Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Complete a Personal Finance Curriculum and Self-Audit
4–6 weeks
Complete a structured personal finance curriculum covering: income and tax basics, budgeting and cash flow, emergency funds, debt management, credit scores, insurance fundamentals, and basic investing principles. Free options include Khan Academy Personal Finance. After completing the curriculum, conduct a full audit of your own current financial situation across each topic area.
Proof required
Submit: (a) completion evidence for a structured personal finance curriculum (certificate, completion screenshot, or structured notes showing coverage of all seven areas), and (b) a personal financial audit applying each curriculum topic to your own situation — including your current emergency fund position, your credit score and what factors affect it, your current insurance coverage and any gaps, and your current investment allocation. Specific numbers are required; general descriptions are not sufficient.
What gets checked
- Curriculum covers all seven areas — not just budgeting and saving
- Personal audit contains specific values and positions — not general descriptions of financial goals
- Credit score section identifies the specific factors affecting your score
Common mistakes
- Completing the curriculum but skipping the personal audit — the audit is what converts generic knowledge into personal financial literacy
- Personal audit describes financial goals without stating current position
Resources
What a verifier looks for
- Review the personal audit: does it contain specific values (an actual emergency fund balance, an actual credit score, specific insurance policy types held)? Vague descriptions suggest the curriculum was not applied.
- The curriculum completion evidence should show coverage of all seven areas.
Build a Comprehensive 12-Month Personal Financial Plan
2–3 weeks
Using the knowledge from milestone 1 and the audit results, build a comprehensive 12-month personal financial plan. The plan must address all areas where the audit identified gaps, include specific numeric targets for each area, a realistic implementation timeline, and a monthly check-in structure.
Proof required
Submit a comprehensive personal financial plan (minimum 1,000 words) covering: (a) income and tax optimisation for the next 12 months, (b) a monthly budget with specific category targets, (c) an emergency fund target with a monthly savings rate to reach it, (d) a debt management plan with payoff order and monthly payment amounts, (e) an insurance gap remediation plan, and (f) investment goals and plan for the next 12 months. Each section must start from your audit position and set specific numeric targets.
What gets checked
- Plan contains specific targets with numbers — 'save £200/month to reach £2,400 emergency fund by December' not 'save more'
- Debt management section specifies payoff order rationale — avalanche vs. snowball with explicit rationale
- Insurance section addresses at least three types relevant to your situation
Common mistakes
- Plan written as general financial advice rather than specific to the submitter's audit position
- Plan sets aspirational targets without a mechanism — 'invest in index funds' without specifying amount and provider is not actionable
Resources
What a verifier looks for
- Can you tell from reading this plan alone what the person's current financial position is and exactly what they plan to do next month? If not, it is not specific enough.
- Check the debt management section: does the submitter explain their payoff strategy and acknowledge the trade-off between avalanche and snowball methods?
Implement for 90 Days and Review with a Financial Professional
90 days
Implement the financial plan for 90 days, tracking progress against targets monthly. Review plan progress and discuss it with a financial professional — a registered financial adviser, accredited financial counsellor, or a professional from a free financial guidance service (Citizens Advice Bureau, MoneyHelper in the UK; NFCC in the US).
Proof required
Submit: (a) a 90-day implementation log showing monthly actual vs. target for each plan section, (b) a review meeting record with the professional's name, credentials, and organisation, and (c) a reflection (minimum 400 words) on what the professional confirmed, what they suggested changing, and what you will adjust going forward.
What gets checked
- Implementation log covers all 90 days with monthly comparisons — not just a final balance statement
- Professional reviewer is named with stated credentials — not an anonymous online chat
- Reflection documents both confirmations and suggested changes
Common mistakes
- Professional review is with a friend who works in finance rather than a qualified professional — credentials must be stated
- Implementation log shows only areas where targets were met — shortfalls are the most valuable learning
Resources
What a verifier looks for
- The professional reviewer's credentials should be verifiable: registered financial adviser, CFP, accredited financial counsellor, or equivalent — not just 'works in finance'.
- Review the reflection: did the professional engage with the specific plan or just give general advice? Specific feedback suggests a genuine professional review.