Understanding Investing & Finance: A Journey In Space & Time

Welcome!

Whether you are a current or a would-be student of finance or investment management, a graduate looking to hone your analytical and quantitative skills and prepare for your first job interview, or an investor wishing to develop a deeper understanding of fundamental financial concepts and apply them to your day-to-day decision making, this course is for you! 

Understanding Investing & Finance is more than an educational program: It is a fascinating journey through space and time in which you will meet many inspirational personalities - both real and fictitious - some towering greats in their field of study or endeavour, and sometimes, even beyond. You will learn not only about their remarkable tales and contributions but also their investment exploits and the decision-making process they adopt - and its consequences!

Our objective in developing this program is to demystify a subject matter that for many is shrouded in mystery! To achieve this, we use an innovative approach based on interactive learning, engagement and learner empowerment.

We believe optimal learning takes place when both hemispheres of the brain – and thus multiple senses – are engaged in the complex process of acquiring knowledge. Learning, therefore, is much more than just a passive absorption of facts or the one-directional flow of information; instead, it is a proactive, two-way and on-going process. Empowerment is then a function of the application of the knowledge gained to self-improvement.

We have developed our program by combining the intuitive with the cerebral in a methodology which integrates visualisation, analytical simulation and engagement to create a range of dynamic learning resources. With these resources, you can visualise abstract concepts in your mind’s eye; simulate them in real-life settings and with realistic examples; and engage with the study materials through our unique story-telling approach and our dynamic, interactive workbooks and spreadsheets embedded in the program. To these features, we have added an element of "play" to deliver an overall investment learning experience which is effective, enduring and fun.

Here is an overview of what you will find in this comprehensive program:

• An orientation pack to introduce you to the course and guide you through it

• Over 6 hours of engaging, story-based narrative

• 60+ compact and easy-to-digest lectures on key investment and finance principles

• 8 Excel-based, math and investment warm-up games

• 11 annotated, interactive workbooks to accompany and re-enforce each subject matter

• 16 supplemental spreadsheets to further enhance learning through hands-on practice

• 100+ downloadable resources

• 100+ embedded finance and investment formulas, each broken down and explained with examples

• 100+ multiple-choice quizzes, many including annotated graphs & diagrams to complement your learning

Plus:

In-depth coverage of over 50 key finance & investment concepts, including:

• The time value of money; present value and future value; compounding & compounding frequency; discounting; random events; the anatomy and applications of the normal distribution “bell curve”; quantitative methods, including "what if" analysis and simulation; the mechanics of diversification; measures of risk; and the dynamics of investment risk & return

• Economic considerations in investing, including the role of inflation, hyperinflation, and nominal and real growth

• Amortised and non-amortised loans; the role of compounding frequency; and the derivation and significance of commonly-quoted rates, namely APR & EAR

• A review of the main building blocks of investing, namely stocks, bonds and property with valuation methodologies, related principles and case studies

• Portfolio concepts including investor utility and risk profiling; combining assets based on their level of risk; the role of correlation; and portfolio construction, customisation and optimisation methodologies

  
  

Join the journey now ... and bon voyage!