Full course description
Thursday, February 25, 2027, 6:00 PM–9:00 PM ET through Thursday, March 4, 2027, 6:00 PM–9:00 PM ET
Online via Zoom
Continuing Education Offered
- 6 hours general live interactive online
Description
Most modern countries rely on financial capitalism, where financial capital is a dominant means of production. Learning more about money and personal finance is essential to understanding our society and advancing the human service field’s mission to achieve distributive justice. This course aims to improve participants’ financial literacy and understanding of how to assess and intervene concerning financial problems their clients may experience. This course will cover essential personal finance topics, including budgeting (e.g., income, expenses, assets, and liabilities), debts (e.g., credit cards, student loans, payday loans, bankruptcy), saving and investments (e.g., emergency funds, retirement accounts, child development accounts, fiduciary standard), and other topics (e.g., credit scores, social safety net programs).
Objectives
- Describe the structural root causes of financial precarity and why so many individuals and families struggle with financial insecurity.
- Describe key personal finance concepts and apply these concepts in assessing household financial capability and security.
- Distinguish between needs, wants, and obligations.
- Track income and expenses and build cashflow budget.
- Identify personal biases and assumptions related to money, and commit to ongoing learning about inclusive financial practices.
- Apply and deepen knowledge through application of course content to participants' personal financial lives.
Agenda
Thursday, February 25, 2027
- 6:00pm–6:30pm Understand the key concepts of capitalism
- 6:30pm–7:00pm Importance of personal finance and difficulties in discussing financial challenges
- 7:00pm–7:30pm Important but simple principles of personal finance
- 7:30pm–8:00pm Emergency savings and retirement savings
- 8:00pm–8:30pm Life events and large purchases
- 8:30pm–9:00pm How to track income and expenses
Thursday, March 4, 2027
- 6:00pm–6:30pm Cash flow budgeting
- 6:30pm–7:00pm Paying off the credit card debts
- 7:00pm–7:30pm Owning a home and a mortgage
- 7:30pm–8:00pm Simple rules for investment
- 8:00pm–8:30pm Credit reports and scores
- 8:30pm–9:00pm Protect your net worth with insurance
Instructor
CE Approval Statement
The University of Michigan School of Social Work, provider #1212, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 5/15/2026–5/15/2029. Social workers completing this course receive 6 general continuing education credits.
Please see the CE Policies page for more information about continuing education.