KINGSTON, Jamaica— The JN Financial Academy is set to launch its first course on January 15, according to a release from the JN Foundation.

This free course entitled, Smarter Credit, aims to equip participants with essential debt management skills, ensuring they can make informed and confident financial decisions.

Rose Miller, financial education consultant at the JN Foundation and one of the course facilitators, said the Smarter Credit course offers valuable insights into how to successfully access and utilise credit responsibly, effective debt management strategies and ways to maintain and improve credit worthiness.

Practical tips on how to avoid common credit pitfalls will also be covered.

“Credit is a financial tool widely used but greatly abused. This course is for anyone who truly want to understand credit,” she explained. “It’s designed for those eager to enhance their financial knowledge, correct missteps they may have taken on their credit journey and ensure they are able to make smarter financial decisions in the future. Our goal is to empower individuals with the tools they need to secure their financial future.”

Participants can register for the course on the JN Foundation’s website or at https://jnfinancialacademy.com/register/.

“Seats are limited, so early enrollment is encouraged to secure a spot in this transformative learning experience,” said  Miller.

“Lay the foundation for a more financially secure future: take control of your finances. Don’t miss this opportunity to revolutionise the way you manage credit,” she stressed.

The course will be offered virtually and will run for six weeks and consists of four modules. There is a self-paced component followed by live webinars covering the various modules.  Some of the topics that will be covered include: the language of loans, various types of interest rates;   identifying reputable institutions; smart loan applications, which will outline how credit works, types of loans and basic documents required when applying for credit. Other topics include debt reduction strategies and your credit report and you.

A certificate will be awarded to participants who successfully complete the course.

Launched in 2022, the JN Financial Academy has two clear mandates: one, to raise the level of money management and financial awareness as well as to provide coaching support to empower individuals to achieve financial freedom. Two, to influence public narrative about financial inclusion, saving and borrowing trends and consumer education by undertaking research and engaging in public dialogue about findings.

The JN Group has been a pioneer in the financial literacy space for decades, collaborating with renowned organisations such as the Commonwealth Secretariat, the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC), and the Inter-American Development Bank.