Personal Financial Planning (40 hours)

Course Overview/Description

The online Personal Financial Planning program’s curriculum for better money management is unique because it teaches the psychological aspects of money management in addition to the practical mechanics of day-to-day living and spending. You will learn the necessary skills that will help you survive our spend, spend, spend society. This interactive online program includes assessments that you can do now and in the years to come to help you evaluate your money management progress. You will learn the step-by-step process for better money management in addition to a Fast-track approach which will be a quick reminder for you for the rest of your life.

The online course was developed by Gary Tagtmeier, CPA and founder of Financial Awareness Institute. Over the last 26 years, Gary has presented financial education seminars to thousands of people from major corporations, unions, government agencies and the U. S. Military across the country, and in Germany. Now you can benefit from Gary’s extensive financial education training experience at your own pace and in the convenience of your own home.

You will be able to interact one-on-one with the instructor, Gary Tagtmeier, and receive individualized feedback on your assignments. Gary’s extensive financial experiences and insights will give you the specific steps and direction you need to put a solid financial plan in place that will give you financial rewards for the rest of your life.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of the Personal Financial Planning program students will be able to:
• Assess how they manage their money on a day-to-day basis with a unique 20 question assessment and personal psychological survey.
• Complete a personal budget and balance sheet, the two most important financial tools that everyone needs, on a regular basis.
• Deal with any crisis situations that might affect ones ability to effectively manage their finances.
• Identify ways to cut expenses and find extra money to save for financial goals.
• Work out a payment plan with creditors and know what to say if they are behind on bills.
• Determine their personal values, goals, and dreams based upon the psychological issues that are important to the student.
• Know how to save the money needed to accomplish short, medium and long term personal financial goals, such as buying a home, saving for college education, paying off credit card bills and whatever else the student may want to accomplish

 

Course Outline

I. The Bottom Line
a. How are finances being managed now?
b. Financial planning defined

II. Building Better Foundations
a. Why do some of us waste money and others not?
b. Identify areas for improvement
c. Suggestions for changing your attitude about spending and saving

III. Where Are You Now?
a. Adding up your debts, income, assets, and regular living expenses
b. Determining extra cash flow

IV. Think Twice: Situations Requiring a Clear Head
a. Tips for Crisis or Surprise Situations
b. Eliminate crisis situations
c. Making positive improvements to your financial life

V. Immediate Actions
a. Cutting expenses and finding extra dollars
b. Other ways to generate extra money
c. Doing regular budgeting
d. Working out a payment plan
e. Consumer cautions
f. Creditors
g. Credit agencies
h. Loan consolidations

VI. Determining Values, Goals, and Dreams
a. Examining general values, beliefs, and goals
b. Determining financial goals

VII. Next Steps
a. Projecting and minimizing the costs of goals
b. Finding and committing the dollars
c. Making your money work for you vs. you working for money
d. Doing it, staying on top of things, and celebrating!

Prerequisites/Audience

Students should have basic computer skills and be comfortable navigating the internet. They should also have access to a computer with an internet connection and emailing capabilities. Students will need the basic math skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, or they will need to know how to use a calculator that can do this for them.

This course is designed to help anyone who is interested in learning to better manage their personal finances.

PC Requirements/Materials Included

This course can be taken from either a PC or a Mac and is compatible with current operating systems. Students will need to have the latest version of Internet Explorer, Adobe Flash Player, and Adobe Acrobat Reader (all available in free downloads). Some forms, such as a balance sheet and budget, can be adapted to an Excel format if the student is familiar with that program. However, this is not a requirement. This course includes audio, so students will need speakers or headphones to listen to the course material.

Each student will receive a copy of the required workbook, Making Ends Meet and Dreams Come True, upon registration.

Instructor Bio

I (Gary Tagtmeier) is a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and has had his own accounting practice for over ten years and has had all different types of clients. I have had doctors, dentists, lawyers, truck drivers, electricians, and I found across the board, it doesn’t matter what a person’s education level is...most people just don’t know a lot about personal money management.

Then on September 21, 1980, I saw an article in the Chicago Tribune and it talked about how people have to be careful going to financial seminars because usually the person putting on the seminar just wants to sell you something. Have you ever gotten one of these notices in the mail that says you’re invited to a “free” seminar? And now, lots of financial planners are even inviting you to a “free” dinner seminar. But as we know, there’s no “free” lunch. Some of the things we’ve seen happen in the financial services industry over the last thirty years (scandals, financial settlements, etc.), require you to be really careful about who you trust.

So that was the start of Financial Awareness Institute in 1980, with a concept that we do not offer any legal, tax, insurance or investment products or services of any kind. Our concept is to provide completely objective education in personal money management and financial planning.

Gary Tagtmeier Professional Background:
• Certified Public Accountant
• Registered Investment Advisor Principle
• Licensed Real Estate Broker (inactive)
• Member: American Institute of CPA’s
• Member: National Association of Realtors
• Member: Employee Assistance Professional Association
• Member: National Speakers Association

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do I register?
Click on the register button at the top of the page and follow the directions. It is important that you type all your information in the boxes, then print it out to sign.  Payment and sending instructions are in the bottom right corner of the form.

2. How much do the courses cost?
The fee is in the pink box at the top of the page.

3. Can I register for courses if I live outside the United States?
Yes you can!

4. Do I ever have go to the school I register with?
All of our courses are delivered entirely online, so you never have to go to a class or travel to the school.

5. How long does it take to complete a course?
All of our courses are self-paced and open enrollment. You can start and finish the course at your own pace. When you register for a course, you are given 180 days (6 months) to complete the course. If you need more time, extensions are available.

6. Do I have to buy additional materials?
All materials are included. The cost of materials is covered by your tuition. GES ships all materials via UPS ground service upon registration.

7. Can I get financial aid?
GES courses are non-credit courses, so they do not qualify for federal aid. In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development boards will pay for qualified students to take our courses.

• GES provides a loan opportunity for students. Simply go to www.collegeloanapplication.com to apply for an easier qualifying loan at a slightly higher rate. Click here for more information on this loan program.

8. What happens when I complete the course?
Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a certificate of completion from the school with which you registered. You must obtain a final passing grade of 70% or greater to be awarded a certificate.

9. Am I guaranteed a job?
GES courses will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases. We do not provide direct job placement services, but our instructors will help you build your resume and are available to give advice on finding your first job. Instructors will also be available to use as a professional reference upon completion of the course. Potential students should always do research on the job market in their area before registering.

10. Who will be my instructor?
Each student is paired with a facilitator for one-on-one interaction. The facilitator will be available (via email or phone) to answer any questions you may have and to provide feedback on your performance. All of our facilitators are successful working professionals in the fields in which they teach.

11. What do I have to have in order to take an online course, and what are the system requirements?
In order to take our online courses, you must have access to a computer and the Internet (a normal dial-up connection is fine). You can access the course contents from any Web-enabled computer. There are no necessary plug-ins. You do not have to use the same computer to log-in to the course every time. We recommend that you have a word-processing program (Microsoft Word is best) and the latest version of Internet Explorer.

12. Can this course be taken on a Mac?
Yes

13. How can I get more information on the course?
All of the information we have is available online under our course catalog (www.gatlineducation.com). If you have questions that are not answered online, please feel free to email us at courseinfo@gatlineducation.com or call 817-870-2870. We will answer your questions promptly.

14. When can I start the course?
Our courses are all open enrollment. You can register and start the course as soon as you are ready.