Course

Investing Basics

Start here if you've never invested before.

What investing actually is, how stocks and bonds work, why most people use index funds, and the math of growing money over time. Plain English, no jargon.

15 lessons·~63 min total

Lessons in this course

1
What is investing, really?
Investing is putting money to work so it can earn more money over time. Here is the plain-English version, with no jargon.
4 min
→
2
Stocks explained without the jargon
A stock is a tiny piece of ownership in a real company. Here is how that ownership actually makes you money — and how it can lose money too.
5 min
→
3
Bonds 101: the IOU you can buy
A bond is a loan you make to a government or company. They pay you interest, then give you your money back. Here is how that actually works.
5 min
→
4
ETFs vs. mutual funds: what is actually different
Both bundle many investments into one product. The differences are in how you trade them, how much they cost, and how taxes work.
5 min
→
5
Why index funds quietly won
An index fund owns the whole market — or a big slice of it — and charges almost nothing. Most professional stock-pickers cannot beat it. Here is why.
4 min
→
6
Diversification: the only free lunch
Spreading money across many investments reduces risk without reducing expected return. It is one of the few things in finance that is genuinely free.
4 min
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7
Compound growth: why early money is worth so much more
Compounding is interest earning interest on itself. Over decades, it is the single most powerful force in personal finance.
4 min
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8
Dollar-cost averaging: the lazy way that often works
Investing the same amount every month removes the need to time the market. It also reduces regret, which matters more than people think.
4 min
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9
Asset allocation: the one decision that matters most
Your mix between stocks, bonds, and cash explains the vast majority of your portfolio's behavior. Get this rough mix right, and the details barely matter.
5 min
→
10
Risk and reward: the trade-off you cannot escape
Higher potential return always comes with higher potential loss. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you something.
4 min
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11
What is a brokerage account?
The basic financial container that holds your investments. How it works, what makes a good one, and why it's not the same as a bank account.
4 min
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12
Dividends: when companies pay you to own them
Some companies share their profits directly with shareholders. Here's how dividends actually work and why they're not free money.
4 min
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13
Stock splits: making expensive shares accessible
When a stock gets too expensive, companies divide each share into multiple smaller shares. Mostly cosmetic, but worth understanding.
3 min
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14
Market orders vs. limit orders
When you buy or sell, you choose the order type. Pick the wrong one on a volatile stock and you can lose real money on the spread.
4 min
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15
Expense ratios: the silent killer
A 1% fee sounds tiny. Compounded over 30 years, it can eat one-third of your final balance. Here's why fees matter so much.
4 min
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PREMIUM

Final exam + certificate

When you finish this course, take a 15-25 question final exam to test what you've learned. Pass and earn a verified ClearMoneySchool certificate you can share on LinkedIn.

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