Your money,
finally explained
Personal finance, demystified and a system that actually works — so money feels like something you understand and feel confident about
Personal finance, demystified and a system that actually works — so money feels like something you understand and feel confident about
Mastering Money
with Alex Merola, CFA
Group Course | Live & Virtual
Mastering Money is Alex’s signature live course that gives you the financial foundation you need to manage your money with confidence. Across 6 sessions, we will cover the core essentials - from financial psychology and budgeting to debt management and investing. By the end, money will feel less like a source of stress and more like something you actually understand, control, and feel knowledgeable about.
Current Classes
Fall 2026 Cohort
Dates: Class meets on Tuesdays every other week for 6 sessions
9/22, 10/6, 10/20, 11/3, 11/17, 12/1
Time: 7:30pm - 8:30pm ET
Format: Zoom (Virtual)
Registration: Classes are first come, first serve and capped at 25 students.
This course is for you if…
✓ You have a nagging feeling you could be doing more with your money, but are not sure where to even start
✓ Your finances feel confusing or even out of control, and money has become a source of stress
✓ You have tried budgeting before, but nothing ever seems to stick
✓ You earn a good income, but still feel like you are not getting ahead
✓ You have Googled “how to start investing” more than once and still have not done it
✓ You are approaching a big life milestone — a new job, a move, a marriage, a baby — and want to get your finances in order first
This course is for you if…
✓ You have a nagging feeling you could be doing more with your money, but are not sure where to even start
✓ Your finances feel confusing or even out of control, and money has become a source of stress
✓ You have tried budgeting before, but nothing ever seems to stick
✓ You have Googled “how to start investing” more than once and still have not done it
✓ You are approaching a big life milestone — a new job, a move, a marriage, a baby — and want to get your finances in order first
✓ You earn a good income, but still feel like you are not getting ahead
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Real-time access to Alex
Every session is taught live via Zoom — not pre-recorded. Ask questions in the moment, get answers that actually apply to your situation, and feel the energy of learning alongside others who are on the same path.
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Extra time to ask questions
Have a question that came up after class or want to talk through a concept in more detail? Office hours are an open, no-agenda space to bring whatever is on your mind. Held weekly via Zoom with Alex.
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Lifetime access to my personal finance toolkit
Guided templates and workbooks to walk you through every concept with space to apply it to your own numbers, goals, and values. Yours to keep - so you can stay on track long after class ends.
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A community, not a crowd
Classes are capped at 25 students — by design. You will get meaningful face time, personalized attention, and the kind of candid money conversations that only happen in a small group.
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Quizzes that make it stick
Short assessments after each module help you retain what you have learned and flag any gaps before they compound. Think of it less like a test and more like a check-in with yourself.
What’s Included
Curriculum Overview
✓ Financial Psychology
Understand the money stories running your decisions & start rewriting them
✓ Building Wealth
Learn how to measure “wealth” and more importantly, grow it
✓ Smarter Saving
Learn which accounts make your money work harder for you
✓ Building Your Budget
A flexible framework on how much to spend, save, and invest
✓ Managing Debt & Credit
Turn debt from a source of stress into a concrete plan, plus how to make the most of your credit cards
✓ Intro to Investing
Go from “I should probably invest” to actually doing it, step-by-step
✓ Protect What You’ve Built
The safeguards most people do not think about until it is too late
+ Financial Psychology - Understand the money stories running your decisions and start rewriting them
+ Building Wealth - Learn how to measure “wealth” and, more importantly, grow it
+ Smarter Saving - Learn which accounts make your money work harder for you
+ Building Your Budget - A flexible framework on how much to spend, save, and invest
+ Managing Debt & Credit - Turn debt from a source of stress into a concrete plan
+ Intro to Investing - Go from “I should probably invest” to actually doing it, step-by-step
+ Protect What You’ve Built - The safeguards most people do not think about until it is too late
What it’s like to work with me…
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"I feel more in control, more knowledgeable, and more capable. I feel lighter and like I have a better understanding of my finances."
—Kate C.
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"I found out I was wasting over $4,000 a year on things I didn't really care about. Now, I'm saving hundreds each month that I can spend on things that actually bring me joy. I also feel more confident about investing."
—Sarah S.
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"After working with Alex, I feel like I have a plan. There's a path forward and it's much clearer than it was before."
—Anya G.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions or reach out anytime.
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Mastering Money was designed for anyone who wants to become more knowledgeable and confident about managing their personal finances – from budgeting to setting up the right accounts to investing. Whether you are just starting out, navigating a big life transition like a new job, a marriage, or buying a home, or you have been meaning to "get serious about money" for years and just haven’t known where to start, this course meets you where you are. No prior financial knowledge required — just a willingness to show up and do the work.
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None. Seriously. This course was built from the ground up to be accessible to complete beginners while still being substantive enough to be genuinely useful for people who already know the basics. If you've ever Googled "what is a Roth IRA" or wondered whether you're saving enough, you're exactly who this is for. We start with mindset and foundations and build from there so no one gets left behind.
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Financial education and financial advisory are two related, but different businesses. Advisory focuses on providing personalized financial advice and investment recommendations tailored to your specific risk tolerance and life circumstances. Think: "You should invest $100 in this particular fund." That is not the focus of this course - by design. What I do is give you the knowledge, framework, and tools to make confident, informed financial decisions. By the end of this course, you will be equipped to determine whether working with a financial advisor is right for you, and if it is, you will know exactly how to evaluate one, what questions to ask, and how to advocate for yourself in that relationship. Think of it as learning to fish rather than being handed a fish.
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Books are great and you will probably leave this course with a solid reading list. But reading about money and actually changing your relationship with it are two very different things. Mastering Money combines live instruction, real-time Q&A, personalized workbooks, and a small group environment that keeps you accountable. You are not just absorbing information. You are applying it to your actual numbers, your actual goals, and your actual life, with someone in your corner to help you work through it.
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Life happens — I understand that. If you miss a session, recordings will be made available so you can catch up before the next class. That said, we do encourage you to attend live whenever possible. The energy of a live class, the ability to ask questions in real time, and the community you build with your cohort are a big part of what makes this experience different. The replay is a safety net, not a substitute.