Capital One & Khan Academy’s free financial literacy course

Everyone deserves to feel confident, capable and in control when it comes to their money, and financial literacy is one key to making that a reality. But high-quality financial education isn’t always accessible or affordable.

That’s why Capital One is partnering with Khan Academy to help bring a free financial literacy course to anyone who wants to demystify personal finance and get one step closer to financial well-being.

Khan Academy’s financial literacy course breaks down complex financial concepts into self-paced, easy-to-understand units. You’ll learn about everything from budgeting and saving to credit, debt, retirement planning and more—all from the comfort of your own home or wherever you choose to learn online.

Key takeaways

• Khan Academy is a leader in online learning whose mission is to provide a free, world‑class education for anyone, anywhere.

• The Khan Academy Financial Literacy course is self-paced and completely free.

• The course is made up of multiple units, each with its own lessons, covering topics like budgeting, saving, credit, investments, insurance, taxes, scams, fraud and more.

• Capital One’s partnership with Khan Academy is part of the Capital One Impact Initiative, a commitment to advance socioeconomic mobility.

The Khan Academy Financial Literacy course is made up of units covering topics like budgeting, saving, credit, investments, insurance, taxes, scams and fraud.

The units are designed to give you the skills and tools you need to take charge of your finances. Each unit is made up of individual lessons that include engaging instructional videos, articles and exercises—all in one easy-to-access online platform. There are also unit tests and a course mastery challenge.

The entire course is self-paced. You can pick and choose the units you want to complete or go through the entire course. You can also take the units in any order you want. And remember, it’s completely free for everyone. 

Here’s an overview of the course units: 

Unit 1: Welcome to Financial Literacy

Get an introduction to the course and discover how you may be able to take your finances to the next level with practical tips and step-by-step guidance. It includes this lesson: 

1. Intro to financial literacy

Unit 2: Budgeting and saving

Do you know how to design and balance a budget? What about the 50-30-20 budgeting rule? Whether you’re looking to pay off debt, save for a rainy day or just want to be more in control of your money, this unit may help you learn how to budget and save like an expert. It covers three lessons:

1. Budgeting

2. Reducing expenses

3. Saving money

Unit 3: Consumer credit

Understanding credit is an essential part of making smart financial decisions. Find out how to use credit to your advantage with these three lessons: 

1. Credit score 

2. Credit cards

3. Payment methods

Unit 4: Financial goals

Explore the importance of setting clear, achievable goals that help pave the way for a stable financial future. Plus, learn how to prioritize your financial aspirations, create actionable plans and stay committed to your progress. This unit includes five lessons: 

1. Money personality 

2. Charitable giving

3. SMART goals

4. Short-, medium- and long-term goals  

5. Net worth

Unit 5: Loans and debt

The world of loans and debt can feel overwhelming. This unit breaks down the complexities of borrowing money to help you make smart decisions about debt. That way, you may transform loans and debt into useful tools for your financial well-being. Check out these five lessons: 

1. Borrowing money 

2. Types of loans

3. Terms of borrowing 

4. Debt

5. Bankruptcy 

Unit 6: Insurance

Insurance can be a complex topic. There are so many types of insurance to know about—not to mention all the insurance jargon you have to decode. But insurance plays a vital role in safeguarding your financial future. And it’s crucial that you know how to make informed decisions about insurance. Gain the vital knowledge and tools you need to help secure your financial future and peace of mind with these nine lessons: 

1. What is risk and how to manage it 

2. Insurance basics and terminology 

3. Health insurance options and costs  

4. Disability and long-term care insurance 

5. Life insurance 

6. Property insurance options and costs 

7. Car insurance options and cost 

8. Supplemental insurance and warranties 

9. Estate planning and legal instruments 

Unit 7: Investments and retirement

Dive into different investment options and strategies so you can try to grow and secure wealth for the long term. Find out how to harness the power of investing to help achieve financial freedom and help set yourself up for a fulfilling, worry-free retirement. This unit includes three lessons: 

1. Introduction to saving and investing 

2. Risk and return of investment options  

3. Planning for retirement 

Unit 8: Scams and fraud

Scammers are always evolving and coming up with new ways to trick people out of their money. Find out about different types of scams, the red flags to watch out for and ways to help protect yourself from becoming a victim with these three lessons: 

1. How to protect your personal information

2. Common scams

3. Consumer protection agencies 

Unit 9: Careers and education

Investing in your career and education is an important part of helping yourself succeed and reach your goals. Learning new skills and information may open up opportunities for better jobs and a brighter future. This unit covers four lessons: 

1. Education and earnings  

2. College, post-secondary education and training 

3. Cost of post-secondary education and training 

4. Choosing where to go  

Unit 10: Taxes and tax forms

Figuring out taxes on your own can be daunting. These practical tips and step-by-step instructions simplify complex tax information so you may confidently manage your taxes. Explore the fundamentals of taxes, including the different types of income, how they’re taxed and key tax forms like the W-2, 1099 and 1098, in these two lessons: 

1. What are taxes? 

2. Tax forms  

Unit 11: Employment

This unit teaches you how to understand your pay, compare job offers, and understand the difference between hard and soft benefits. You’ll also learn about different types of jobs and how to read your paycheck after all deductions have been taken out. It covers five lessons:

1. Understanding your pay

2. Compensation: More than pay

3. Non-typical pay structures 

4. Hiring process: Forms and documents 

5. Paycheck

Unit 12: Banking

Whether it’s depositing your paycheck, managing daily expenses, saving for future goals or navigating financial emergencies, understanding banking is critical. This unit provides insights into banking institutions, how to manage accounts, the importance of savings, and how interest and inflation impact your money. Explore these six lessons: 

1. Banking and financial institutions

2. Understanding bank accounts

3. Tracking, reconciling and more

4. Banking regulations and agencies 

5. Interest: From savings to investing 

6. Inflation

Unit 13: Car buying

In this unit, you’ll learn how to prepare for buying a car, arm yourself with knowledge, and make decisions that are right for you in four lessons: 

1. Car buying experience

2. Car loans 

3. Owning vs. leasing 

4. Additional costs of car ownership 

Unit 14: Housing

Whether you’re thinking about renting or buying, understanding housing is essential. Explore how to budget for living costs, the ins and outs of different types of housing, and how to navigate rental agreements and the home buying process. This unit includes these four lessons: 

1. Renting vs. homeownership 

2. Finding your next home 

3. Lease agreements 

4. Mortgages 

Unit 15: Teacher resources 

This unit is a comprehensive guide for teaching the Financial Literacy course. It covers six lessons: 

1. Welcome to teacher resources 

2. About this unit: Consumer credit 

3. About this unit: Investments and retirement 

4. About this unit: Taxes and tax forms 

5. About this unit: Employment

6. About this unit: Car buying 

Unit 16: Additional resources

This final unit is packed with even more articles and videos to help you improve your financial literacy. This unit covers nine lessons: 

1. About this unit 

2. Saving and budgeting  

3. Interest and debt

4. Investments and retirement 

5. Pay and benefits 

6. Taxes 

7. Housing

8. Car buying and leasing 

9. Paying for college

Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about the Khan Academy Financial Literacy course:

Capital One has even more tools and resources to help you stay on top of your money and reach your financial goals:

• CreditWise from Capital One: With CreditWise, you can access your TransUnion® credit report and VantageScore® 3.0 credit score any time—without hurting your credit scores. You can even explore the potential impact of financial decisions before you make them with the CreditWise Credit Simulator. CreditWise is free for everyone, even if you’re not a Capital One cardholder.
• The Money & Life Program: Access self-guided exercises and on-demand workshops to support your financial well-being with the Money & Life Program.* Plus, get up to three free one-on-one sessions with a professional mentor who can help you make a personalized plan to achieve your goals. It’s free for everyone, whether you bank with Capital One or not. 
• Credit cards for building credit: Explore Capital One credit cards for fair credit and building credit, student credit cards and secured credit cards. When used responsibly, a credit card is one tool you can use to build or rebuild credit.
• Pre-approval: Find out whether you’re pre-approved for a Capital One credit card before you apply. It’s quick and only requires some basic information. And it won’t affect your credit scores. 

The Khan Academy partnership comes to life through the Capital One Impact Initiative, a multiyear commitment to close gaps in equity and opportunity. The program is designed to help build the financial well-being of communities through support and emphasis on the financial fundamentals.