Course: Introduction to Budgets

Credit Hours: 3 Course Description:  Budgeting is an online course designed to provide a comprehensive overview of budgeting principles and practices. This course covers the fundamentals of creating and managing a budget, including identifying financial goals, tracking expenses, and making informed decisions about spending. You will gain an understanding of budgeting tools and strategies to help you achieve your financial goals. Through interactive lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments, you will develop the knowledge and skills required to manage your finances effectively. This course is ideal for individuals who want to maintain financial stability by developing a strong budgeting strategy tailored to their own needs. This course will provide an overview of everything to know about the concepts, techniques, and tools of business and personal budgeting. The learner will be introduced to the different aspects of budget design. The learner will practice designing, reviewing, and amending budgets to make them reasonable, to achieve  break-even point, and to ensure sustainability. Course Objectives:

• Recognize the need and purpose of a business budget
• Students will understand the theoretical and managerial context of budgets
• Understand cash flow principles
• Identify procedures involved in business budget designs
• Develop a basic understanding of personal finance terms and concepts related to budgeting
• Understand the basics of setting up a budget, including tracking expenses and setting financial goals
• Analyze different types of borrowing options such as loans, credit cards, and mortgages, and their impact on your budgeting strategy
• Develop essential money management skills such as learning how to save money effectively and recognizing investments that are suitable for you based on your financial goals
• Understand how taxes affect your financial situation and develop tax planning strategies within the framework of your overall budget plan
• Explore different types of savings products available in the market such as certificates of deposit (CDs), money market accounts (MMAs), individual retirement accounts (IRAs), 401(k)s, etc., depending on your needs
• Evaluate different insurance policies with regard to cost-effectiveness while fulfilling your coverage needs within existing budgetary constraints   8 Assess various investment options across stocks, mutual funds, or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) depending on long-term or short-term financial goals.
• Make informed decisions about spending by factoring in past experiences for predicting future scenarios during the formulation of budgets
• Analyze case studies or real-world examples using identified principles from this course in order to apply them practically in personal finances situations
• Comprehend and practice the major processes (structure), terminology,  techniques, and tools (craft) used in budgeting, thereby further providing a foundation for professional success

Banking – Checking/Savings

Course Description: This online course provides an overview of banking principles and practices. It covers the fundamentals of checking and savings accounts, including how to set up accounts, transfer funds between accounts, and manage your finances effectively. You will learn how to make wise financial decisions, understand bank fees and services, and protect yourself from fraud. Through interactive lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments, you will gain an understanding of banking terminology as well as develop the skills required for managing personal finances across multiple accounts. This course is ideal for individuals who are new to banking or want to gain a better understanding of how banks work in order to manage their money more effectively. Course Objectives:

• Understand important terms related to banking such as account holders, interest rates, overdrafts, ATM cards, and more
• Create different types of checking and savings accounts with ease while being informed about associated fees & services
• Make secure electronic transfers between different accounts using safe methods such as Automated Clearing House (ACH).
• Withdraw money without incurring fees across various ways like incoming cashier’s checks or by utilizing ATM machines at local branches
• Utilize various methods for protecting oneself from fraud such as keeping track of account statements & not disclosing information to third parties indiscriminately
• Familiarize oneself with automated payment systems such as direct deposits or automatic bill payments while staying alert against scammers who are posing as fake representatives from bank institutions
• Be aware of terms & conditions imposed by banks when it comes to writing checks in order to avoid bounced checks
• Manage multiple bank accounts in order to meet long-term financial goals with periodic adjustments in saving preferences
• Learn about different tools available through online banking and mobile phone applications that provide convenience for managing finances& bills
• Analyze case studies & real-world scenarios in order to apply the concepts learned from this course to practical personal finance situations

Identity Theft

Course Description: This online course provides an overview of identity theft, including both online and offline risks. It covers the fundamentals of understanding, recognizing, and preventing identity fraud. You will learn about the different types of attacks used by criminals to steal personal information, such as phishing emails and skimming devices. You will also gain an understanding of techniques used to protect your personal information in the event of a breach or attack. Through interactive lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments you will develop skills that enable you to recognize when your personal information is at risk and how to take steps to mitigate the risks associated with identity theft. This course is ideal for individuals who want to learn more about protecting their personal data from fraudsters and attackers. Course Objectives:

• Develop an understanding of the different types & stages involved in the identity theft process
• Learn & identify various forms of attacks carried out by modern-day cyber criminals such as Phishing Emails & Typo squatting
• Analyze the existing threat landscape while evaluating potential risks that could affect one’s credentials
• Utilize best practices for safeguarding sensitive data such as tokens & encryption algorithms
• Recognize signs of fraudulent activities so as to minimize losses due to identity theft
• Understand authentication protocols like two-step verification & biometric authentication
• Implement account monitoring tools which would aid in detecting signs surrounding mass security breaches early on
• Analyze best methods for recovery from a breach or attack ensuring that private details remain secure Develop strategies for preventing future attacks such as avoiding public Wi-Fi networks
• Utilize case studies or real-world examples regarding the present scenario around identity theft so as to implement learned principles from this course practically