Money Management Course

Lesson 1 • The Nature and Functions of Money

Defines money, its historical evolution, and its three core functions. Establishes the conceptual baseline for all subsequent financial analysis.

Lesson 2 • Time Value of Money Basics

Explains why a rand today is worth more than a rand tomorrow. Introduces present value and future value as foundational analytical tools.

Lesson 3 • The Financial System Overview

Maps the major components of a financial system: markets, institutions, and instruments. Shows how capital flows between savers and borrowers.

Lesson 1 • Saving Strategies and Emergency Funds

Covers saving rate targets, account types, and the purpose of liquid reserves. Connects time value of money to long-term saving behaviour.

Lesson 2 • Budgeting and Cash Flow Management

Teaches methods for tracking income and expenses to achieve financial balance. Directly applies cash flow concepts from Chapter 1.

Lesson 3 • Understanding and Managing Debt

Distinguishes productive from destructive debt and presents repayment strategies. Builds on interest concepts introduced in Chapter 1.

Lesson 4 • Insurance and Risk Protection

Introduces insurance as a personal risk-transfer tool and explains key coverage types. Frames risk management as a core component of financial planning.

Lesson 1 • The Income Statement Explained

Covers revenue, expenses, and net income line by line. Establishes how profitability is measured over a reporting period.

Lesson 2 • The Balance Sheet in Depth

Explains assets, liabilities, and equity as a snapshot of financial position. Reinforces the accounting equation introduced in Chapter 1.

Lesson 3 • Financial Ratio Analysis

Introduces liquidity, profitability, leverage, and efficiency ratios. Enables comparative analysis across periods and peer companies.

Lesson 4 • The Cash Flow Statement

Distinguishes operating, investing, and financing cash flows. Shows why profitable companies can still face liquidity problems.

Lesson 1 • Business and Commercial Credit

Examines lines of credit, term loans, and trade finance used by businesses. Connects to financial statement analysis for creditworthiness assessment.

Lesson 2 • How Banks Operate

Describes the bank balance sheet, fractional reserve lending, and profit drivers. Grounds students in institutional finance before examining credit products.

Lesson 3 • Consumer and Mortgage Lending

Covers personal loan types, mortgage structures, and underwriting criteria. Applies interest and present value concepts from earlier chapters.

Lesson 4 • Central Banking and Monetary Policy

Describes how central banks influence interest rates, money supply, and credit conditions. Links macro policy to individual borrowing costs.

Lesson 1 • Fixed Income Investments

Explains bond structure, pricing, yield, and duration. Demonstrates how interest rate changes affect bond portfolio value.

Lesson 2 • Alternative and Real Assets

Surveys real estate, commodities, and private equity as portfolio diversifiers. Highlights unique risk and liquidity characteristics of each.

Lesson 3 • Risk, Return, and Diversification

Quantifies the risk-return tradeoff and explains how diversification reduces portfolio risk. Extends the risk concept introduced in Chapter 1.

Lesson 4 • Portfolio Construction and Rebalancing

Applies asset allocation theory to build and maintain a target portfolio. Integrates all asset class knowledge into a practical investment process.

Lesson 1 • Equity Market Mechanics

Explains order types, trading venues, and price discovery in stock markets. Extends equity investment knowledge from Chapter 4.

Lesson 2 • Market Efficiency and Behavioural Finance

Evaluates the efficient market hypothesis and common cognitive biases that distort prices. Provides a critical lens for all prior market analysis.

Lesson 3 • Debt and Money Markets

Covers Treasury bills, commercial paper, and repo markets as short-term funding tools. Connects to central bank operations from Chapter 5.

Lesson 4 • Derivatives: Futures and Forwards

Introduces futures and forward contracts for price risk management. Applies present value and risk concepts to derivative pricing.

Lesson 1 • Dividends and Shareholder Returns

Examines dividend policy, share buybacks, and their signalling effects. Connects corporate cash flow decisions to investor value.

Lesson 2 • Capital Structure and Leverage

Analyses the debt-equity tradeoff, tax shields, and financial distress costs. Introduces optimal capital structure theory.

Lesson 3 • Capital Budgeting Techniques

Applies NPV, IRR, and payback period to evaluate long-term investment decisions. Directly extends present value skills from Chapter 1.

Lesson 4 • Sources of Corporate Financing

Surveys debt, equity, and hybrid instruments available to corporations. Builds on banking and investment knowledge from prior chapters.

Lesson 1 • Creating and Measuring Long-Term Value

Introduces economic value added, return on invested capital, and shareholder value frameworks. Provides a capstone lens for evaluating all financial decisions.

Lesson 2 • Working Capital and Liquidity Management

Optimises the cash conversion cycle and short-term funding strategy. Connects operational cash flow management to strategic financial health.

Lesson 3 • Business Valuation Methods

Applies DCF, comparable company, and precedent transaction analyses to value businesses. Synthesises financial statement, cost of capital, and cash flow skills.

Lesson 4 • Financial Planning and Forecasting

Builds integrated financial models linking revenue drivers to projected statements. Applies three-statement modelling skills from Chapter 3.