Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

BA 218: Personal Finance – Your Path to Financial Independence

Ready to take greater control of your money and build a clear path toward financial independence? BA 218 is designed to give you practical tools, real-world knowledge, and the confidence to make smart financial decisions today—while creating a long-term plan for your future.

Hybrid Format (How the Class Works)

This is a hybrid course. We meet once a week on campus for discussion, short activities, and Q&A. The remainder of the course takes place online through D2L, where you’ll access weekly modules, assignments, and checklists.

Plan to log into D2L at least twice a week to stay on track, meet deadlines, and keep up with course material.

No textbook is required 

What You Will Learn

This course goes beyond “just making a budget.” Our goal is to help you build a realistic, personalized path toward financial independence. Topics include:

• Creating and managing a spending plan that fits your real life

• Saving strategies, building an emergency fund, and paying yourself first

• Understanding credit cards, credit scores, and managing debt wisely

• How taxes impact your paycheck and financial decisions

• Investing fundamentals, retirement accounts, and the power of starting early

• Insurance and risk management to protect your financial future

By the end of the term, you will integrate these components into a personal financial plan and develop a first draft of your own roadmap to financial independence.

How We Will Approach the Class

My teaching style is practical, applied, and strengths-focused. We will connect financial concepts directly to your real-world choices—work, school, housing, transportation, debt, and future goals.

You can expect clear expectations, meaningful assignments, and actionable feedback you can use beyond this course.

Required Software

Microsoft Office 

Students must use Microsoft Office 365 for this course. This is available free for current students.