Understanding and learning how to manage your personal finances can feel like an overwhelming journey. In our online education series, we have identified financial topics that we all struggle with at some point in our financial journey. Each topic is completely focused on you with powerful, consumable information presented in a short series form to help you master the foundation of the topic. 

Having the right information and tools at your disposal will help you make the best personal finance decisions; so whether you’re looking to save money or help deal with debt, we have a wealth of knowledge available in our online learning courses.

What will you learn in our Credit Health series?

Understanding credit health and how it affects your likelihood of acquiring credit, as well as the credit agreements you’ll be dealing with, is the key to managing them correctly.

Credit Report Basics

Learning how to read and understand a credit report will give you the power to know exactly what your credit status is, and what financial and credit potential you have available.

 Basic credit health keywords

Credit providers and assessments will often be filled with a slew of often overwhelming and confusing terminology, but we have the 101 breakdown of everything you need to know about credit health terminology.

What is a credit report

Before you can understand your credit report and its findings, you’ll need to familiarise yourself with what a credit report is, what information it’ll present, and how to review it. We’ll be taking a look at everything you need to know about credit reports in our comprehensive credit report course.

Why are there credit reports

Understanding why we need credit reports is crucial to learning the dynamics between a loaner and lender, and why certain agreements and terms are put in place.

What is a credit score and how does it differ to your report

Learning to read and understand your credit score is the first step in getting to grips with your credit report. We’ll give you the tips and tricks when it comes to learning about credit reports to give you a headstart on your credit process.

Understanding Credit Reports

In the following course, we’ll be looking at credit reports, how to read specific credit reports, understanding your credit score, and what exactly affects your report and score.

Credit report sections

A credit report can seem overwhelming, but breaking it down into its various sections will help you understand the findings better. We’ll look at how credit reports are structured to give you an idea of what to expect with your own credit report.

How to read a credit report

Getting a credit report is one thing, but learning how to read and understand it is another. Here, we’ll be looking at how to approach your credit report so that you know exactly what the numbers represent and what that means for your credit profile.

How to read a credit score

Learn to understand what a credit score number means, and whether it’s good, bad, or average, along with some tips and tricks on how to improve it.

How do credit bureaus calculate scores

From historical data to current income, find out how credit bureaus calculate your score.

Why are credit bureau scores different from each other?

Noticing a difference between credit scores from different companies? Here’s why you’ll find a number of different credit scores during your personal finance journey.

Credit Report Red Flags and Problems

While exploring your credit report, there are important things to look out for. We’ll be exploring the key things to look out for that’ll help you troubleshoot your credit report.

How to spot mistakes on your credit report

Mistakes happen and not all credit bureaus get it right, so here’s how to assess and review your credit report for any mistakes or errors.

How to update outdated account, judgements

Needing some assistance with outdated information affecting your credit report? Thankfully, there are some ways to consolidate and update your credit accounts. Check out the guide below for more details.

Where to get credit bureau details

Here’s how to find and source the information you need to get in touch with your various credit bureaus or banks.

Building & Improving Credit Health

Use your handy tips and tricks to improve your credit health and ensure your credit report is up-to-date and ready for review.

5 Steps to building a credit record or history

The first step in getting credit is to ensure that you have a suitable credit record for credit-lenders to view. Here’s how to get your credit record off the ground:

5 Steps to improving your credit score

There are some handy, sure-fire ways to improve your credit score, giving you much more freedom and flexibility with your lenders. Check out our guide below for more information.

What will you learn in our Debt Repayment Strategy series

 Accessing credit is one thing, but learning how to manage, repay, and alleviate your debt is the key to becoming financially independent. Check out our guides below to better understand how debt plays a role in your financial wellbeing.

Debt Basics

Find out everything you need to know about debt and how it influences your personal finance in our course outline below.

Basic debt keywords

Learn more about the basic terminology of debt, such as what debt actually means, debt consolidation, repayments, and more must-know terms.

What is debt

Debt is the amount of money that you owe to someone else, such as a private lender, bank, retail outlet, or institution. Find out more about what debt is and how it affects your personal finance.

How does debt interest work

Understanding debt interest is one of the most important things when seeking credit, and we have everything you need to know in our debt interest course.

How you get caught in a debt cycle

Find out the best tricks and tips to avoid getting caught in an on-going spiral of debt, from small savings ideas to negotiating repayments, here’s how to address your debt situation.

Good vs Bad Debt

Not all debt is ‘bad’, and understanding the difference between good and bad debt will help you make better financial decisions for your future.

What is bad debt

Let’s take a look at some examples of bad debt and further understand what types of loans or credit contributes to bad debt.

What is good debt

Good debt can be seen as a necessary evil, but understanding what constitutes ‘good’ debt is important in making the right financial decisions.

Keys to paying off bad debt

Check out our tips and advice on managing your bad debts, with tips and guidance on the best way to clear yourself of negative-impacting debt.

Keys to managing good debt

Paying off your home or business loan? We’ve got some great tips to tackle your good debt in order to relieve yourself of the budgeting burdon.

Accelerated Debt Repayment

Embracing an accelerated debt repayment scheme can mean that you’ll release yourself from debt early and save money in the long run. We’ve got some guides on how an accelerated debt repayment plan could be the best solution for you.

Why pay off debt as fast as possible

There are some great benefits to paying off your debt as quickly as possible and prioritising it over other expenses.

What you need to have in place before only paying off debt

Ready to pay off your loans? Here’s what you need to know before taking on the debt.

• 5 step fast debt repayment plan (Ean to do but any online findings welcome)

Getting debt free while living normal life

Getting debt free while balancing your day-to-day life is possible, and we’ve got a handful of great guides to help you find the best route to clear your debt.

Can you live normally with lifestyle expenses and pay off debt

Prioritising your debt is the best way to deal with it, but there are a number of ways to manage your debt without significantly altering your lifestyle.

Important principles behind living like this

Discipline, sacrifice, and consistency are important factors in addressing debt. Here’s how you can improve your debt repayment routine to clear your debt as fast as possible.

What is the end goal of this strategy

Prioritising your debt will not only alleviate you of the financial burden, but also the mental stress associated with owing money. Check out our guides to help you better deal with your debt.

 

• 5 steps to debt freedom

Follow these 5 steps to regain your financial freedom and leave your debt behind.

 

What you can expect to learn in our Savings Plan series

Find out the best strategies to make your cash last with our comprehensive savings guides. From savings tips to creating goals and milestones, understanding the basics of savings is crucial in kickstarting your financial safety-net.

Saving Basics

From savings buzzwords to helpful tips, let’s breakdown the basics of how to save and what it entails.

Basic credit health keywords

Understanding the terminology around credit health will help you to understand your own financial situation, as well as the products available to you in the credit industry.

What is a credit report

Learn everything you need to know about credit reports, how to read yours, and what it all means.

Why are there credit reports

Discover the purpose and need for credit reports in our credit basics breakdown.

What is a credit score and how does it differ to your report

Knowing the difference between your credit score and report is important in understanding your credit status.

Kickstart your savings plan

Learn and implement the best savings strategies from our savings how-to guides.

What is your savings goal

Are you aiming to purchase a house? Do you want to treat yourself? Here’s why determining your own savings goal is key to motivating your savings strategy.

What is your saving time frame

Are you aiming to make a big purchase in 6 or 12 months? Do you need to save this month? Understanding the time-frame of your savings goal will help determine what exactly you need to save.

 5 different places to put your savings

Building a savings pocket is great, but knowing where to do so is important too. Check out our list of 5 beneficial places to put your savings.

 Watchlist – what to keep an eye on while your savings grow

Keep an eye on these following things to make sure your savings go from pocket pennies to prize profits!

Exiting your savings plan

Once you’ve completed your savings goal and you make the decision to exit your savings plan, there are a few things to consider to make the process as easy as possible.

When do you take out your savings

Deciding when to take out your savings can be as tricky as building it up, but there are some things to factor in before withdrawing your money.

Savings to never use

What savings should you never use? Here’s what you should keep your savings sums stashed away for.

How to use your savings for your savings goals responsibly

Follow these guidelines to ensure that you make the most out of your savings and achieve your financial goals.

Using your savings to become an investor

Your savings don’t only need to be for a bad day, as you can use that money to enter the world of investing. Check out these first-time investment tips to understand how to supercharge your savings.

Watchlist – how not to lose years of hard savings work

Keep these pitfalls in mind when withdrawing and utilising your savings.

Example Savings plans & strategies

Emergency Fund Savings Plan

Emergencies and unforeseen circumstances happen, so here’s how to build and manage a savings plan to assist with those tricky situations.

“X” Cash Purchase Savings Plan (car, house, etc.)

Aiming to make a big cash purchase? Check out our savings guide to make your savings journey as easy, risk-free, and quick as possible.

Saving to Investor Status Plan

Long-term financial goals on the horizon? There are some fundamental tips to follow to turn your savings pocket into an investment pouch.

What can you expect to learn in our Financial Foundation Series

 Wanting to know all there is to know about personal finances? Check out our comprehensive guides and courses to wrap your head around everything from saving to picking insurance policies.

Financial Terms

Getting to grips with the financial lingo out there is the best way to understand the tips, products, and industry that’ll be affecting your personal finance.

Keywords: Expense Tracking

Keeping up to date with your monthly costs is important, and we can help you understand the important terms to look out for when compiling your expense tracking sheet.

Keywords: Budgeting

Budgeting is tough, but understanding the glossary of budgeting buzzwords isn’t. We’ve got everything you need to know about the budgeting world here.

Keywords: Credit Health

Knowing the credit health jargon is important in understanding your credit situation; and thankfully, we have what you need to know in our credit health keyword breakdown.

Keywords: Savings

Learn how to invest properly by understanding the important terms and phrases around saving.

Keywords: Investing

From bull markets to budgets, learn everything you need to know about the key sayings and terminology in the investment world.

Keywords: Financial Products (insurance, loans, etc.)

Having a firm understanding of what types of financial products are available, and what their names mean, is important in helping you shop for the product which suits your needs.

Full Financial Glossary – Download yours here

For a full list of the important financial terms you’ll encounter on your personal finance journey, check our financial glossary PDF. Download yours here.

Understanding Cash Flow & Expenses

Find out the best way to manage your incoming and outgoing cash, along with keeping your expenses in check with our handy guides.

What comes in must not all go out (spend less than you earn)

Learn how to ensure that you are spending less than you are making, helping you and your budget.

How to prioritise expenses

Keep your expenses in check with some handy tips and tricks to manage your money.

How to avoid lifestyle

Keeping your lifestyle expenses in check can be tricky, but there are easy ways to make sure that you aren’t overspending.

Building A Budget

Get the basics on how to put your budget together, including your incomes, expenses, and financial goals to strive towards.

Building a healthy lifestyle and managing expenses

Here’s how to keep your lifestyle expenses down and your budget in check month-by-month.

Automating the important stuff

Learn how to automate your known-costs, so that you don’t forget to settle your debts.

How to build fat into your budget

When you’re working out your budget, expenses are necessary, but be careful not to overwhelm your cash flow.

The hidden margin costs that destroy any budget

Be aware of the following margin costs, so that you are planning for them and your budget isn’t blindsided.

Managing your Debt

Use our tried-and-tested tools and advice to help you manage your debt and alleviate yourself of financial pressure.

Can you build healthy finances and have debt?

Balancing debt with the ability to earn wealth is tricky, but it is do-able if you follow the correct money-saving and debt management principles.

Debt basics

Learn the basics of debt, how it affects your money, and how to handle it as you begin your credit process.

Good vs bad debt

Not all debt is ‘bad’, and understanding the difference between good and bad debt will help you make better financial decisions for your future.

Debt repayment strategies

Debt repayment will help you overcome your debt quickly and efficiently. We’ve got some guides on how a debt repayment plan could be the best solution for you.

Kickstart your savings

Learn the basics of saving, along the benefits and process of putting together a savings plan.

The basics

Understand the fundamentals of savings, including definitions, savings types, and how you go about saving your money.

The starter savings plan options

Beginning to save your money is a great step to financial freedom, and there are a number of savings plans to explore in order to get started.

Achieving goals and using your savings

Achieving your goals and using your savings is a delicate balance, so find out exactly what you need to know about managing your saved finances and spending on the right things.

When to start investing your savings

Knowing when to put your savings into a more interest-friendly investment account comes down to your goals, budget, and timing. Find out more in our savings and investment course.

Important Financial Products

There are a huge number of financial products, such as insurance policies, credit cards, and other investment opportunities available from banks and financial institutions. Knowing the requirements, advantages, and disadvantages of each product category will help in guiding your decisions.

Health (Insurance)

Find out everything you need to know about health insurance, including product benefits, costs, and which options suit your needs and budget best.

Life (Insurance)

Life is unpredictable, so find out everything you need to know about life insurance policies, including costs and benefits, to protect you and your family.

Money (Credit, Transact)

Whether you’re looking for financial assistance products or a quick credit line, we’ve got everything you need to know about fast money products.

Financial Growth (Bank Accounts, Investment)

Looking to grow your wealth? Check out everything you need to know about selecting the best bank account or investment opportunity based on your needs.

5 Step Bulletproof Strategy

When it’s time to settle your debts, there is a tried-and-test way to resolve your credit situation and create a healthy financial plan.

1. Assess where you are and sort out the expense clutter

Assessing and reviewing your current financial situation, taking into account your credit and savings, is the first step in creating and improving your personal finances.

2. Debt repayment strategy and automation

Debt repayment strategies can assist in creating good financial health, and learning how to automate these necessary transactions is key in doing so.

3. Automate emergency fund savings

Having an emergency fund and topping it up as part of your monthly budget allocation is an important element in generating financial security.

4. TFSA setup and allocation

Discover how to set up a tax-free savings account (TFSA) to begin creating wealth from your cash flow.

5. Ramping up /aspiration: Other investments, lifestyle goals, important products

Discover how setting personal and financial goals will help grow your motivation and desire to build a stronger financial portfolio.