About this course

Personal finance rarely gets taught anywhere formal. Most people piece it together from parents, coworkers, and trial and error, which means a lot of expensive lessons happen the hard way. This course walks through the full arc of building a solid financial foundation, from your very first paycheck through the bigger decisions that come later in your career.

You'll start with the fundamentals: reading a paycheck and understanding your benefits, building a budget you can actually stick to, and setting up an emergency fund so a surprise expense doesn't turn into a crisis. From there, the course moves into credit, including how credit scores and credit reports work, what drives them up or down, and how to manage debt without it managing you.

Later lessons cover the bigger financial decisions ahead: understanding your retirement options and getting an introduction to investing. The course also covers things to keep in mind as you prepare to buy a home.

Each lesson stands on its own, so you can work through the series in order or jump to whatever topic is most relevant to you right now. No finance background required. We start with the basics and build from there.

Learning Objectives

  • Read and understand a paycheck, including deductions, benefits, and take-home pay
  • Build a working budget and track spending against it
  • Set up an emergency fund and know how much you actually need.
  • Understand how credit scores and credit reports work, and what drives them up or down
  • Identify the basic building blocks of saving for retirement and investing

Course outline

7 modules
2 - 4 hours to complete
1:50 hours of video lectures
Welcome • 1 assignments
Orientation Materials

This course is self-paced, so you don’t need to be logged in at any specific time. You can get started immediately after you enroll and the course materials will remain in your account with minimum guaranteed access for 12 months (1 year) after enrollment.

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Module 1 • 3 assignments
Understanding Your Pay

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Module 2 • 3 assignments
Budgeting

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Module 3 • 4 assignments
Credit & Debt

Learn how your credit score actually gets calculated, what makes credit card interest add up faster than you'd expect, and how to build a real plan for paying down debt you already have. By the end, you'll know exactly where to check your report for free and which habits move your score the most.

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Module 4 • 2 assignments
Retirement & Investments

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Module 5 • 4 assignments
Preparing to Buy Your First Home

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Conclusion • 3 assignments
Feedback and Additional Resources

This is our last module but you still have access to the all of course materials for 12 months (1 year), so keep working and you'll be able to complete the course at your own pace. After your year of access expires you can optionally extend access with a HeatSpring Membership. Enjoy the course and keep in touch!

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Author

Brittany Heller

HeatSpring

Brittany Heller has been in the solar industry in a variety of roles since January 2015. She began her solar career in residential sales in New Orleans. She then moved to Denver where she completed a Construction Fellowship with GRID Alternatives Colorado, building a wide portfolio of solar projects all benefiting income-qualified families. In April 2018, she began her...

Frequently asked questions

Full FAQ
How does this course work?
You can begin this online course instantly upon enrollment. This course is delivered entirely online. Pre-order courses are available on launch date. This course is self-paced and you can set your own schedule to complete the materials. You can begin the lecture videos and other course materials as soon as you enroll. After successfully completing the course, you will be able to generate a certificate of completion.
How long do I have access to the materials?
Students get unlimited access to the course materials as soon as they enroll and for one year (365 days) after enrollment. Rewatch videos and review assignments as many times as you want. View updates the instructor makes to the course as the industry advances. Return to your course anytime with online access from anywhere in the world. After the one year of access expires, access can be extended by joining as a HeatSpring member. A single membership extends access to course materials for all past enrollments.
Will the instructor really answer my questions during this course?
Yes! This is an instructor-led online course. You can ask questions on the discussion board and get prompt answers from your instructor. It varies by instructor and by course but typically instructors check-in between daily and weekly to check quiz results or project work, review and respond to discussion board questions and read survey responses. Check the enrollment page for specific information about each instructor's check-in frequency.
Is there a certificate of completion?
Yes, when you complete this course you are eligible for a certificate of completion from HeatSpring. You can download your certificate as soon as you have completed all of the course requirements. Students can easily share their verified certificates on their LinkedIn profiles using our LinkedIn integration.
Can I register multiple people?
Yes, please visit our For Teams page to get a group discount.

$195

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