RiskWise: Insurance and Your Financial Future
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RiskWise: Insurance and Your Financial Future
This course is part of multiple programs.
Instructor: Dr. Craig Lemoine
Included with
What you'll learn
Evaluate personal and household risks using core insurance and human capital concepts
Identify insurance solutions that support long-term financial planning
Explore career paths and professional roles in risk management and insurance
Details to know
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
Build your subject-matter expertise
- Learn new concepts from industry experts
- Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
- Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
- Earn a shareable career certificate
There are 4 modules in this course
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
In this module, you’ll get oriented with the course and begin exploring the foundations of risk and insurance. You’ll learn key terms like loss, uncertainty, and the law of large numbers, and discover how insurance functions as a tool to manage risk. Through engaging examples and real-world scenarios, you’ll start building your understanding of risk types and how they affect financial decision-making.
What's included
11 videos4 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt
11 videos•Total 46 minutes
- Course Introduction•1 minute
- Meet Your Instructor | Craig Lemoine•4 minutes
- Module 1 Overview•1 minute
- Risk, Peril & Hazards•5 minutes
- Types of Losses•5 minutes
- Basic Concepts of Risks and Losses•8 minutes
- Diving into Risks and Losses•8 minutes
- Types of Risks•7 minutes
- Sharks & Mosquitos: Objective and Subjective Risks•5 minutes
- Can You Insure It?•2 minutes
- Module 1 Wrap-Up•1 minute
4 readings•Total 30 minutes
- Meet Your Instructor | Tapiwa Sigauke•10 minutes
- Course Guide•5 minutes
- Updating Your Profile•10 minutes
- Explore More – Understanding Risk and Insurance•5 minutes
2 assignments•Total 45 minutes
- Module 1 | Knowledge Check•15 minutes
- Orientation Quiz•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Getting to Know Your Classmates•10 minutes
In this module, we’ll explore the concept of human capital and how it connects to financial planning and risk management. You’ll learn how to evaluate your earning potential, understand the time value of money, and compare insurance and non-insurance solutions. By the end of the module, you’ll be able to outline the risk management process and apply economic thinking to household financial decisions.
What's included
14 videos2 readings1 assignment1 plugin
14 videos•Total 61 minutes
- Module 2 Overview•1 minute
- Intro Human Capital•4 minutes
- Human Capital and Time Value of Money•6 minutes
- Properties of Insurance•7 minutes
- Steps in the Risk Management Process•8 minutes
- Risk Management Terms•3 minutes
- What’s Missing on Your Balance Sheet•4 minutes
- Economic Theory: Bridging FP & Risk•4 minutes
- Traditional Thinking of Human Capital•3 minutes
- Household Production Line•8 minutes
- Disability, Risk Management and the Household Production Line•3 minutes
- Permanent Income Hypothesis•4 minutes
- Evolution of Human Capital•5 minutes
- Module 2 Wrap-Up•1 minute
2 readings•Total 15 minutes
- Learner Guide | Human Capital Calculator: What’s Your Future Worth?•10 minutes
- Explore More – Human Capital and Risk Management•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
- Module 2 | Knowledge Check •15 minutes
1 plugin•Total 15 minutes
- Interactive Human Capital Calculator: What’s Your Future Worth? •15 minutes
This module introduces how insurance works—from individual and group policies to social programs. You’ll explore how insurance companies operate, who’s involved in the process, and how risk discovery techniques help identify gaps in coverage. Interviews and case studies will help you connect insurance operations to broader wealth management strategies.
What's included
13 videos1 reading1 assignment
13 videos•Total 55 minutes
- Module 3 Overview•1 minute
- Categories of Insurance•4 minutes
- Methods of Treating Risk•7 minutes
- Social Insurance Programs•4 minutes
- How Insurance Companies Work•5 minutes
- Group Insurance•5 minutes
- Parties Involved with Insurance•3 minutes
- Meeting Sharon Allen•1 minute
- Risk in the Context of Goal Setting•6 minutes
- Wealth & Risk: Keeping up with Insurance Products•4 minutes
- What Happens when the Market Drops?•7 minutes
- Wealth and Long-Term Care•7 minutes
- Module 3 Wrap-Up•1 minute
1 reading•Total 5 minutes
- Explore More – Insurance Operations and Wealth Management•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
- Module 3 | Knowledge Check•15 minutes
In this final module, we’ll explore the roles of professionals in risk and insurance. You’ll hear from industry experts, analyze a case study, and learn how trust, innovation, and career pathways shape the field. After this module, you’ll be ready to complete the final assessment and earn your Coursera certificate!
What's included
11 videos3 readings1 assignment1 plugin
11 videos•Total 42 minutes
- Module 4 Overview•1 minute
- Risk Management is a Process•4 minutes
- Goals and Time in a Day•4 minutes
- Meet the Mahdevs: Providing Guidance Through Risk Review•2 minutes
- Meet David Bull•2 minutes
- The Power of Trust and Evergreen Risk Concepts•6 minutes
- Innovation in the World of Risk•7 minutes
- Common Risk Gaps•7 minutes
- Getting Started as a Professional•8 minutes
- Module 4 Wrap-Up•1 minute
- Course Summary•1 minute
3 readings•Total 25 minutes
- Explore More – Professional Perspectives on Risk•5 minutes
- Celebrating Your Achievement & Looking Ahead•10 minutes
- Getting Your Course Certificate•10 minutes
1 assignment•Total 60 minutes
- Final Assessment •60 minutes
1 plugin•Total 15 minutes
- Learner Guide The Madhav•15 minutes
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.
Instructor
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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Course
Status: Free TrialCategory: Credit offered - U
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Course
Status: Free TrialCategory: Credit offered - U
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Course
Status: Free TrialCategory: Credit offered
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Frequently asked questions
Yes! Although completion of the Coursera course alone is not credit-bearing, it is a required component of a graduate-level Canvas course that can be "stacked" toward advanced credentials such as an academic (transcriptable) graduate certificate or a degree. If you decide to pursue further education, the credits you earn from this course can be applied toward a formal academic program, provided that you meet all the requirements of admission to the certificate or degree.
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
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