Solving the Retirement Puzzle

via Coursera Specialization

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Coursera Specialization
Pricing

Paid Course
Languages

English
Certificate

Certificate Available
Level

Beginner

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Overview

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Retirement is more than a financial calculation—it’s a complex transition involving income sustainability, investment strategy, personal values, and long-term well-being. This specialization brings together retirement planning frameworks, behavioral insights on money and happiness, and income solutions such as annuities to help learners navigate retirement decisions with clarity and confidence. Across three courses, learners explore how portfolios support retirement income, how financial choices affect quality of life, and how to evaluate tradeoffs involving risk, flexibility, legacy, and longevity. Designed for financial professionals, retirement planners, and informed consumers, this specialization emphasizes judgment, communication, and real-world decision-making.

Syllabus

Course 1: Alternatives as We Age: Retirement and Legacy Planning
Course 2: Money and Happiness
Course 3: RiskWise: Annuities and Income

Courses

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This course delves into the complexities of retirement planning and estate management. It covers various definitions of retirement and examines the financial risks families and consumers face during this stage. You'll explore both qualitative and quantitative retirement challenges and analyze strategies recommended by wealth managers, including annuitization, treasury, bucket, and market-driven approaches. The course evaluates alternative investments through different stages of retirement and uses case studies to illustrate diverse strategies. It also focuses on applying and modeling portfolios within a retirement framework, emphasizing income sustainability. Finally, the course covers estate planning fundamentals and strategies for managing land, alternative, and illiquid investments, as well as philanthropic strategies involving these assets. 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.
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What does it mean to live a good life—and how does money fit into that picture? In this course, you'll explore the science behind happiness and financial well-being. Drawing from psychology, behavioral economics, and personal finance, you'll learn how money can both help and hinder our pursuit of a meaningful life. Along the way, you'll reflect on your own values, assess your financial wellness, and discover practical strategies to align your spending with what matters most. Whether you're a student, professional, or lifelong learner, this course will help you understand the complex relationship between money and happiness—and empower you to make choices that support your well-being. By the end of the course, you’ll walk away with a personalized plan to enhance your happiness through intentional financial decisions. 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.