Build Real Financial Knowledge That Actually Works
Practical economic planning skills for people who want to make better money decisions, not just memorize theories.
What We Actually Believe About Teaching Finance
These aren't marketing slogans. They're the principles that shape how we run every session and work with every participant.
Honest About Complexity
Economic planning is complicated. Anyone who says otherwise is selling something. We break down difficult concepts into understandable pieces, but we never pretend the whole picture is simple.
Real Scenarios Only
Every example comes from actual situations we've seen. We use numbers that make sense for people in Vietnam's economy, not textbook cases from New York or London.
Questions Are Progress
The person asking questions is usually learning faster than the one staying quiet. We build time for discussion into every session because confusion means you're engaging with material that matters.
Your Pace, Not Ours
We have a curriculum structure, but if a topic needs more time, we take it. Better to understand five concepts well than skim through fifteen poorly.
Problems People Bring Us
These are the situations we hear about most often. Not all of them have easy fixes, but they all have approaches that help.
Can't See The Full Picture
"I handle day-to-day money fine, but I have no idea if I'm on track for anything long-term. There are so many numbers in different places."
Building Your Financial Overview
- We create a simple framework that connects short-term cash flow with long-term goals
- You learn how to track the metrics that actually matter for your situation
- We show you which numbers need weekly attention and which need quarterly reviews
- By session four, most people have a clear view of where they stand and what needs adjustment
Conflicting Advice Everywhere
"One expert says invest aggressively. Another says pay off debt first. A third recommends building emergency savings. Who's actually right?"
Decision Framework Development
- We teach you how to evaluate financial advice based on your specific circumstances
- Learn to recognize when generic recommendations don't fit your situation
- Understand the trade-offs between different approaches so you can choose consciously
- Practice making decisions with incomplete information, which is always the reality
Starting Too Late Anxiety
"I'm in my mid-30s and just beginning to think seriously about financial planning. Have I already missed too many opportunities?"
Realistic Path Forward
- We assess where you actually are, not where you wish you'd been five years ago
- Build a plan that works with your current reality and timeline
- Identify the decisions that matter most at your life stage right now
- Focus energy on what you can influence going forward instead of regretting the past
Who Teaches These Sessions
Both instructors have worked in financial planning for over a decade. They've made mistakes, learned from them, and now help others avoid similar problems.
Mikel Thornton
Personal Finance Planning
Spent seven years advising individual clients before switching to education. His approach focuses on behavioral patterns that trip people up more than mathematical formulas. Asks more questions than he answers, which tends to lead participants toward insights that stick better than advice.
Roland Fischer
Investment Strategy & Risk Assessment
Background in portfolio management gave him perspective on what actually drives returns versus what just feels sophisticated. Now teaches people how to think about risk in ways that match their real comfort levels, not what investment literature suggests they should feel.
How The Program Actually Unfolds
Sixteen weeks, meeting once each week. Each phase builds on previous work, but we adjust pace based on what the group needs.
Foundation Phase
Weeks 1–4
Getting clear on where you are financially right now. Building the basic framework for tracking and understanding your situation. Learning to distinguish between helpful and unhelpful financial information.
- Cash flow mapping
- Asset assessment
- Goal clarification
- Risk evaluation basics
Planning Phase
Weeks 5–9
Creating strategies for major financial decisions. Understanding how different choices interact and affect each other. Building scenarios to test your plans against different possible futures.
- Budget optimization
- Debt management approaches
- Savings strategies
- Investment fundamentals
- Insurance evaluation
Implementation Phase
Weeks 10–13
Putting plans into action with real accounts and real decisions. Troubleshooting problems as they come up. Adjusting strategies based on what's actually working versus what looked good on paper.
- Account structuring
- Investment selection
- Tax planning basics
- Automation setup
Maintenance Phase
Weeks 14–16
Building systems for ongoing review and adjustment. Learning to handle changes in circumstances without panic or paralysis. Creating your own process for making financial decisions going forward.
- Review schedules
- Rebalancing approaches
- Decision frameworks
- Long-term planning