Aspirations Discovered and Achieved

This course provides an introduction to goal-based wealth management. The course provides theoretical framework guided by the life-cycle model of optimal investing, borrowing, and protection. Students will learn the essentials of implementing a goal-based plan by evaluating a client’s financial information, developing communication skills, recognizing how behavioral finance impacts client decisions, understanding the economic environment and financial regulation, and recognizing and overcoming ethical challenges.

This course explains modern investment theory and provides an overview of financial instruments used to build efficient goal-based portfolio strategies for individual investors. Students will learn how to combine investments to design portfolios that provide investors with higher expected returns with less expected risk. Topics include statistical concepts related to risk assessment and portfolio evaluation, evidence-based practices in portfolio construction, and characteristics of financial products designed to meet a range of client goals.

This course provides an overview of applied goal-based wealth management strategies. These include income and investment tax planning, the rules and efficient use of tax sheltering accounts, asset location, savings and distributing retirement assets, planning for funding education, estate, and charitable goals, executive compensation, small business planning, diverse family structures, and managing defined contribution plans. Students will understand how to use accounts and strategies to more effectively help clients meet investment goals.