Overview
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This specialization introduces learners to insurance as a core financial planning tool for managing risk and protecting health and wealth. Across four courses, you’ll explore how life, health, property, liability, and annuity products help individuals and households build financial resilience in the face of uncertainty.
Through real-world cases, expert insights, and applied decision-making scenarios, learners gain practical skills relevant to both personal financial planningfinance and careers in insurance and financial services.
Syllabus
- Course 1: RiskWise: Insurance and Your Financial Future
- Course 2: RiskWise: Navigating Life, Health and the Unexpected
- Course 3: RiskWise: Protecting What You Own and Why It Matters
- Course 4: RiskWise: Annuities and Income
Courses
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RiskWise: Insurance and Your Financial Future introduces learners to the fundamentals of risk management and insurance as essential tools for financial planning. Whether you're exploring a career in insurance or seeking to strengthen your personal financial strategy, this course offers practical insights into risk types, human capital, insurance operations, and the roles of professionals in the field. Through real-world examples, interactive activities, and expert interviews, you’ll learn how to evaluate personal risks, understand insurance products, and apply risk management strategies to build financial resilience. Designed for a broad audience—including aspiring and current insurance professionals—this course empowers you to make informed decisions and better serve clients or your own household. This course is part of the College of ACES suite of online programs. 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. @ aces.illinois.edu/online
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Unexpected events can derail even the best financial plans. This course equips you with the knowledge and tools to protect income, assets, and family security through effective insurance strategies. Whether you’re a financial professional or planning for your household, you’ll gain practical insights into health, life, disability, and long-term care coverage—and learn how to integrate them into a comprehensive risk management plan. Through real-world case studies, interactive tools, and expert interviews, you’ll explore advanced concepts and policy features that impact financial resilience. Designed for a broad audience—including aspiring and current insurance and financial planning professionals—this course empowers you to make informed decisions and better serve clients or your own household. This course is part of the College of ACES suite of online programs. 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 @aces.illinois.edu/online.
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Unexpected events like a car accident, dog bite or stormy night can derail financial goals for years to come. This course gives you the tools to protect your home, your vehicles, and your accumulated wealth through practical property and liability insurance and noninsurance strategies. Whether you are a financial professional or managing your own household, you’ll gain insight into today’s challenging insurance environment and learn why coverage decisions must be made before a loss occurs. Through expert podcasts, real‑world case studies, and interactive evaluation tools, you’ll explore how to spot hidden policy gaps and use umbrella coverage to shield future earnings. Designed for both aspiring professionals and savvy consumers, this course empowers you to move beyond the “price trap” and make informed decisions that ensure your insurance works when you need it most. This course is part of the College of ACES suite of online programs. 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: https://aces.illinois.edu/online.
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Turning lifetime savings into reliable retirement income is one of the most complex challenges in financial planning. In this course, you’ll explore how annuities work as insurance‑based contracts designed to support retirement income and manage longevity risk—while also examining the tradeoffs they introduce around flexibility, liquidity, costs, and legacy planning. Through expert interviews and realistic retirement scenarios, you’ll compare annuities with traditional investment‑based approaches and evaluate when guaranteed income may be useful within a broader retirement plan. You’ll learn how income options, guarantees, fees, and contract features affect long‑term outcomes for individuals and households. Rather than promoting specific products, this course emphasizes evaluation, judgment, and communication. You’ll apply retirement income concepts to practical situations, considering portfolio pressure, survivor outcomes, and the challenges of clearly explaining tradeoffs to clients or family members. Designed for a broad audience—including aspiring and current financial professionals, retirement planners, and informed consumers—this course equips you to assess annuity contracts thoughtfully and understand their role in comprehensive retirement strategies. This course is part of the College of ACES suite of online programs. 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: https://aces.illinois.edu/online.
Taught by
Dr. Craig Lemoine