The Money Studies approach to financial education is truly unique. We focus on money management as a tool and a process that, while satisfying needs and wants, also involves interpersonal dynamics, self-understanding, enhanced communications, and confidence building. Our courses are designed to sharpen students' money awareness in all life areas. Students learn career-advancing and life-enhancing financial skills presented in jargon-free language, and in hands-on formats from teachers who impart real world money sense.

There are four Money Studies "learning tracks":

• Investing
• Personal and Family Issues
• Small Business, and
• Retirement

Courses can be selected from a curriculum of over forty topics that address the money and financial issues encountered every day by individuals, families and small businesses. Modules can be combined by students into a personalized curriculum, and students who enroll in a classes that total 15 modules may be eligible for college transfer credit.

A representative sample of the Money Studies courses currently under development includes:

APPLYING FOR A MORTGAGE
Buying a house is one of the most important investment decisions you will make. The selection of the right mortgage will greatly effect how appropriate that purchase is for you. The right mortgage can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of the loan. It can help you afford the house of your dreams or it can be used to finance other important aspects of your life. Learn how to choose a mortgage that is right for you.

CAREER MANAGEMENT
Your career is more that just the way you earn money. It is one of the primary components of your life. You want your career to be interesting, challenging and motivating. You want to continue to grow in it. Learn how you can maximize your career potential and satisfaction.

CREDIT MANAGEMENT
Is credit good or bad? It depends on how well you manage it. Learn how you can use credit to your best advantage.

ESTABLISHING AN INVESTMENT CLUB
Learning about investing is on ongoing process. Why not make it fun as well? An Investment club is a way to learn about all types of investment opportunities, make informed purchases and share these experiences with a group of friends at the same time. Learn how to start and operate an investment club that will provide solid financial education opportunities for you.

HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT
You spent years learning about your job. Now it's time to learn about your household. What does it really take to run a home? How much time should you spend on home chores? How much should things cost? How do you stop working at your job just to spend all your free time and free money on your home?

UNDERSTANDING BENEFITS
Your salary is only one part of your workplace compensation package. Benefits often add 30% or more to the value of your remuneration. Learn how you can obtain maximum enrichment from your benefits package.

UNDERSTANDING INSURANCE
Have you heard too much about insurance from insurance salesmen? How do you obtain enough insurance protection without spending too much? Work with financial professionals to calculate how much insurance you need, not how much can be sold to you.

CARING FOR ELDERLY PARENTS
Your parents are getting older and now they need you to work with them to manage their financial affairs.

CHOOSING FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS
You don't need to make financial decisions on your own. A variety of financial professionals are available to assist you in designing and maintaining your financial portfolio. In this class you will learn to select professionals that are capable, competent, fairly priced and meet your needs.

INVESTING IN MUTUAL FUNDS
In this course you will develop the foundation of mutual fund portfolio management. You'll receive unbiased professional instruction about selecting mutual funds and monitoring the progress of those funds. You will design a portfolio that meets your individual investment needs.

POST RETIREMENT FINANCIAL PLANNING
You've retired. Now how do you manage your finances?

RETIREMENT FINANCIAL PLANNING
How much money will it take for you to retire? Will your current retirement investment provide the appropriate income? Will you have enough insurance? Where will you live? Learn what you need to do NOW to prepare for your retirement.

WOMEN IN RETIREMENT
Two shocking facts:

    * The average income for a woman over 65 is less than $7000 a year.
    * The average age for widowhood today is 56

Are you ready for either of those possibilities? Because of longer life expectancies and lower lifetime earnings, women need to be even more diligent in their retirement planning than do men. Learn how you can design a retirement plan that will provide financial security for your entire lifespan.

THE POWER OF PROFITABLE THINKING
Are you making the most of your income? Are you using money as a tool to help you get what you want out of life? Learn the six steps that will change the way you think about money and see how you can make the most out of your financial resources.

INVESTING IN EQUITIES
What do you need to know about stocks and mutual funds in order to make informed investment decisions? Learn about types of stock ownership. Discover how you can construct a portfolio that will both meet your investment goals and fit your personality. Learn how to manage your equity investments, including when to buy and when to sell.

INVESTING IN FIXED INCOME SECURITIES
Learn what you need to know to invest in bonds and other fixed income securities. Study both debt and equity investments. Learn about bonds—the types of bonds, how bonds respond to economic changes, risks and returns to expect from bond investments, tax considerations credit quality and marketability prior to maturity. Learn how to balance your investment portfolio between stocks and bonds.

IS MOVING THE RIGHT MOVE?
Are you facing a housing decision? Should you "move up"? Is it the time for your parents to move out of the family home? Housing choices are among the most important and most difficult decisions you will make. In this course you will learn not only about housing financial considerations, but also about the emotional dimensions that influence your housing choices. You will identify ways to best communicate about important housing decisions.

REAL ESTATE INVESTING
Learn how and when to invest in real estate. Learn about the vehicles available for real estate investment including real estate investment trusts (REITS), general and limited partnerships. Identify the vehicles that are best for you, your lifestyle and for your investment portfolio.

WEALTHSPAN PLANNING
You're at one stage of the lifecycle. Your parents are at another and your children are at still another. What financial strategies should be used at each stage of the cycle? How should you budget, spend and invest at various points of your life? Learn appropriate financial techniques to be used throughout the different stages of your life. Study topics including resource management, housing transactions, taxes, insurance personal property, career decisions, tuition planning, investments and estate planning.

HEADS UP DEALING WITH THE IRS
Do you know what to do when the IRS comes calling on you? Learn how to:

    * Let go of your fear,
    * Know your rights,
    * Become informed,
    * Select a tax professional to help you , and
    * Deal directly with IRS officials if and when you need to

SMALL BUSINESS ACCOUNTING
Learn the secrets of small business accounting. Study how you can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of all aspects of your accounting function—from record keeping through payroll and taxes.

QUICKEN FOR WOMEN
Get control of your money! In this special course for women only, learn how you can use this powerful but easy to use software package to help you in all aspects of your financial management.

TUITION PLANNING
What do you need to do to be sure that you have enough money to pay college tuition? Should you pre-pay? Should you invest? How much money will be needed? How should tuition planning fit in with all the other items in your budget? Learn about the many ways that you can save for college tuition. Identify those methods that best fit you and your financial situation and design a strategy for achieving that all-important goal of paying college tuition.

ESTATE PLANNING
You want to provide the maximum possible for your loved ones after your death. How do you do this? How do you minimize the "Death Tax"? How to you provide for your own needs while protecting your estate for your survivors? Learn how to design and estate plan that will meet your individual requirements and will provide what you want for your family.

OVERCOMING FEAR OF FINANCES
Does money scare you? Are you afraid of making the wrong financial decisions? Believe it or not, beliefs that limit your efforts to get smart with money can be alleviated and changed. In this course you will explore how you feel about money, discover how you can best use the money you have to achieve what you need, and learn how you can use money as a tool for your personal growth, communication, and increased well-being.

BUDGETING FOR FUN AND PROFIT
Learn how to transform the dreaded chore of budgeting into an activity that can help you achieve more in life—more resources—more fun—more spare time—more communication—more power in your life.