Are you considering Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as an investment strategy? Is your individual retirement account or 401(k) set up to earn the maximum return possible? Are you nearing retirement and want to learn how to make money when you don't have a job? Or do you need to learn how to manage debt and use credit wisely?
Wake Tech offers a variety of personal finance classes to help you build a foundation for better financial decision-making. Contact the Workforce Development Registrar's Office to inquire about courses that may not be listed below.
Students will be able to define basic real estate terminology, determine if real estate investing is suited for individual student, learn to buy and profit from real estate investing.
Class 1
Introduction to Real Estate Investing
• What are the first steps to take when deciding to invest in real estate
• Are you going to be an active or passive investor
• Investing for income, capital appreciation, personal use or combination
• Is this something you will do full-time or on the sideline
• What is your time frame
• Tax benefits of Real Estate Investing
• Investing for tax considerations
• Schedule E
• De-mystifying tax questions on Real Estate Investing
Forming your Real Estate Team
Review of the steps to follow when embarking on purchasing investment property
Class 2
The most common mistakes real estate investors make and how to avoid them
• Financing or not getting financing ahead of time
• Doing everything on your own
• Overpaying
• Underestimating expenses
• Inadequate research
Building a Portfolio: How to evaluate, find and choose rental properties
• Tenant screening
• Importance of a home inspection/ negotiating on a home inspection
• Property manager pros and cons
• General good practices with tenants
• Fannie Mae Guide to Becoming a Landlord
Class 3
Building a Portfolio Part 2
• How to evaluate, find and choose rental property
• Evaluating risk and return
• Researching the market: avoiding mistakes
• Foreclosures and Short Sales: pros and cons
• Flipping properties
• What to look for before making a bid on the property. Inspections and appraisals
Financing Options for Investment Property
• Financing options for different types of properties (duplex, vacation home, etc.)
• Paying with cash vs. financing
• Equity repositioning
• What affects your interest rate and down payment terms
• Concept of leverage and what makes up the interest rate and rate of return
• De-Mystifying tax questions on Real Estate Investing
Conclusion: Making a retirement plan for your future with Real Estate Investing
12
Yes
None
None
No
None
Provided
None
100% attendance
N/A
Anyone interested in the field of analyzing properties and investing in real estate.
N/A
N/A
Community & Career Education Staff
919-532-5700
[email protected]
To be notified when this course becomes available, please use
Wake Tech’s Notify Me service
for SEF-3001A2-Creative Real Estate Investing
.
Learn how to determine the amount of money you need to retire.
Create your own goals for a successful retirement.
Learn how to eliminate debt and improve cash flow
Learn how to properly convert your IRA to a Roth IRA
Learn how to select the retirement plan distribution choice that is right for you
Learn how to transfer the risk of potential financial losses before or during retirement
Learn how to reduce or eliminate taxes, expenses, delays and legal challenges with estate planning
Learn how to plan your retirement income to preserve a comfortable standard of living
Life Planning for Retirement
Retirement Needs and Expenses
Retirement Roadblocks and Mistakes
Retirement Income Sources
Retirement Plan Distributions
Investments
Risk Management and Asset Protections
Estate Planning
6
No
None
None
No
None
Materials provided
None
100% attendance
None
Whether you are about to retire, have 20+ years to go, are self-employed, or just want to make sure you are on the right track, this course offers retirement planning for everyone.
N/A
N/A
Community & Career Education Staff
919-532-5700
[email protected]
To be notified when this course becomes available, please use
Wake Tech’s Notify Me service
for CSP-4000JI2-Retirement Planning Today
.
Explore the core principles of investing and trading
Feel empowered with knowledge, skills and confidence to apply course concepts effectively, regardless of investment size
Gain the tools and mindset needed to achieve financial confidence and peace of mind
Introduction and Fundamentals of Stocks and Trading: Why to invest and/or trade in stocks? What is investing? What is trading? Who are the ideal candidates for trading?
Types of Financial Instruments for Investing/Trading: Stocks, electronically traded funds, options, mutual funds
Technical Analysis: Purpose, prerequisites for learning, tools
Fundamental Analysis: Purpose, prerequisites for learning, tools
Rules and Principles for Successful Trading/Investing
12
Yes
None
None
No
N/A
Personal laptop, tablet or mobile phone
N/A
85% attendance
N/A
Anyone interested in learning about stocks and options trading
N/A
N/A
BAF-3272B3
BAF-3272C3
SEF-7931E
Community & Career Education Staff
919-532-5700
[email protected]
| Details | Section | Date(s) | Location | Price | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 329992 | 08/18/26 - 08/27/26 | Microsoft Teams | 105.00 | 14 | Register |
If you would like to be notified when additional sections become available, please use Wake Tech’s Notify Me service for SEF-3001MH2-Stock and Options Trading for Beginners .
Understand the development of risk in the markets
Learn to strategically allocate assets in a conservative manner
Develop an income plan for your retirement
Know the difference between fixed-principal and fixed-income assets and how to use them
Develop your own financial profile
Know what questions to ask a potential advisor
Determine your personal risk tolerance
Develop your own retirement budget.
Keeping Up With the Changes?
Chapter 1: Understanding Conservative Retirement Planning defines what conservative retirement planning is and helps identify who is a conservative planner. Chapter 2: Reasons Behind Current Market Shifts discusses changes in planning perspectives and paradigms, which affect the conservative planner. Chapter 3: Deciphering Market Jargon discusses six well-known Wall Street maxims and whether they might actually be myths. Chapter 4: Old Market Strategies vs. New Retirement Planning Strategies explains the need for a new conservative planning model and why Wall Street may be a broken culture, exposing its "greed is good" nature.
How Do You Manage Risk In Retirement?
Chapter 5: The ABC Planning Model is explained in detail, showing the conservative nature of the model. Chapter 6: Yellow Money: Understanding Cash Assets identifies the type of assets in Column A, the importance of liquidity and their positives and negatives. Chapter 7: Green Money: Fixed Principal Assets describes which assets are ideal for the B Column and outlines three "Green Money Rules" and why they are important to the conservative planner. Chapter 8: Red Money: Understanding Growth Assets talks about the risk nature of Column C and what type of assets belong in a conservative investor's risk portion of their portfolio and discusses the difference between tactically managed and "Buy & Hold" managed assets. Chapter 9: Managing Volatility in Retirement discusses the effects of a bear market on a portfolio of assets and why the ABC Planning Model works well in a prolonged bear market.
Income Planning Challenges
Chapter 10: Challenges to Retirement Income Planning reveals the great need for income planning and eight challenges the retirement minded face in retirement. Chapter 11: Income Planning Concepts covers the basic concepts in developing a plan for funding your quality of life in retirement, along with possible solutions. Chapter 12: Problems with a 401(k) in Retirement covers seven problems with a 401(k) in while in retirement, including limited choices and beneficiaries. Chapter 13: Green Money Income Planning tells when to use annuities and guarantees in planning for retirement income. Chapter 14: Red Money Income Planning covers the importance of a sequence of returns as it relates to withdrawing income from securities accounts and how to balance the guarantees and risk in an income stream. Chapter 15: Tax-Free Income Planning tells how to incorporate tax-free strategies like municipal bonds, Roth IRAs and LIRPs.
How to Create Your Plan
Chapter 16: Finding an Advisor makes choosing and advisor who you like, trust and is competent easier to understand and includes more than 20 questions to ask a potential advisor. Chapter 17: How to Work Through a Retirement Planning Decision discusses the planning process of investigate, recommend, implement, review and adjust and shows the class the three elements of a decision and why a process is the best way to make a financial decision. Chapter 18: Seven Steps to an ABC Plan reviews the previous chapters while taking the student through a seven-step process to develop an ABC Plan.
6
No
None
None
No
N/A
Materials provided
N/A
100% attendance
N/A
Whether you are about to retire, have 20+ years to go, are self-employed or just want to make sure you are on the right track, this course offers retirement planning for everyone.
N/A
N/A
Community & Career Education Staff
919-532-5700
[email protected]
| Details | Section | Date(s) | Location | Price | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 329988 | 07/14/26 - 07/21/26 | Northern Wake Campus | 39.00 | 8 | Register | |
| 329990 | 07/16/26 - 07/23/26 | Northern Wake Campus | 39.00 | 15 | Register |
If you would like to be notified when additional sections become available, please use Wake Tech’s Notify Me service for CSP-4000JR2-Principles of Retirement Planning .
Understand basic terminology and concepts
Create worksheets and workbooks
Perform basic calculations
Getting Started
Performing Calculations
Modifying a Worksheet
Formatting a Worksheet
Printing Workbooks
Managing Workbooks
7
Yes
None
None
No
Prior to course enrollment, students should type at least 35 words per minute and have a basic ability to navigate the Windows operating system.
N/A
N/A
90% attendance
Demonstrate an understanding of at least 70% of course material taught.
N/A
Anyone with little to no experience using Microsoft Excel
N/A
N/A
SEF-3001IO2
Community & Career Education Staff
919-532-5700
[email protected]
| Details | Section | Date(s) | Location | Price | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 333904 | 09/14/26 - 09/14/26 | Western Wake Campus | 130.00 | 15 | Register |
If you would like to be notified when additional sections become available, please use Wake Tech’s Notify Me service for SEF-3001OV2-Microsoft Excel Level 1 .
Work with Functions
Analyze Data
Visualize Data with Charts
Working with Functions
Working with Lists
Analyzing Data
Visualizing Data with Charts
Using PivotTables and PivotCharts
8
Yes
None
None
No
Prior to class enrollment, students should have taken Excel Level 1 or have equivalent experience.
Textbook is included with the course.
N/A
90% attendance
Demonstrate an understanding of at least 70% of course material taught.
N/A
Anyone interested in Excel's data visualization features to analyze, summarize and graphically represent information
N/A
N/A
SEF-3001JX2
Community & Career Education Staff
919-532-5700
[email protected]
| Details | Section | Date(s) | Location | Price | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 333906 | 10/12/26 - 10/12/26 | Western Wake Campus | 130.00 | 15 | Register |
If you would like to be notified when additional sections become available, please use Wake Tech’s Notify Me service for SEF-3001OW2-Microsoft Excel Level 2 .
Know how to make workbook edits with multiple users
Understand how to analyze data
Use Excel features to structure and visualize data
Use PivotTables and PivotCharts
Working with Multiple Worksheets and Workbooks
Sharing and Protecting Workbooks
Automating Workbook Functionality
Using Lookup Functions, Dynamic Arrays and Formula Auditing
Forecasting Data
Creating Sparklines and Mapping Data
8
Yes
None
None
No
Prior to course enrollment, participants should have Microsoft Excel 2016 Level 2 or equivalent experience.
N/A
N/A
90% attendance
Demonstrate an understanding of at least 70% of course material taught.
N/A
Prior to course enrollment, participants should have an interest in using Microsoft Excel to analyze and present data.
N/A
N/A
SEF-3001ML2
Community & Career Education Staff
919-532-5700
[email protected]
| Details | Section | Date(s) | Location | Price | Seats | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 333907 | 11/16/26 - 11/16/26 | Western Wake Campus | 130.00 | 15 | Register |
If you would like to be notified when additional sections become available, please use Wake Tech’s Notify Me service for SEF-3001OX2-Microsoft Excel Level 3 .
Demonstrate knowledge of basic securities industry information, including concepts fundamental to working in the industry, such as types of products and their risks, the structure of securities industry markets, regulatory agencies and their functions, and prohibited practices
Demonstrate an understanding of effective test-taking strategies and approaches appropriate to the SIE exam
Overview of Market Participants and Market Structure
Regulatory Overview
Equity Securities
Introduction to Debt Instruments
Types of Debt Instruments
Investment Returns
Packaged Products
Variable Products and Municipal Funds
Alternative Investments
Options
Offerings
Orders and Trading Strategies
Settlement and Corporate Actions
Customer Accounts
Compliance Considerations
Prohibited Activities
SRO Regulatory Requirements for Associated Persons
Employee Conduct and Reportable Events
Economic Factors
Investment Risks
Practice and Final Exam
96
Yes
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
https://www.finra.org/registration-exams-ce/qualification-exams/securit…
Students who successfully complete this course are adequately prepared to take the Security Industry Essentials Exam.
No
N/A
Online course materials will be provided.
N/A
95% attendance
Students must pass the final exam.
N/A
This SIE exam preparation course is ideal for students and career-changers seeking to enter the financial services industry by sitting for the SIE exam.
Financial analyst, financial planner, investment advisor, financial sales representative, wealth management associate, FINRA/Series 6 customer service representative, customer relationship advocate, registered operations support/virtual assistant, financial services consultant, revenue specialist
Hiring companies include: Fidelity, TIAA, Vanguard, financial and wealth advisor companies and banks. Fidelity requested that Wake Tech offer this course to assist with meeting its hiring needs. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 12.5% growth rate in the business and finance industries.
Financial analyst
Financial planner
Investment advisor
Financial sales representative
BAF-3272AE
Community & Career Education Staff
919-532-5700
[email protected]
To be notified when this course becomes available, please use
Wake Tech’s Notify Me service
for BAF-3310A2-Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) Exam Prep
.
Know how to make workbook edits with multiple users
Understand how to analyze data
Use Excel features to structure and visualize data
Use PivotTables and PivotCharts
Working with Multiple Worksheets and Workbooks
Using Lookup Functions and Formula Auditing
Sharing and Protecting Workbooks
Automating Workbook Functionality
Creating Sparklines and Mapping Data
Forecasting Data
8
Yes
None
None
No
Prior to course enrollment, participants should have Microsoft Excel 2016 Level 2.
N/A
N/A
90% attendance
Demonstrate an understanding of at least 70% of course material taught.
N/A
Prior to course enrollment, participants should have an interest in using Microsoft Excel to analyze and present data.
N/A
N/A
SEF-3001ML2
Community & Career Education Staff
919-532-5700
[email protected]
To be notified when this course becomes available, please use
Wake Tech’s Notify Me service
for SEF-3001OM2-Microsoft Excel 2019 Level 3
.