BYU Course

With regard to developing a personal finance plan, a structured, comprehensive approach is incredibly valuable.  It will build a solid foundation to prepare you to make good decisions and to discern the signal from the noise in all the other sources you may encounter.  

One of the most comprehensive, high-quality, free resources available on-line are the materials posted by BYU.  

(Side note, BYU also published the introductory accounting course all non-business majors had to take before entering HBS...they really are quite good.)

Completing a few of BYUs courses together should benefit all of us.  We can start with two intermediate courses - the freshman college course and the intermediate investing course - followed by two advanced courses. 

• https://personalfinance.byu.edu/freshmancollegecourse
• https://personalfinance.byu.edu/intermediate-investing-course
• https://personalfinance.byu.edu/complete-college-course
• https://personalfinance.byu.edu/advanced-investing-course

These courses are broken down into discrete lessons with reading and assignments, which helps.  

 

This is not meant to overwhelm anyone.  Some lessons can be done quickly; others will take more time, but one week for each course seems about right. Once one understands the basics, the first few lessons, two chapters per week might be doable. Flexibility is the key. 

It doesn't really matter how long it takes (within reason), so long as it happens.  So, let's get started.  

 

A handwritten journal (or better: a 3-ring binder) dedicated to taking notes on the lessons would be advisable.

 

Upon completing each lesson, a weekend Zoom call for 30- 45 minutes to re-cap / discuss the lesson.

 

Freshman Course

Chapter 1: Building a Strong Foundation: Another Perspective On Wealth.
Chapter 2: Your Personal Finance Plan: Planning Your Financial Future.
Chapter 3: Saving, Income and Expense Planning: Giving Every Dollar A Name.
Chapter 4: Cash Management: Making the Little Things Count.
Chapter 5: Credit: Understanding And Using It Wisely
Chapter 6: Loans: Avoiding Consumer and Minimizing Student / Mortgage Loans.
Chapter 7: Debt: Avoiding Debt Like The Plague.
Chapter 8: Time Value of Money 1: Understanding the Language of Finance.
Chapter 9: Time Value of Money 2: Understanding Inflation, Annuities, and Amortized Loans.
Chapter 10: Intermediate Investing 1: Principles.
Chapter 11. Intermediate Investing 2: Application.
Chapter 12. Your Future 1: Learning to Give.
Chapter 13: Your Future 2: Decide to Decide

Intermediate Investing

Chapter 1: Building a Strong Foundation: Another Perspective on Wealth.
Chapter 2: Intermediate Investing 1: Principles.
Chapter 3: Intermediate Investing 2: Application.

Complete College

Chapter 1: Building a Strong Foundation: Another Perspective On Wealth.
Chapter 2: Your Personal Financial Plan: Planning Your Financial Future.
Chapter 3: Saving, Income and Expense Planning: Giving Every Dollar A Name.
Chapter 4: Taxes: Paying All You Owe and Not A Penny More.
Chapter 5: Cash  Management: Making the Little Things Count.
Chapter 6: Credit: Understanding and using Credit Wisely.
Chapter 7: Loans: Avoiding Consumer and Minimizing Student / Mortgage Loans.
Chapter 8: Debt: Avoiding Debt Like The Plague
Chapter 9: Time Value of Money 1: Understanding the Language of Finance
Chapter 10: Time Valueof Money 2: Understanding Inflation, Annuities, and Amortized Loans
Chapter 11: Insurance 1: The Basics of Insurance Protection.
Chapter 12: Insurance 2: Life Planning with Life Insurance.
Chapter 13: Insurance 3: Protecting Your Health.
Chapter 14: Protecting Assets Through Auto, Home / Renters and Liability Insurance.
Chapter 15: The Housing Decision I: The Process.
Chapter 16: The Housing Decision II: Comparing Loans and Your Housing Plan.
Chapter 17: The Transportation Decision: Making It Wisely.
Chapter 18: Investing 1: What To Do Before You Begin.
Chapter 19: Investing 2: Creating Your Investment Plan.
Chapter 20: Investing 3: Securities Market Basics.
Chapter 21: Investments 4: Understanding Bonds.
Chapter 22: Investing 5: Stock Basics.
Chapter 23: Investing 6: Mutual Fund Basics.
Chapter 24: Investing 7: Understanding How To Build Your Investment Portfolio.
Chapter 25: Investing 8: Understanding Selecting Financial Assets.
Chapter 26: Investing 9: Understanding Portfolio Performance, Rebalancing and Evaluation.
Chapter 27: Retirement 1: Understanding Retirement Basics.
Chapter 28: Retirement 2: Understanding Social Security.
Chapter 29: Retirement 3: Understanding Employer-Qualified Plans.
Chapter 30: Retirement 4: Understanding Individual and Small Business Plans.
Chapter 31: Estate Planning: Taking Care of Those You Love.
Chapter 32: Family 1: Understanding the Fundamentals of Money and Marriage.
Chapter 33: Family 2: Teaching Children Financial Responsibility.
Chapter 34: Family 3: Financing Children's Education and Missions.
Chapter 35: Your Future 1: Learning To Give.
Chapter 36: Your Future 2: Decide to Decide.

Advanced Investing

Chapter 1: Building a Strong Foundation: Another Perspective on Wealth.
Chapter 2: Investing 1: What to Do Before You Begin Investing
Chapter 3: Investing 2: Creating Your Investment Plan.
Chapter 4: Investing 3: Securities Market Basics.
Chapter 5: Investments 4: Understanding Bonds.
Chapter 6: Investing 5: Stock Basics.
Chapter 7: Investing 6: Mutual Fund Basics.
Chapter 8: Investing 7: Understanding How To Build Your Investment Portfolio.
Chapter 9: Investing 8: Understand Selecting Financial Assets.