Discover the Best Finance Classes in Los Angeles
Even though finance is a term most people are familiar with, they may not realize the steps involved in understanding it. Everyone has a bank account in which they deposit and withdraw money. Governments and large companies store money in large financial accounts. Finance is concerned with managing that money.
To learn about finance, you need to take into account several factors. Personal finances refer to how you manage your finances daily, and corporate finance refers to how businesses manage their finances daily. Finally, public finance refers to how governments manage revenues, expenditures, and debts. All three areas of finance include investing, budgeting, lending, saving, forecasting, borrowing, and studying money, which all contribute to each other. The world of finance is full of career opportunities, as every business needs money to run, so learning finance can help you find work in every industry worldwide.
Best Finance Classes & Schools in Los Angeles
In Los Angeles, students have many choices to learn about finance in person. One of those choices is Santa Monica College. Santa Monica College offers students a unique educational experience with vast resources. Classes offered through their community education program offer students a way to enhance their skills or careers. These fee-based classes make it easier for more community members to attend. Students interested in learning finance and how to invest can take the Investment Bootcamp. This three-hour course covers the mechanics and returns on mutual funds, annuities, stocks, real estate, and bonds. Students will also learn to evaluate and judge investment choices while learning different tax strategies to help keep what they earn. Students who choose to attend Santa Monica College must have a valid California ID to enroll in any in-person course.
Another option students have is Los Angeles City College (LACC). LACC offers classes supporting the community as they offer for-credit and noncredit courses. The noncredit courses are for community members who wish to continue their education in different skills or enhance their careers. A main program that many financial professionals use is Quickbooks. QuickBooks manages the finance side of a business or personal finances. Those interested in pursuing a financial career might be interested in taking the QuickBooks Fundamentals 1 course. Students will learn the fundamentals of the program, from navigating the software to reconciling bank accounts. The course is one day and lasts eight hours.
General Assembly offers an Intro to Finance course where students can learn to understand their finances. The course covers how to build financial plans and provides tips to help individuals understand their personal finances. No prior financial knowledge is required for this course.
PACE Business Development Center offers a How to Finance Your Business course for students interested in starting their small businesses. Students will learn about programs and resources that the US Small Business Administration provides. Students will understand a loan application and how to use the credit to start a business.
Los Angeles Industries That Use Finance
Since finance is important in all industries in some way or another, you have various options. You may choose a school or course that aligns with the industry in which you want to apply your financial skills. However, when it comes to finance, you may not know which industry you want to enter. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2022 and 2023 around 3500 financial jobs were lost, making it a highly competitive market. In Los Angeles, several key industries could benefit from your skills in finances, including:
- Aerospace: Financing in this industry refers to financing the purchase or creation of an aircraft.
- Information Technology: When combining IT and finance, you typically create new technology for the financial industry. However, there are still financial jobs that deal with the financial data of IT companies.
- Entertainment: When looking at the entertainment industry and finance, you are typically looking at funding big entertainment projects. Being a major industry in the area, each project must be properly financed, so studios and individuals can continue to make money.
- Fashion: When looking at the financial side of fashion, typically, you are dealing with the business side, like product sales. However, this can also relate to buying from vendors.
Finance Jobs & Salaries in Los Angeles
Each aspect of the financial world is different and will require different skills, which can be acquired through training. After deciding which industry to pursue with your financial skills, you may wonder what position you want to obtain. In Los Angeles, you can pursue various financial positions. These positions include:
- Financial Analysts will analyze financial data and make recommendations based on that data. In LA, they make around $75,000 annually.
- Accountants ensure all documents are clear and accurate. Accountants must have strong mathematical skills and communicate their conclusions to various audiences. In LA, Accountants make around $70,000 per year.
- Personal Bankers work in banks and assist customers with opening accounts and obtaining loans. They make around $45,000 per year.
- Financial Advisors work with clients to assess and guide them toward their financial goals. They will help their clients establish healthy and obtainable financial plans. On average, in Los Angeles, they make around $85,000 annually.
- Risk Analysts assist companies wanting to expand or invest in new markets. On average, they make around $95,000 in the Los Angeles area.
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