Investing in Stocks & Bonds: Practical Investment Strategies

Name: Investing in Stocks & Bonds: Practical Investment Strategies
Rating: 4.9 (64 reviews)

Long-term investing principles, stock and bond fundamentals, portfolio building, risk management and financial planning

Created byAl Zailskas

Last updated 5/2026

English

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What you'll learn

Understand how money loses value over time and how inflation, fees, and taxes impact long-term investments.
Plan and calculate realistic investment goals using a practical Excel investing and financial planning tool.
Gain a clear understanding of classic investment instruments — including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs.
Learn how to build a long-term investing strategy for retirement, children’s education, or other long-term (15+ years) financial goals.
Evaluate and choose suitable investment options based on risk, time horizon, and expected returns.

Course content

4 sections • 20 lectures • 2h 51m total length

How Money Loses Its Value – and Why It Matters6:31
Explore how inflation erodes purchasing power over time and why investing helps beat inflation, using clear examples and a practical Excel tool for long-term planning.
Common Asset Classes Worldwide0:46
Identify the three major asset classes worldwide—stocks, fixed income securities (bonds), and real estate—and learn how most money flows into these assets, including liquid instruments.
What It Means to Invest in Stocks9:10
Explore what stocks are, how they fit into the financial system, how shares are issued through IPOs, and why investors buy for growth or dividends, along with risks like bankruptcy.
What It Means to Invest in Fixed-Income Securities3:36
Discover how fixed income securities, especially bonds, involve lending money to governments or companies, earning coupon payments and a face value at maturity, while prices fluctuate through markets.
Long-Term Return Expectations9:25
Explore how long-term return expectations are drawn from historical performance across asset classes, including stocks and real estate, before-fees and taxes, with reinvested dividends.

Defining Long-Term Investing Goals12:38
Define your long-term investing goals and map them to accumulation and withdrawal phases, estimate retirement needs and net pension replacement rate, and identify the monthly gap to fund.
Investment & Withdrawal Calculator – Excel Tool32:58
Learn to estimate future savings with a regular investing plan using an Excel tool, converting future values to today’s prices and accounting for inflation, fees, and withdrawal needs.

How to Decide Between Investment Options7:01
Learn how to start long-term investing by comparing four product types—brokerage accounts, private pensions, employer plans, and investment-linked insurance products—while focusing on stocks, bonds, costs, and taxes.
Investor Questionnaire10:12
Answering the investor questionnaire helps determine the stock and bond mix based on experience, risk tolerance, goals, and ability to invest; it guides asset allocation and long-term planning.
Common Methods for Investing in Stocks and Bonds - an Overview2:39
Explore common ways to invest in stocks and bonds, including direct purchases, mutual funds, and ETFs, with notes on fund managers and market indexes like the S&P 500.
Common Methods for Investing in Stocks1:32
Explore the three popular methods for investing in stocks—direct stock picking, mutual funds, and ETFs—while comparing how mutual funds and ETFs work and outlining basic bond principles.
Direct Investments (Stock Picking)6:43
Identify stocks with strong future potential, diversify across sectors and asset types, and build a resilient portfolio using stocks, bonds, and broad funds such as mutual funds or ETFs.
Mutual Funds6:43
Investment managers pool investors' money, select stocks to build a diversified portfolio, and aim to outperform benchmarks using mutual funds.
ETFs – Exchange Traded Funds8:07
Invest in stocks via exchange traded funds that track indices such as the S&P 500, mirroring its holdings and market capitalization, with ETF shares traded on stock exchanges.
How to Choose Mutual Funds and ETFs for Stock Investments16:58
Learn how mutual funds and ETFs track broad indices like the MSCI World or S&P 500 to diversify across regions, styles, and sectors while comparing costs and structures.
How to Choose Mutual Funds and ETFs for Bond Investments13:28
Learn to compare bond mutual funds and exchange-traded funds by issuer, credit rating, and maturity to balance risk and stability in a long-term portfolio.

What Happens to Your Investments When You Start Investing – And What to Do Next9:02
See how a four-fund portfolio grows from monthly investments of 80% in stocks and 20% in bonds, while prices fluctuate. Near retirement, reduce equity and consult a financial advisor.
The Logic Behind Using Tax Advantages3:44
Explore how tax advantages can boost long-term investing, noting country differences and the impact of taxes on returns, and seek low-fee tax-advantaged options with a tax advisor.
How Fees Influence Your Investment Returns9:31
Understand how transaction fees, management fees, and total expense ratios erode long-term investment returns. Learn to estimate net returns after fees and compare low-fee options like ETFs and mutual funds.
Further Learning: Stablecoin Course & Disclaimer0:29

Requirements

No prior investing or finance knowledge is required — this course is suitable for complete beginners.
Optional but highly recommended: Use the Excel tool to plan your investments — it’s ready to use, simple, and gives instant insights, but you can still follow the course without it

Description

Long-term investing can ultimately change your life.
But before you start, it’s essential to understand how money loses value over time — and how inflation, fees, and taxes can shape your financial future. Many people see large future sums and get excited, but often forget to consider real money value, taxes, and inflation — which can make those amounts much smaller in today’s terms. This course helps you plan your investments in today’s real money value, so you can make smarter, more realistic financial decisions and build long-term wealth with confidence, clarity, and practical strategies.

You’ll get a clear, beginner-friendly introduction to stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs — the classic, time-tested investment instruments that have helped millions of people grow their savings over time. With a downloadable Excel investing and financial planning tool, you’ll learn how to calculate realistic returns, set achievable goals, and understand what really drives sustainable long-term growth — without complex math or financial jargon.

Created for an international audience, this course focuses on universal investing principles — not on any single country’s financial products. No prior investing knowledge is required — just curiosity, motivation, and a willingness to learn step by step at your own pace.

Taught by Al Zailskas, an economist with over 12 years of experience in banking, insurance, and real-estate investments, including working with institutional portfolios totaling around €700 million.

Who this course is for:

Anyone who wants to start long-term investing (15 years or more) using classic, time-tested financial instruments like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs — what most people use to grow wealth
Learners with long-term financial goals of any kind: retirement, children’s education, major future purchases, or building general wealth.
Beginners who want practical, easy-to-follow guidance without needing prior investing experience.

Investing in Stocks & Bonds: Practical Investment Strategies

What you'll learn

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Course content

Investing Basics5 lectures • 29min

Planning Long-Term Investments2 lectures • 46min

Practical Steps to Begin Investing9 lectures • 1hr 13min

Additional Topics4 lectures • 23min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: