Finance Fundamentals

Find out how to manage your income and expenditure more effectively

This online courses explore how current economic conditions impact household finances, before showing you how to manage yours more effectively.

You will find out whether you have bad financial habits and how to address them; discover a simple four-stage model for making sound financial decisions; examine the two components of household budgeting – income and expenditure – and how to manage them; and look at a key area of household spending – insurance.

The Open University’s Centre for the Public Understanding of Finance created this course, with the generous support of True Potential LLP.

For further information about registration, the final assessment course, your eligibility and the BA in Business Management, visit the Open University website.

IMPORTANT! If you are aiming to use your study of courses in the Business and Finance Fundamentals program to obtain academic credit, please be aware that the final planned presentation of the Open University Assessment Course BXM191 Business and Finance Fundamentals in Practice starts October 2020. Please ensure that you allow yourself enough time to obtain all eight Certificates of Achievement from courses in the program before registering for the Assessment Course. Details of runs of the relevant FutureLearn courses in 2019 and 2020 are available here.

Ensure your investments are effective and match your risk-return appetite

Research shows that UK households are poor at investment management, with a limited understanding of choices, risks and returns. This could mean that many people cannot afford to retire in future.

This online course will give you the tools to avoid this nightmare. You will study investment choices, and the risks and returns of each; investment strategies and your risk-return appetite; and behaviours that can impair effective investment decisions.

The Open University’s Centre for the Public Understanding of Finance created this course, with the generous support of True Potential LLP.

For further information about registration, the final assessment course, your eligibility and the BA in Business Management, visit the Open University website.

Academic credit

If you are aiming to use your study of courses in the Business and Finance Fundamentals program to obtain academic credit, please be aware that the final planned presentation of the Open University Assessment Course BXM191 Business and Finance Fundamentals in Practice starts October 2020. Please ensure that you allow yourself enough time to obtain all eight Certificates of Achievement from courses in the program before registering for the Assessment Course. The start dates of the relevant FutureLearn courses in 2019 and 2020 are available here.

Prepare for the future through the effective management of household finances

Each household is its own miniature financial world, with a balance sheet comprised of assets (property, investments, pensions) and liabilities (household debts). Prudent management is essential to ensure these finances deliver the best returns.

On this course, you will learn to effectively manage your household wealth. You’ll learn about different types of borrowing and the associated debts, different types of mortgage, and different ways to invest your money.

By gaining a stronger grasp of household finance, you can best prepare for the future, and ultimately for a comfortable retirement.

This household finance course would be useful to anyone looking to more effectively manage their own household wealth and debts, with a view to preparing for the future. If you want to better understand the buying and selling of property, personal investment vehicles, and different forms of borrowing then you could benefit.

This course might also be of interest to current or aspiring business and management, finance, accounting, or actuarial science students, or financial advisors.

For further information about registration, the final assessment course, your eligibility and the BA in Business Management, visit The Open University’s website.

If you are aiming to use your study of courses in the Business and Finance Fundamentals program to obtain academic credit, please be aware that the final planned presentation of the Open University Assessment Course BXM191 Business and Finance Fundamentals in Practice starts October 2020. Please ensure that you allow yourself enough time to obtain all eight Certificates of Achievement from courses in the program before registering for the Assessment Course. Details of runs of the relevant FutureLearn courses in 2020 are available here.