Acorns' Guide to Personal Finance
What you'll learn
- How to calculate your net worth.
- How to start a successful side hustle.
- How to set goals—and build a budget that will help you reach them.
- How to ask effectively for a raise or a better job offer.
- How to pay off debt faster—and pay less in interest.
- All the basics of investing in stocks and bonds.
- How to cut your expenses without feeling the pinch.
- How to build a low-maintenance portfolio that will help you build wealth.
- How to save more money (101 ways!).
Requirements
- No prior knowledge or tools required. Just an interest in helping your hard-earned money grow!
- For the exercises, you will want to have some of your financial info handy—like your take-home pay, how much debt you owe (student loans, credit cards, etc.) and how much you have in your savings, checking and investment accounts.
Description
If you're ready to get your finances in shape, but aren't sure where to start, this is it! In under an hour, find out how to save, invest and earn more money, stop living paycheck to paycheck and make real progress toward the future you want.
Led by Jennifer Barrett, Chief Education Officer at Acorns, this basic course breaks down the what, when, how and why of personal finance to help you start building wealth—no matter how much money or financial knowledge you've got to start.
You’ll learn the basics of personal finance and get simple, on-the-go techniques and tools to help your money work as hard as you do.
What’s the difference between this and other personal finance courses? We’re focused on methods that are easy and sustainable—not disruptive to your everyday life.
By the end of this course, you will have a clear sense of where you are financially, where you want to be—and how you’re going to get there. You’ll feel less stressed about money, and more confident about reaching your goals.
You’ll know: how to create a budget you can follow, pay debt off faster, save more money on everyday purchases and big-ticket expenses, ask for a raise, start a successful side hustle and invest wisely to build wealth. (Make sure to check out the downloadable action plans, worksheets and other resources, too, to get the full benefit of the course!)
Apply what you’ve learned and you should see a noticeable difference not just in your finances, but in your life.
Who this course is for:
- Anyone who wants to learn the basics of personal finance, pay off debt faster and start building wealth.
Featured review
Instructors
Acorns is one of the country’s largest saving and investing apps, with more than 9 million users. Its easy-to-use, mobile-first technology makes it simple to set aside and invest spare change. You can invest automatically in a low-cost, diversified portfolio of exchange-traded funds, constructed with help from Nobel Prize-winning economist Dr. Harry Markowitz.
Acorns smart portfolio algorithms automatically work in the background of life, helping you build wealth naturally, pennies at a time. Access Acorns via the app for iPhone, Android or desktop and have the option to invest automatically in regular, IRA, and custodial brokerage accounts and sign up for the debit card that helps you invest when you spend.
- 4.5 Instructor Rating
- 5,880 Reviews
- 32,540 Students
- 1 Course
Hi, everyone! I'm the Chief Education Officer at Acorns and Editor-in-Chief of Grow, a digital money magazine published by Acorns.
I've spent much of my career writing, reporting and talking about money.
Before joining Acorns, I was Personal Finance Editor at CNBC. But I started in financial journalism years earlier, covering foreign exchange for The Wall Street Journal. I went on to write about personal finance and investing for a lot of other publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, Money and Newsweek.
I've also co-authored two personal finance books. And I've appeared on outlets like MSNBC, CNBC, Cheddar and CNN, and on several radio shows and podcasts, often talking about (you guessed it) money.
I'm a huge believer in the power of financial education. I've seen the effect it's had on my life and on the lives of so many others. Educating yourself about money can truly have a profound impact not only on your finances, but on the quality of your life. I hope you all experience the benefits that even learning the basics of personal finance can provide.