through a combination of readings, videos, and interactive workshops, you will learn how to create a budget, manage your debt, and implement effective saving strategies.
You’ll also learn about the different types of investments available, including stocks, bonds, real estate and cryptocurrency. In addition, this course will also cover the basics of business money management, including how to save money to start your own business and how to manage your finances after you’ve launched. To help you understand your personal finance style, we will use personality quiz like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to give you a deeper understanding of your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to managing your money.
You will learn about specific known methods such as the snowball debt strategy and other popular techniques for managing debt and increasing savings, including the 50/30/20 rule, the envelope method, and the automatic savings plan. These strategies will help you take control of your finances and achieve your financial goals in a practical and effective way.
ONLINE FORMAT
This class will consist of readings and assignments posted on Google Classroom and TWO scheduled zoom sessions (zoom is a video conference app.) You will only have two zoom meetings the first weekend of class, and then work independently on your assignments for the remaining 4 weeks. Please make sure you register for the course with a valid email address, since this is where you will receive an invitation notification to join Google Classroom. Both zoom and Google Classroom are free platforms and easy to use. You will be invited to join Google Classroom a week before class starts. Make sure you check your spam/junk folder, as invitations to join Google Classroom sometimes end up there. Your email must be Google compatible, so it’s best if you use gmail, hotmail or yahoo. If you don’t receive a notification before class starts, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to contact us.
ASSIGNMENTS & COMPLETION CERTIFICATE
All assignments must be successfully completed in order to receive your course completion certificate. Course completion certificates will be emailed to you, to the email address you registered for the class with. If you have a deadline and need your certificate earlier, please indicate it during the registration process and upload proof (there is a question that asks about early certificate.) You may receive your certificate as early as ONE week after class has started, as long as you complete all assignments successfully and it is confirmed by your instructor.
ATTENDANCE
Attendance during the scheduled zoom sessions IS MANDATORY and we will be taking attendance! If you do not attend these, you will NOT receive a course completion certificate. Meetings are not recorded and there are no make-up sessions. It is not possible to sign up for a new class if you miss the zoom meetings – your will have to pay for a new class! Other than the zoom sessions, the class is self-paced and you will be free to work on your assignments whenever you can. You will have 4 weeks to complete all assignments and course requirements.
ZOOM SESSIONS
Please note that all zoom sessions are scheduled in Eastern Time (New York City). Please check which time zone you are in, and make sure you attend the zoom sessions on time!