Financial services broadly refer to services provided by financial institutions like banks, insurance, investment houses, brokers, lenders, capital markets, etc. This sector is an integral part of the economy, driving the world in respect of market capitalization and earnings.
Did you know that the global efforts to strengthen the international financial structure and develop international finance standards are the aftermaths of the financial crisis of 1998 and 2008? As per a report by the World Bank, “About 1.7 billion adults—men and women; and more than 50 percent of SMEs—still lack access to formal financial services.”
In view of the above, understanding access to financial services as the first step towards financial inclusion becomes crucial. Here are few top financial services online courses that will enhance your knowledge of financial services.
List of Top Financial Services Online Courses
1. Accounting, Finance, and Banking: A Comprehensive Study – Udemy
This finance course offers in-depth knowledge on almost all topics. It covers the topic from basic to master level and can be taken up by anyone willing to learn this topic. The three fundamental domains of finance, i.e., accounts, financial management, and banking are what this course covers.
Course Highlights –
- Understand basics of accounting, accounting process, accounting systems- Single entry and double entry.
- Learn rectification of errors and preparation of financial accounts.
- Learn more about different elements of accounting like accounting standards, depreciation accounting, accounting for partnership firms.
- Learn the fundamentals of Financial Management
- Get introduced to various topics of FM like Time value of money, cost of capital, financial ratios, capital structuring, types of finance, and capital budgeting.
- Learn the basics of Banking and understand the process of banking credit analysis.
- Get introduced to Cost accounting.
Duration – 33 hours
Rating – 4.5/5
2. Digital Banking Masterclass – Udemy
This is a course on the modern version of banking, i.e., Digital Banking, and why it is so significant. This course covers what digital banking is and how it functions. It explores various aspects of digital banking like the system architecture, structure, types of digital banks, layers of digital banking architecture, and much more.
Course Highlights –
- Know how banking in general works and how digital banking functions.
- Learn how digital banking is facilitated using the web and mobile applications.
- Understand the role and need of digital banking in times of technological developments.
- Get to know what digital onboarding is and how it works.
- Know how digital banking is done using chatbots and what is digital account management.
- Learn what the 7 vital digital banking customer journeys are.
- Know about digital payments and digital card management.
- Understand the flow of digital payments and management systems.
- Know what digital support in banking is and how it functions.
Duration – 2 hours
Rating – 4.2/5
3. Risk Management in Personal Finance – Coursera
This course aims at providing knowledge about managing your finances and protecting them from unexpected risks. It also focuses on the role of insurance and is taught by Certified Financial Planner. This course can be taken by anyone willing to learn about financial risk management and comes with no prerequisites. It is a 100 percent online course with flexible deadlines that comes with a shareable certificate of completion. Enroll in this course to learn the importance of managing risks as a part of financial planning, in 4 modules.
Course Highlights –
- Learn how to work out how much insurance needs to be taken, what insurances you should be considering, and understand how each of them works.
- Understand the role of different insurances in a financial plan and how to fit one into the plan.
- Know the fundamentals of estate planning.
- Learn the essentials of homeowners, renters, liability insurance, auto, health, and umbrella insurance plans.
- Learn how risk in personal finance should be effectively minimized.
Duration – 7 hours
Rating – 4.2/5
Recommended Read: Financial Risk Management Certification- Career, Exam, and Resources
4. Digital Competition in Financial Services – Coursera
This course is offered by Copenhagen Business School and is aimed at teaching how finance interacts with digitization. It is the beginner course of the financial services specialization. Learn about digital innovation to tackle increasing digital competition by enrolling in this fully online course. This course also covers the forces driving digital transformation in financial services through real-life examples from companies and mentors.
Course Highlights –
- Understand the role of digital technology strategies as integral to business strategy owing to the digital age.
- Learn how to design a digital business ecosystem that can model the intricate relation between digital financial service participants.
- Understand how digital platforms work and how an effective platform can be built and managed to change a company’s dynamics and compete with firms.
- Identify and analyze the factors that affect competitive dynamics and cause a company to find new ways to compete in a new market environment.
Duration – 12 hours
Rating – 4/5
5. Public Financial Management – EdX
Fifth in the list of best financial services online courses, this course is aimed at assessing why managing public finance is so important. This course on Public financial management is taught by people from IMF who give advice on finance management. Enroll in this course to learn about the budget cycle, budget preparation and execution, and reform implementation from a practitioner. Over five modules you’ll go through these topics by examples and testimonies.
Course Highlights –
- Learn the importance of Public financial management as a vital tool for public policies.
- Know why is it important to prioritize and organize the public finance reforms.
- Understand the budget cycle, its components, and how it is analyzed.
- Know how fiscal performance can be enhanced with an effective public finance system.
- Learn about fiscal reporting and fiscal risk management.
Duration – 8 weeks
Rating – 4.5/5
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6. Banking Credit Analysis Process – Udemy
This course is designed to provide knowledge on the most fundamental topic of banking service which is the credit analysis process. A banker in order to excel has to be familiar with the credit analysis process. This course elaborates on the critical aspects of credit analysis and bank loan proposals. It is a fully online course with a certificate of completion and no prerequisites.
Course Highlights –
- Know what credit analysis is and understand its detailed process.
- Learn how credit proposals are weighed and evaluated.
- Learn about the components of financial statements and financial statement analysis.
- Know what project financing is and how should long-term loan projects be analyzed.
- Know what Working Capital Cycle is, how working capital is calculated.
- Know what do you mean by a bank guarantee and what is a Letter of Credit and its components.
Duration – 36 hours
Rating – 4.2/5
7. Financial Development and Financial Inclusion – EdX
This course covers how nations build a strong financial sector. Banks and capital markets are the two most essential and foundational elements of the financial sector. This course explores the relationship between financial inclusion and these elements, small and medium enterprises, and households. Enroll in this course to know how reading the indicators of financial development and inclusion can help measure its economic impact. Learn what the limiting risks of financial development and inclusion are and how they can be reduced.
Course Highlights –
- Learn how the growth of financial intermediaries can be supported by identifying and implementing policies.
- Know the problems small and medium enterprises face and how can financial sector customize its products for them.
- Learn the risk management methods for lending to small enterprises and the role of banks in mitigating risks.
- Learn how the cost-benefit analysis of different policies of financial inclusions is done.
- Know how to build strategies that increase financial inclusion in households and firms.
- Know how technology in the financial sector can be used to enhance the efficiency and inclusiveness of financial services.
Duration – 7 weeks
Rating – 4/5
8. Insurance Reserving, Risk Management and Analysis of Key Performance and Financial Indicators – edX
This course is about financial performance indicators and the valuation of an insurance company. In this course, you will learn how surplus notes are used to increase authorized capital and how insurance companies calculate their capital. You will also understand how the solvency of insurance companies is monitored using the concept of risk-based capital.
Course Highlights –
- Learn how can the main components of an insurer’s capital be identified.
- Understand what reinsurance is, what is its nature and purpose.
- Know how to identify the stage of financial distress for an insurer.
- Understand how an insurer’s financial performance can be affected by the changes in primary variables.
Duration – 4 weeks
Rating – 4.5/5
9. Relationship Management in Corporate Banking – Udemy
This course is designed to give you an insight into a day as a relationship manager in a corporate bank. This course elaborates on your role as relationship manager and covers the process of rightly charging your financing offers in front of your clients. It also discusses the vital matters of legal compliances that must be complied with. This course is a comprehensive course on banking which you should definitely check out.
Course Highlights –
- Learn how to offer right products as per client’s needs at right prices.
- Learn how profitable clients are sustained and new ones are acquired.
- Know the process of approval of credit transactions.
- Learn how to assess risk to avoid losses by knowing your client’s business well.
- Understand the compliance requirements in client relationships and the drawbacks of violating them.
- Learn how to know when the credit agreement is good to go and then work it out with the client.
- Learn how to prepare yourself to deliver confident client meetings, and lead price and credit negotiations.
Duration – 6 hours
Rating – 4.2/5
10. FinTech Ethics and Risks – edX
This course on FinTech or Financial Technology is a study on the revolution brought in the world of banking. This online certificate course will not only introduce you to the world of FinTech but also answer some of the most relevant questions like, What is FinTech, How should it be adopted, What are the pros and cons, What are cryptocurrencies, How does FinTech work, etc.
Course Highlights –
- Know what is FinTech and understand its elements.
- Know about the regulatory technology that improves supervision and reduces compliance cost.
- Understand the implications of technological tools like blockchain, cryptocurrency, and AI
- Know about crowdfunding and other alternate means of financing.
- Understand the impact of the introduction and growth of FinTech in recent times and study its trends.
Duration – 6 weeks
Rating – 4/5
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