Most financial planning education programs will include an introductory course to financial planning. For example, Boston University's introductory course includes an overview of financial planning processes. This initial course covers personal income tax planning, risk management and insurance, and investment planning. Students will study retirement planning and estate planning. The course also focuses on communication skills, rules and regulations, and time value of money tools.
A program's risk management and insurance course covers life, disability and medical insurance. This course in Emory University's program covers insurance basics, legal aspects, annuities, and death benefits. Buy-sell agreements, charitable uses, life insurance trusts, and pension maximization are also important in this course. Boston University's course covers property and casualty insurance, as well as homeowner liability and automobile insurance. The university also lists group life and health insurance plans as part of the course's curriculum.
Investment planning courses cover how to manage investment vehicles. In Emory University's investment planning course, students study how to analyze investment alternatives in a risk-return framework. The course emphasizes selection, timing, and diversification techniques. U.S. government securities, bonds, stocks, real estate, mutual funds, and asset-backed securities are covered.
Tax planning courses cover taxation for individuals and various types of business entities. Boston University's tax planning course covers tax aspects of investments, insurance, annuities, and securities. Emory University's course includes study of charitable planning, accounting methodology, retirement income planning, and income tax law fundamentals. Tax compliance, tax calculations, tax accounting, and the alternative minimum tax.
Courses in estate planning teach students how to minimize impact of state and federal taxation on estate transfers. Emory University's estate planning course covers estate planning, ownership and transfer or property and estate taxes. The course also discusses intra-family and other business transfer techniques, as well as incapacity planning and valuation issues. Boston University's course covers durable powers of attorney, powers of appointment, and probate procedure as part of its curriculum.