Whether you’ve never invested a dollar or are a pro at the stock market, there’s a lot to learn about investing. Because they can help you plan for your future and end up in great shape for retirement, investments are important.
Whether you’ve never invested a dollar or are a pro at the stock market, there’s a lot to learn about investing. Because they can help you plan for your future and end up in great shape for retirement, investments are important. And if your 2021 financial goals are to learn how to invest, you may consider an online investing course. We compiled a list of programs that range in experience and prices, so you can find one that best fits your needs.
How Can I Learn to Invest?
Anyone can learn how to be a savvy investor, especially if they are armed with the right tools and resources.
If you want to teach yourself the tips and strategies necessary to make smart investments, think first about how you learn. Do you prefer a hands-on, DIY approach or do you retain information better when someone is personally guiding you through the steps?
Next, research the best options to suit your schedule, budget, and learning style. This might mean taking an investing course at your local community college or signing up for a webinar. You could better benefit from an online investment simulator course. Or perhaps by browsing the educational libraries offered by many of the big brokerages.
Can I Start Investing With Little Money?
These days, anyone can get started investing, no matter the budget. You just need to know what types of investments are available to you based on the funds you are willing and able to invest.
You’ll find a number of brokerage accounts out there with considerable minimum investment requirements. You may need to cough up $10,000 to open a web trading account with one broker, while another has a hefty $30,000 requirement, for instance. But luckily, there are just as many others that have low or no minimum requirements when it comes to opening an account and investing your funds.
Quite a few of today’s online brokerages allow for fractional investing, too, making it easier to invest in a small piece of the names you know and love, sometimes for as little as $1. And if you really want to simplify your investing efforts without feeling a big pinch. You can choose a platform that rounds up your everyday purchases and invests that spare change for you.
What Types of Investing Courses Are There?
No matter what type of investor you are or your experience level, there is an investing course for you.
Some courses cover the basics of investing including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and retirement funds. Others delve a bit deeper into futures and commodities, or even international investing.
Of course, you can (and should) choose the course that best matches both your interests and your existing knowledge. If you are just getting your feet wet, there are basic investing courses designed to teach you about the market, how it works, and what the different types of investments can do for you and your portfolio.
If you’ve been dabbling for years and either want to invest in something new or take your efforts up a notch, there are plenty of advanced courses to suit.
How Much Do Investing Courses Cost?
Learning about investing doesn’t have to cost a fortune. In fact, many brokerages offer free online libraries to customers, allowing you to teach yourself a range of topics at no cost at all. If the self-taught and self-paced approach is your style, this is a good way to save money—which you can put into your portfolio!
You can sign up for interactive courses. If you want to spend a bit more and get ongoing instruction, some courses offer plans for a month, which can include online communities, live chats, and even 1-on-1 instruction.
How We Chose the Best Investing Courses
To choose the best investing courses available today we looked at a number of trusted platforms and compared them against a range of educational criteria. We looked at the types of courses offered and the levels of education provided. We also looked at whether the classes involved any sort of live instruction, community involvement, or if they were self-paced or self-led.
To determine the best value, we also considered the price and what sort of course options were available for users, especially in terms of continued access and resources.
