Foundation Course
Take your first steps towards money confidence and financial independence with our free course for beginners
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Foundation: at a glance
Introduction to the stock market
Understanding risk & reward
The science of diversification
Building an investment portfolio
Avoiding investment scams
Complete all topics to graduate!
1
Is it time you unlocked the growth potential of your money?
10 min
- What is the Saver's Dilemma, and how does it hold us back?
- Should we save or invest our money?
- What is the most common costly financial decision?
- What are the alternatives to savings accounts?
2
Become familiar with the world most popular investment
12 min
- What are shares and how do they work?
- What are the different ways an investor can profit from shares?
- An introduction to dividends
- Why are shares such a popular investment?
Inspiration - the power of compounding
Did you know that investing £400 each month for 25 years could grow to...
With a stock market return of 7%
- Take our quick questionnaire to receive a risk tolerance rating
- Understand which investments may not be suitable for your tolerance
- Find the investments which complement your risk profile
- Explore the time horizon concept and calculate your own time horizon
- Discover any investments which are not compatible with your time horizon
- How to split your portfolio to maximise returns
Further research: definitions
- Learn the different methods of buying shares
- Introduction to ticker symbols
- Definitions and jargon used by stock brokers
- The step-by-step process of placing a trade online
- Understand how corporate bonds work
- Why do companies issue corporate bonds?
- The popular (and unpopular) ways to access this asset class
Mastery: Bond bonanza
A core holding for stable returns
- An introduction to the different types of investment risk
- How volatile investments reduce your long term return
- Why diversification is a no-brainer
8
Let's bring together what you've learned so far, and create something special
10 min
- The half-way milestone in the Foundation Course
- Bringing together and refreshing the theory covered so far
- Why professional investment portfolios look the way they do
- How to build a portfolio from scratch
Mastery: portfolio management
Manage your investments like a professional with this series of explainers
- The difference between regulated and unregulated investments
- How protected is your money?
- Who can you trust online?
- How to tell the difference between a scam and a legitimate website
10
How to choose between these two different investment strategies
15 min
- A comparison of the passive and active investment strategies
- The pros and cons of each approach
- How to choose between approaches as a new investor
11
The reliable and free places to get your hands on the latest information
6 min
- How to find live share pricing, for free
- How to interpret basic online financial information
- How to gain free access to the financial statements of companies
12
Let's consider the factors we should consider when deciding whether to invest now
12 min
- What does perfect timing look like, and is it possible?
- Two core theories that attempt to explain why investors fail at market timing.
- How to choose a healthy mindset to avoid over-trading.
13
Helping you choose an excellent investing 'partner' for the long term
9 min
- What should you consider when picking an investing platform?
- How do traditional stock brokers compare against modern competition?
- Why you should think 'long term' when comparing your options.
