Discover the Best Investing Classes Near Me
At the most basic level, investing is purchasing something to create wealth. If you’ve ever heard the phrase buy low, sell high, it’s a term about investment. Buying assets at a low price and selling it for more than the purchase price to make a profit is how investing works. Making a profit in the investment world is also called “realizing capital gains.” When you realize capital gains by selling your assets, that means they’ve appreciated, or the value has gone up since you purchased them.
The other primary way to make money with investing is through dividend payments. You receive dividend payments when you buy specific kinds of stocks and bonds that pay out to shareholders on a regular basis.
Examples of common investments:
- Property and real estate
- Stocks in successful companies
- Corporate bonds
- Gold or another commodity that has value outside of the U.S. dollar
- Mutual funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)
Investing in real estate is often called a “smart” investment as long as you’re making strategic decisions. It’s the act of buying land or buildings and homes. There are many factors such as the economic climate, the area surrounding the property, and government stability in the area. For people who want to invest in real estate but don’t want the responsibility of property upkeep, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are typically a good place to go. These companies let you purchase stock in companies that are focused on making stockholders money. Essentially, you’re buying stock specifically into a company that’s making money for you, and paying out a higher dividend.
Stocks are probably a familiar term, even if you don’t know much about them. When companies need capital, they’ll often open up the ability to purchase stock. That essentially means that you pay into the company, funding their operations, and become part owner of the business. Because stocks give you part ownership in a company (even if it’s minute), that means they come with a higher risk. If the company does well, you earn. If the company fails, you lose. Some companies pay stockholders a regular dividend, or part of their earnings.
Bonds are when a company borrows money from an investor. The debt the company owes is called a bond, which means the investor still owns the money and the company will pay the investor back with interest —often called a “fixed rate of return.” This type of investment is guaranteed moreso than a stock because of their fixed rate of return. There’s always risk with investing, though, because you’re expecting the other party to take action.
Commodities are material goods that industries use. These are items such as precious metals, energy, fuel, and agricultural products (like corn). Market demand drives the prices for these goods, which makes them risky. There’s also the matter of how to hold the commodities—do you have a place to put a large stock of oil or wheat? Though you can invest through ETFs or stocks in companies that produce the products, it’s still pretty high risk because many people are investing with borrowed money and betting on the future. This is a more advanced type of investing.
A mutual fund is a company with the sole purpose of gathering funds and investing them into securities (like stocks and bonds) on behalf of many investors. The mutual fund creates a portfolio and individual investors can purchase a stake in the company. When an investor puts money into a mutual fund, they become a part owner (like with stocks) and are therefore entitled to a share of the profit the portfolio generates.
Why You Should Learn Investing
Probably the biggest reason people begin to learn investing is to make money. There’s a vast potential for more income and, in turn, financial stability, if you become skilled at investing. For many people, the idea of having a secure financial future makes the learning curve and risks worth it.
When you learn investing, you’ll interact with people who have similar goals as you and see money in a different light. With a new vocabulary and money mindset, investing opens up many opportunities and relationships you may not have otherwise had. This is especially true if you don’t know anyone who invests and you’re building new relationships as you go.
If you enjoy it, and you become highly skilled, knowledgeable investors have many career opportunities. Large companies may require a degree to obtain a corporate position, but if you’re smart with your investments, you can make enough on your own to have a comfortable life without the stress of a corporate job.
5 Ways to Learn Investing
Investing has been around for ages, literally. Ancient civilizations like the Mesopatamians in the Middle East were investing and trading goods. In the historical Code of Hammurabi, it lays out legal ways to invest.
In modern times, there are a number of ways to learn about investing and investment strategies.
- Books are a great way to learn investing basics, especially because you can get them for free at your local library. While it’s true that most things are digital now, the ideas themselves aren’t new. Basic books like Investing for Dummies can make the complicated concepts more understandable before you dig into more advanced information.
- Podcasts can be both interesting and informative. It gives a personal touch to learning the strategies and you can often hear successful investors’ advice and experiences. “We Study Billionaires” and “Motley Fool Money” are both top-ranked podcasts, although there are plenty to pick from —including more focused topics like real estate investing.
- Videos and self-paced courses are a smart way to dabble with investment concepts before you decide if you want to pursue it as a hobby or career. YouTube has channels like Learn to Invest that breaks down the concepts into bite-sized pieces. Self-paced courses are also a good option if you learn best being able to stop and rewind videos to watch again but want supporting materials to help you understand the material.
- Live online courses will give you more support as you learn. It’s the best of the virtual and real-time classroom learning worlds. An expert will guide the class and you’ll be able to ask questions and collaborate with your peers.
- In-person courses can be a really effective way to learn the ins and outs of investing, too. Sitting in a learning space with others who are eager to learn the same things brings an energy that sometimes can’t be replicated when you’re in your own space, especially watching videos or listening to podcasts on your own.
These are all great tools, but formal classes are usually the quickest and most effective way to get a good understanding of investing.
In-Person Investing Classes
There are places all over the United States that offer in-person investing classes. If you’re looking for a good place to begin your search, try looking on CourseHorse. It’s easy to search by area and there are many courses to pick from.
In New York City, NYC Career Centers in Midtown Manhattan offers Stock Market Investing Fundamentals. This course is great for beginners, as it provides a foundation to understanding real estate, stock, and bond investing. You’ll learn how options work, how to find financial data, and sustainable investing practices for long-term success. There are two bonus topics as well: financial crisis 101 and stock options that make this half-day experience more than worth the time and investment in yourself.
For those looking for a more business-oriented course, the 5-Day “MBA” Certificate Program in Midtown Manhattan by the American Management Association (AMA) is a unique way to understand how investing and business are related. Other helpful topics include: return on investment (ROI), how to grow your business sustainably and successfully, communication, business strategy, and leadership. There’s quite a bit to cover in five days, but it’s a convenient way to get a look at and understand the pieces of your business (or future business) from a birds’ eye view. AMA also offers the 5-Day “MBA” Certificate Program in San Francisco.
In the Withrow Downs area of Charlotte, NC, the Institute of Real Estate Management offers an Asset Analysis of Investment Real Estate class. The focus on real estate investing is helpful for those who may be considering whether this type of investment will work for them. You’ll learn about the financials behind cash flow and how to weigh your options for whether an investment has potential. When you get done with class, you’ll be able to write a management plan for real estate investment and make educated recommendations.
Los Angeles is a good place to learn about investing on the West Coast. General Assembly offers Make Money: Personal Investing 101 in the Santa Monica Beach Cities area. The course will teach you how to invest and make your big long-term goals doable. You’ll learn about compounding interest, the risks associated with different types of investments —and the returns, of course. In addition, the instructor will provide you expert advice about what to do (and not do) to make sure you’re investing wisely.
On the Westside of LA, Investment Planning —Part 1: Financial Planning by West Los Angeles College is a great place to begin learning about investing and financial planning. This course is the first part of Brian Asher’s Investment Planning workshops that have been popular since the 1990s. This part one class will give you an overview of how to manage your money and the goals of investing. According to the class description, “If you take only one of Brian’s classes, take this one.”
On the other side of town in the eastern part of Los Angeles County, Mt. San Antonio College has a hands-on bootcamp experience for learning investing. Investment Boot Camp for Safe and Profitable Investing will show you how to protect your accounts from loss, how to make investments that keep your principal safe, and lower your income taxes with tax favored investments. You’ll also learn practical lessons about the economy, the stock market, and interest rates.
Virtual Investing Classes
If you can’t find an in-person investing course that interests you, or you simply prefer to learn from your own spaces, there are many online investing classes you can take. Virtual classes offer more flexibility in terms of available topics, attending from familiar spaces, and avoiding a lengthy commute. You do generally have to provide your own materials, but with investing, there shouldn’t be too many required materials (if any) to participate in class.
NYC Career Centers offers a convenient fundamentals class called Stock Market Investing Fundamentals. This material is the same as the in-person class, which means you’ll be getting great real-time instruction on all the basics you need to begin making decisions about stock market investing.
Investment Bootcamp by Santa Monica College gives you an insider look at mutual funds, annuities, and retirement plans. You’ll discover strategies successful investors like Warren Buffet use and how to keep more of your investment earnings via tax strategies. Walk away feeling informed and ready to start making practical investments.
For those looking to make investments into small and local businesses, Angel Investing 101 by Class Rebel is an ideal place to learn the ins and outs. From the language and other basics to creating a deal and negotiating equity, this in-depth course is a must if you’re thinking of becoming an angel investor.
Private Group Investing Classes
Do you want to schedule an investing class as a useful and fun team-building event for your business or organization? CourseHorse has private group investing classes that could be a win-win for you and your team.
Gain an understanding of corporate finance during Finance Corporate Training. This detailed course gives a solid foundation for financial careers and investment banking, as well as interview preparation for financial jobs. Learn what financial terms mean, how to use financial instruments like stocks and bonds (i.e., investing), dividends to name a few. Look at case studies from real-world companies and explore current pricing on securities.
Even if your team doesn’t want to change careers, having a strong understanding of finance is helpful in many areas of life. This class can accommodate as many as 20 people, which means it’s big enough to allow for opportunity but small enough to ask questions and get answers in real-time.
When you book the class through CourseHorse, there are several useful benefits:
- No booking fees
- 24-hour or less registration confirmation
- Multiple video platforms supported for class
- Don’t necessarily have to find a time that fits everyone’s schedule
- Can be customized to your group
When you book this group, you can purchase a set number of vouchers and your employees can attend when it fits their schedule. You can arrange for a class for your entire group and customize it to fit your organization’s needs. All you have to do is reach out for a free consultation and the instructor will create a package that works best for what you need.
Have questions? Or want to talk to someone about customizing a finance class for your group? Reach out to CourseHorse via the contact form on their website and the team will be happy to assist.
What Will I Need to Learn Investing?
One of the best things about learning investing is that it doesn’t really require you to collect materials. The most important things you’ll need to have to begin learning are:
- A laptop, tablet, or other internet-enabled device
- Stable internet
- Passion and willingness to learn
- Money to invest
You can borrow books and other materials at your local library, and listen to many videos and podcasts for free. Aside from a computer, the most important physical item you’ll need to learn investing is money to practice. You can start with small amounts, but it can help you learn when you see the ideas in action.
Is It Difficult to Learn Investing?
Investing itself isn’t difficult to learn, but many of the ideas are complex and take time and effort to fully understand. One of the challenges of learning to invest is that it requires money, which not everyone can provide. That being said, nearly everything is doable if you want to learn badly enough. Saving a dollar here and there and learning for free at first could enable you to become the savvy investor you want to be. If you’re ready to devote your time and energy to it, you can learn to invest.
