Foundation Course


Take your first steps towards money confidence and financial independence with our free course for beginners


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Difficulty level

Course length

135 minutes

Course cost

Free (why?)

Begin first topic

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...


£0k

With a stock market return of 7%




3

Discover your attitude towards money and risk

5 min

  • 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

4

And how should it change the way you approach investing?

8 min

  • 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

Corporate Bond

Stocks v Shares

Unit Trust

Investment Trust

Absolute Returns

OEIC (Fund)

Hedge Fund

Junk Bond

REIT (Real Estate)

Share Indices


5

The simple guide to making your first trade

12 min

  • 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

6

Discover the humble workhorse of a modern portfolio

8 min

  • Understand how corporate bonds work
  • Why do companies issue corporate bonds?
  • The popular (and unpopular) ways to access this asset class


7

How to take full advantage of the only truly 'free lunch' 

14 min

  • 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


9

The tools and mindset you will need to avoid catastrophe

12 min

  • 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.

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You've completed the Foundation Course!


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Progress on to our next course to continue your journey...


Go to intermediate course