Understand the Stock Market: Trade Stocks, ETFs Mutual Funds
What you'll learn
- Develop an overview understanding of the stock market and how it works.
- Understand how investors make money in the stock market ; capital gains, dividends and options.
- Choose an online broker based on personal preferences and needs.
- Set up and fund a personal account.
- Know why you need to diversify your investments and two ways to do it.
- Use accurate stock market terminology to discuss investment choices.
- Learn from an experienced, retired teacher.
Requirements
- We start at the very beginning. No prior knowledge needed!
- You will get the most out of the course if you have at least $100 to get started investing.
- If you don't have money to invest yet, you can set up a paper trading account to practice.
Description
Do you feel lost when the conversation turns to stocks and investing? Have you been thinking about investing, but have no idea how to get started? Then this course is made for you. By the time you finish this short, introductory course, you'll be ready to select an online broker, and set up and fund an account. My next course, Choosing and Buying Stocks and Funds will help you decide what to buy with those funds.
Learn how things work before you put your money on the line. Grow your financial literacy and independence with an experienced, supportive teacher. We start at the very beginning.
You'll get a solid overview of the stock market to prepare you to participate in it confidently. I’ll define the terms you need to know so you can ask questions and understand the answers you get. I might even answer some questions you didn’t know you had.
You'll get answers to your questions such as:
What exactly is a share of stock?
Why can I invest in Coca Cola, but not LEGO?
What determines the price of a share of stock?
What is a stock ticker?
What is a stock broker and do I need one?
Exactly how do I make money with stocks?
What is a dividend and what can I do with it?
How do I diversify my investments (and why do I need to?)
What exactly are The Dow, NASDAQ and The S & P 500?
What is an index fund?
I give you step by step instructions with everything you need to choose a broker, decide what kind of account you want to open, and set up your first account.
We'll also talk briefly about the difference between buying individual stocks and buying shares of Mutual Funds and Exchange Traded Funds. We'll touch on retirement plans you may have available through your employers and why you should probably take advantage of them.
This course prepares you for Part B, Novice Investors' Guide to Choosing and Buying Stocks and Funds.
Who this course is for:
- The "stock market curious"
- Those who have some funds ready to invest and want to get started.
- Those who have an account, but who want to feel more confident understanding their stock market investing options.
- Investors who use a financial advisor or manager, and want to feel more confident discussing their investments.
Instructor
- 4.6 Instructor Rating
- 51 Reviews
- 458 Students
- 5 Courses
Patricia Saylor is the founder of Saylor Financial Fundamentals, and author of The Novice Investor's Guide to Stocks, Funds and Options. making stock market investing accessible for novice investors. She is also the Head of School at Solterra Way Cottage School, providing educational assessments and academic support to private students.
Patricia is a lifetime educator. After her retirement from a 30-year career as a public school teacher and administrator, she grew both of her small businesses from side hustles to main gigs.
She has an MA in Linguistics from Gallaudet University and a BA in Spanish and Education from UNC-Chapel Hill. She is conversant in Spanish and fluent in American Sign Language.
From Patricia:
Unlike most financial educators, I was a teacher before I became an investor. I measure my own success by the achievements of my students, and I'm highly invested in their success!
I spent much of my career in public education in North Carolina, while running Solterra Way Cottage School on the side. I raised two Deaf children adopted as preschoolers, as well as a home-grown son and a stepson. I was the kind of mom who learned to sew so I could make my own cloth diapers.
In 2010, to boost my retirement savings, I began a self-teaching journey about stock market investing. Every article I read assumed background knowledge I didn’t have, and was full of words I didn’t understand. I taught myself what I needed to know, but it took me a long time to filter the relevant information. I knew I could make this process easier for other novice investors.
In 2016 I taught myself to trade stock options. Options can be very risky when used recklessly, and I prefer conservative strategies to boost my returns. I set up an account with a promo code and three months of commission-free trades. My goal was to get an education and earn $300 from my $5000 investment before the trading commissions kicked in. I spent about 100 hours reading and trading, and at the end of 3 months, I had earned $297! It's only gotten better since then.
Since I like to teach other people what I know, developing The Novice Investors program, including online classes and an ebook, was a natural next step after I retired. I really love hearing how my content has benefitted my students, so I hope you'll let me know what you think after you check it out.