Take Control of your FinancesWhat is it?
Take Control of your Finances is a free 8 week personal finance course. We start with the basics: how to work out and measure your net-worth, tracking spending and paying off credit card debt. In the later weeks we'll progress to how to invest and how to get to Financial Independence (FI). When is it? Katie and Alan are planning the next dates. Sign up to the mailing list to be the first to know when we launch the next course. Why come? 40% of people in the UK can't survive 1 month without income. The average person has thousands of pounds of credit card debt and lives beyond their means. |
What is your net-worth? If you can't answer this question this you need to come on this course......
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The Covid Pandemic showed us how fragile people's finances are and Katie and I want to help you get your finances in order. We want to help you take control, start saving and to set yourself up for a financially abundant life.
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Learn about the next course first
Katie and I have just finished running the first ever Take Control of your Finances (TCF) course and we had so much fun. The last session was on 21st September 2020. Over 100 people joined us for the 8 weeks and made so much progress on their finances. We have been inspired by the difference we have been able to make in people's lives and we are planning on running another one. We don't have dates yet but drop your email address and name below and we will let you know when we announce the next course. Make sure you check the box next to "Register your interest in the next TCF course by ticking the box below". *
What did people say about the first course?
We honestly can’t thank you enough for all of your help for both of us with managing our finances. We actually feel so much more in control of our lives as a whole now! Thank you. ~ Beth
This course has been amazing. In the past I have been particularly poor with money and I have let it slip through my fingers far too easily. TCF has really put me and my partner on the same page. We are now talking the same financial language, it has helped us to feel more connected and given us something else to talk about and be interested in. As much as you wanted to improve financial literacy, you need to know that it has had the benefit of pulling what was a strong relationship anyway, closer together. Finances has been one of the few areas where we have had conflict in the past with me being a spender and my partner being a saver but we are now singing from the same hymn sheet. That is very much appreciated. ~ Jon and Natasha
This course has been amazing. In the past I have been particularly poor with money and I have let it slip through my fingers far too easily. TCF has really put me and my partner on the same page. We are now talking the same financial language, it has helped us to feel more connected and given us something else to talk about and be interested in. As much as you wanted to improve financial literacy, you need to know that it has had the benefit of pulling what was a strong relationship anyway, closer together. Finances has been one of the few areas where we have had conflict in the past with me being a spender and my partner being a saver but we are now singing from the same hymn sheet. That is very much appreciated. ~ Jon and Natasha
What exactly is the course?
Take Control of your Finances (TCF) is an 8 week course designed to give you everything we wish we had known about financial independence and personal finance when we started getting our finances in order. Each week we will run a 90 minute session over zoom where you can interact with us, learn and ask questions.
We run the course via zoom so you can join from wherever you are in the world. The last course we had people from the UK, the USA, Canada, Namibia and more. Katie and I ran the course in Berlin! So join a truly global group of people working to take control of their finances.
We mind mapped out everything we have learnt across the last decade of pursuing financial independence and have condensed it into a course. The modules are:
Following each module there is a set of homework designed to move your finances and thinking forward. We follow up the zoom module with a follow up email, course materials and spreadsheet templates designed to help you get going quickly!
We run the course via zoom so you can join from wherever you are in the world. The last course we had people from the UK, the USA, Canada, Namibia and more. Katie and I ran the course in Berlin! So join a truly global group of people working to take control of their finances.
We mind mapped out everything we have learnt across the last decade of pursuing financial independence and have condensed it into a course. The modules are:
- Net-worth: how much are you worth and where is your money? The first step to taking charge of your finances is to take a good look at your current position. Do you know what your net-worth is?
- Cashflow: Where does all the money go? Do you have money left over at the end of the month? Could you write down where it all goes? Let's start thinking of your personal finance in terms of monthly cashflow and how much you are saving to invest
- Money Beliefs: Society and culture teach us a huge amount about money such as "Money is the root of all evil" and "it takes money to make money". If you don't take control of your beliefs about money you will never take control of your finances
- Debt & Compounding: Debt is the biggest drag on family finances. We need to take care of this early and eradicate it. Is there such a thing as good debt and bad debt? We then explore the power of compounding and how it works against you with debt and for you with investing
- Couples, family finance & communicating about money: Money is one of the biggest reasons for divorce and managing your finances as a team or a family is critical to your financial well being and can strengthen family relationships. Money ripped apart my family and I want to help you avoid the same fate
- Investing: You've taken control of you spending. You've built up some savings but what do you do with them? The banks give you almost zero interest so how do you invest your money? What are the options and how do you start?
- FIRE Principles: Financial Independence/Retire Early (FIRE). What are the principles behind early retirement? How do you know how much to save? Can you retire early or even at all? We' help you work all this out.
- Planning for your future: No matter what age you are right now you should be developing the habits and strategies that will set you up for the long term. We will show you how to model your financial future and if you will have enough for retirement.
Following each module there is a set of homework designed to move your finances and thinking forward. We follow up the zoom module with a follow up email, course materials and spreadsheet templates designed to help you get going quickly!
Course Objectives
We have some big objectives for this course. Maybe we are being bold? We don't think so! These are the course objectives:
If any of that sounds interesting then register your interest for the next course and get involved! Katie and I are excited to help you with all this.
- Get a grip of your spending - know how much you spend a month/year
- Work out your savings rate - % you are saving
- Cut out spending that isn't adding value to your life (subscriptions etc.)
- Have a clear plan to get out of debt
- Understand how to invest in low cost Vanguard index funds
- Get your first £100 into a Vanguard index fund
- Project your own retirement date
- Uncover any beliefs about money that are holding you back
- Get on the same financial page as your partner/family
- Know your net-worth
- Have a clear financial goal for your future
- Develop the financial habits that will set you up for the future
- Learn about the FIRE world and other ongoing resources. Who are the FIRE characters and what can you learn from each of them?
If any of that sounds interesting then register your interest for the next course and get involved! Katie and I are excited to help you with all this.
Who is the course for?
Everything you want is outside your comfort zone; otherwise you would already have it!
Katie and I don't care who you are as long as you have a desire to take control of your finances and do the work to build a bright future. This course is designed to help you even if you are a complete beginner and have no financial knowledge at all. Let's get uncomfortable together and start the conversation about money.
Katie and I don't care who you are as long as you have a desire to take control of your finances and do the work to build a bright future. This course is designed to help you even if you are a complete beginner and have no financial knowledge at all. Let's get uncomfortable together and start the conversation about money.
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Most people's financial plan is to bury their head in the sand and ignore it. They think "it's ok there will be a government pension for me when I retire!"
This is not a strategy for long term financial stability let alone success! This might be uncomfortable but we are going to help you take a good look at your finances and help you take control Can you answer these questions?
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If the answer to any of these questions is "I don't know" then this course is for you. We want to help you get to grips with your finances and get on top of them.
Why learn from Katie and Alan
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Katie and I aren't trained finance professionals, we aren't financial advisors, we are just normal people form the UK. Put off yet? Why should you bother listening to us?
We achieved financial independence at the ages of 35 and 40 years old and have had a huge amount of fun over the last 2 years travelling the world and enjoying our time doing cool things with cool people. We retired 25 years earlier than the average person in the UK and we did it through learning and finance, investing and managing our money. |
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We learnt about financial independence 6 years ago but have been working on self development and making money for 2 decades. Katie was an actuary before she retired and I ran PopUp Business School. I have spent 12 years writing courses on presenting, presence, starting businesses and more and delivered them for companies like Microsoft, Westminster Council and Henley Business School.
Over the last 5 years we have been to courses on Financial Independence, read all the books, blogs and listened to all the podcasts. Not only that we have applied the techniques to our lives and have figured out what works and what doesn't. We have also learnt how to translate American to British English as most of the resources are from America.
Using these techniques we were able to retire 25 years earlier than average in the UK. We bought back 25 years of our lives so that we can travel, explore and do good.
We actually don't want you to trust what we are saying. We want you to learn from us, then do your own homework and take action. The best way to learn is to take action.
Over the last 5 years we have been to courses on Financial Independence, read all the books, blogs and listened to all the podcasts. Not only that we have applied the techniques to our lives and have figured out what works and what doesn't. We have also learnt how to translate American to British English as most of the resources are from America.
Using these techniques we were able to retire 25 years earlier than average in the UK. We bought back 25 years of our lives so that we can travel, explore and do good.
We actually don't want you to trust what we are saying. We want you to learn from us, then do your own homework and take action. The best way to learn is to take action.
What do you need to do? Course requirements.
We are going to be organising everything and delivering the course but this is a long, long way from a one way street. There is going to be work for you to do as well. The course is completely free in terms of £££s or $$$s. We just want to give away what we have spend a decade learning.
But there is a cost in time and effort from you. If you sign up we expect the following things from you:
But there is a cost in time and effort from you. If you sign up we expect the following things from you:
- Open Mind - some of the things we are going to teach and give you are against conventional wisdom and we just ask that you are open and listen. You don't have to follow the advice you just have to be open minded.
- Engagement - the more engaged you are the more impact the course will have for you! We want you to get engaged on the zoom calls, ask questions, give energy and do the exercises
- Homework - we are going to set you homework! From working out your net-worth to tracking spending and predicting retirement dates there is going to be homework to do! This course is a bit like a refrigerator; you only get out what you put in! Are you willing to put in the work to sort out your finances and build the future you want?
- Feedback - we are genuinely interested in your feedback. We will send you a survey at the end of the course and 1 year after the course to find out if the course worked for you and what happened. All we ask is that you tell us what you think; good or bad. Please commit to filling out our short survey at the end and after 1 year to tell us what you think
Disclaimer
We are not financial advisors. We are not trained professionals. We are running this course to share what we have learnt over the years managing our own finances and to help you make better financial decisions.
You are responsible for your own financial decisions and no matter if you are taking advice from a trained professional or someone giving you a stock tip down the pub you need to do your homework! Please take control of your own financial future and do your own research.
We will share what we have learnt and our opinions but it is up to you to make your own decisions and do your own research.
This is not advice this is our experience and our opinions. Anything you do as a result of the course is at your own risk. By attending the course you understand that we are not trained professionals and you are taking this information and implementing it at your own risk.
You are responsible for your own financial decisions and no matter if you are taking advice from a trained professional or someone giving you a stock tip down the pub you need to do your homework! Please take control of your own financial future and do your own research.
We will share what we have learnt and our opinions but it is up to you to make your own decisions and do your own research.
This is not advice this is our experience and our opinions. Anything you do as a result of the course is at your own risk. By attending the course you understand that we are not trained professionals and you are taking this information and implementing it at your own risk.
Dates for the next course
Katie and I are planning dates for the next course at the moment. If you want to know first when we run the next one then put your email address in below and we will send them straight to you as soon as we know when it will be! *
Frequently Asked Questions
I have to fill out a survey after the course? What are you going to do with my data?
The survey will be anonymous and this is for our use to understand if the course helped or not. Katie and I are very keen to learn how best to help you and other people. We want to learn as much as you do! We will never share your email or data with anyone. We use Mailchimp to store the data so that we comply with GDPR regulations.
What if I am on government benefits?
Katie and I are not experts on benefits and will not be able to help you in this area. We will help you get good with money and have sound financial plans but the specifics of government benefits are outside our area of expertise.
Are you going to sell me something at the end of the course?
We aren't going to sell you anything at all. We are doing this to help and give back. The only thing we ask for in return for the course is your participation and filling out the feedback forms.
I have no idea what a index fund is or how to work out cashflow! Do I need to understand finances before the course?
This course is designed to help you from the start. You need no prior knowledge at all and we will do our best to explain all the terms as we go. Come along, get involved and ask questions!
The survey will be anonymous and this is for our use to understand if the course helped or not. Katie and I are very keen to learn how best to help you and other people. We want to learn as much as you do! We will never share your email or data with anyone. We use Mailchimp to store the data so that we comply with GDPR regulations.
What if I am on government benefits?
Katie and I are not experts on benefits and will not be able to help you in this area. We will help you get good with money and have sound financial plans but the specifics of government benefits are outside our area of expertise.
Are you going to sell me something at the end of the course?
We aren't going to sell you anything at all. We are doing this to help and give back. The only thing we ask for in return for the course is your participation and filling out the feedback forms.
I have no idea what a index fund is or how to work out cashflow! Do I need to understand finances before the course?
This course is designed to help you from the start. You need no prior knowledge at all and we will do our best to explain all the terms as we go. Come along, get involved and ask questions!
When I try and subscribe it tells me I am already subscribed!
If you are already on my mailing list when you fill out the form above it will say you are already on the mailing list and ask you if you want to update your preferences. Click yes and it will send you an email with a link to update your preferences. Click on the link and then you can just check the box for "I'm interested in coming on the next TCF course" and click save. If you have any problems contact us
Do I have to attend every session?
No you do not. Katie and I understand sometimes life gets in the way, but to get the most out of the course you should come to as many as you can. If you are really serious about managing your finances then come to every single one
Those dates and times don't work for me. Will you be recording the course?
No. We have designed the course to be interactive and we believe it works best if you attend the course live.
Can I bring a friend?
Of course you can. The more the merrier! Katie and I go on all training courses together so that we both get the advantage of the information, we can discuss it and implement it together afterwards and it makes it more fun! Bring a friend, partner, son, daughter, niece or nephew with you! Please feel free to share this page with people that you think will need the course!
Why is the course free?
We achieved financial independence in 2018 and never need to earn money again if we don't want to. I have found the biggest source of long term happiness for me is helping other people. There is only so much sitting on a beach drinking cocktails that one couple can do. We get such a buzz out of helping others and are enjoying giving away our time to make a difference. So join in and get involved whilst we are excited about running these courses and helping people
*By signing up to receive dates for the course you are joining the general AlanDonegan.com mailing list. We couldn't find another way to do this with the free version of mailchimp. You can hit unsubscribe at any point. I send out aobut 4-8 emails a year with updates on the blog and with free tools and information
If you are already on my mailing list when you fill out the form above it will say you are already on the mailing list and ask you if you want to update your preferences. Click yes and it will send you an email with a link to update your preferences. Click on the link and then you can just check the box for "I'm interested in coming on the next TCF course" and click save. If you have any problems contact us
Do I have to attend every session?
No you do not. Katie and I understand sometimes life gets in the way, but to get the most out of the course you should come to as many as you can. If you are really serious about managing your finances then come to every single one
Those dates and times don't work for me. Will you be recording the course?
No. We have designed the course to be interactive and we believe it works best if you attend the course live.
Can I bring a friend?
Of course you can. The more the merrier! Katie and I go on all training courses together so that we both get the advantage of the information, we can discuss it and implement it together afterwards and it makes it more fun! Bring a friend, partner, son, daughter, niece or nephew with you! Please feel free to share this page with people that you think will need the course!
Why is the course free?
We achieved financial independence in 2018 and never need to earn money again if we don't want to. I have found the biggest source of long term happiness for me is helping other people. There is only so much sitting on a beach drinking cocktails that one couple can do. We get such a buzz out of helping others and are enjoying giving away our time to make a difference. So join in and get involved whilst we are excited about running these courses and helping people
*By signing up to receive dates for the course you are joining the general AlanDonegan.com mailing list. We couldn't find another way to do this with the free version of mailchimp. You can hit unsubscribe at any point. I send out aobut 4-8 emails a year with updates on the blog and with free tools and information
