Most of us didn’t get much of a formal education when it comes to investing. We may have learned some basic concepts in an economics class, but when we’re talking about stocks, bonds, mutual funds and investment strategies, most of us have to learn on our own. But, there is an option out there that can give you a basic investing education that works similar to how a typical course in school is used. Morningstar has put together a terrific resource to help investors sharpen their skills in various aspects of investing called the Investing Classroom.
The classroom is put together like college courses with 100 level courses being introductory and 400+ level courses being relatively advanced. This allows individuals at all knowledge levels to partake in the courses and work through the material in a progressive manner. The classroom covers four main areas:
- Stocks
- Mutual Funds
- Bonds
- Portfolio Allocations
You’ll learn about the difference between stocks, bonds, and funds. In addition, you’ll learn more about portfolio construction and different investment strategies, and even gain some tidbits about how to research investments on Morningstar.
Each course is structured with plenty of reading material and examples about the underlying topic and then you are presented with a quiz at the end of each course which are graded. The best part of the courses are that with each correct answer you accumulate points that can be used to obtain many great rewards. There are books, Morningstar fund and stock catalogs and even a free premium membership.
The course is 100% free and you can start taking some of the courses right now. But, if you want to keep track of your accumulated points so you can eventually apply them to the rewards, you will need to create a basic free Morningstar account. So what are you waiting for, start learning today: Morningstar Investing Classroom
Author: Jeremy Vohwinkle
My name is Jeremy Vohwinkle, and I’ve spent a number of years working in the finance industry providing financial advice to regular investors and those participating in employer-sponsored retirement plans.
