Alternative Investments As We Age: Building Wealth

Overview

This course explores financial planning and investment strategies across the consumer lifecycle. It covers investment theories, cognitive biases, and their impact on financial decisions. You'll analyze case studies to understand wealth building, evaluate financial planning and wealth management strategies, and discuss generational wealth transfer. The course also examines financial strategies for those in their 40s and 50s, considering retirement savings and alternative investments. Finally, it assesses the role of private market and non-traditional investments in early wealth accumulation. This course is part of the College of ACES suite of online programs, including the graduate-level certificate, "Land, Agriculture and Alternative Investing" that can be stacked toward a master's degree. To learn more about online programs from the College of ACES and explore ways to apply your Coursera work toward a degree program at the University of Illinois, visit ACES Online at acesonline.illinois.edu.

Syllabus

Orientation & Module 1 | Exploring Financial Planning and Investment Options Throughout the Consumer Lifecycle

You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course. Then dive into the second part of this module to assess various investment theories throughout the client lifecycle by comparing the long-term financial impacts of saving versus investing. You’ll also examine the influence of cognitive biases, such as anchoring and confirmation bias, on financial decision-making and investment behaviors.

Module 2 | Applying Wealth Management Strategies as Consumers Age

This module focuses on analyzing and assessing the financial decisions and investment strategies of case study characters to understand long-term wealth building. You’ll evaluate opportunities for financial planning, wealth management, and generational wealth transfer, and discuss strategies for managing wealth through pre-retirement life stages.

Module 3 | Evaluating the Role of Alternative Investments as Consumers Approach Retirement

In this module, you will evaluate the effectiveness of different financial strategies for managing wealth in their 40s and 50s, considering factors such as retirement savings, asset allocation, and alternative investments. You’ll also use case studies to analyze the interactions between health and financial decisions to understand how maintaining good health can impact long-term financial stability and retirement planning.

Module 4 | Assessing Tradeoffs and Opportunities of Alternative Investments in Early Wealth Accumulation & Conclusion

This module examines the utilization of private market and non-traditional investments in institutional accounts and retirement plans. You’ll assess the feasibility and benefits of including alternative investments in building wealth through a case study. At the conclusion of this module, you will be ready to complete the final assessment for the course and earn your Coursera certificate!