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Across three courses, you’ll explore traditional investments, land and real estate as alternatives, and annuities as insurance-based tools for managing longevity risk and income stability. Using real-world scenarios, case studies, and expert insights, learners develop judgment around portfolio construction, asset diversification, and retirement income tradeoffs. Designed for aspiring and current financial professionals, retirement planners, and informed consumers, this specialization emphasizes evaluation and decision-making over product promotion.

Syllabus

Course 1: Alternative Investments: Investing in Land & Real Estate
Course 2: Investing and Building Wealth
Course 3: RiskWise: Annuities and Income

Courses

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Unlock the secrets to financial success with our comprehensive course on investing and wealth building. Starting with an in-depth analysis of securities, markets, and diversification principles, you'll gain a solid foundation in investment strategies. As you progress, you'll explore risk and return measures and learn powerful time value of money techniques. The course culminates in exploring the benefits of a diversified portfolio and age-appropriate wealth-building strategies. Enhance your skills through a hands-on case study, preparing you to navigate the financial world with confidence. Join us and take the first step towards a prosperous future! 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://acesonline.illinois.edu/
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Alternative Investments: Investing in Land & Real Estate introduces learners to the fundamentals of investing in farmland and real estate as alternative assets. You'll explore agricultural economics, land valuation, ownership structures, and risk management strategies. The course also covers real estate investment types, liquidity considerations, and how these assets can fit into diversified portfolios. Through case studies and expert insights, you'll gain practical knowledge to evaluate whether land and real estate align with your financial goals. 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.