Exchange Traded Funds
COURSE
Exchange Traded Funds
Learn how to find stock, bond, commodity and real estate ETFs to help you build a diversified base portfolio.
ETFs put the power of diversification and cost control in the palm of your hand. Plus, thanks to the explosion of these funds in the industry, you can find an ETF for just about anything these days. This course teaches you how to find stock and bond funds. We also explore other ways to diversify your portfolio, such as through real estate, commodity and even cash funds. ETFs offer unparalleled access to the stock market. Using ETFs, you can invest in specific industry groups, specific sectors, or in the entire stock market with a single investment. However, knowing what to look for as you assess fund holdings, methodologies and management fees can make all the difference in your investing success.
In this course, you will learn:
- How ETFs work and what they can do for you in your portfolio
- Why it’s important to diversify your stock holdings through ETFs
- How you can spread your bond investment risk with ETFs
- That all forms of “cash” are not created equal
- You don’t have to buy an actual rental property to invest in the real estate market
- Why commodities should have a place in everyone’s portfolio
Once you have completed this course and implemented the concepts you have learned, you will:
- Be able to sleep better at night knowing you have built your portfolio on a strong foundation of ETFs
- Have the confidence to make educated ETF investments that are going to save you money and provide superior returns
More Information
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
| Modules: | 6 |
| Lessons: | 24 |
Course Syllabus
Exchange Traded Funds
| Module 1 | The Basics of Exchange Traded Funds | |
|---|---|---|
| Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a lot like mutual funds, but with a few additional perks. ETFs put the power of diversification and cost control in the palm of your hand. Plus, thanks to the explosion of these funds in the industry, you can find an ETF for just about anything these days. | ||
| Lesson 1 | Reading: The Basics of Exchange-Traded Funds | |
| Lesson 2 | Video: ETF Basics (5:34) | |
| Lesson 3 | Quiz: ETF Basics | |
| Lesson 4 | Assignment: Find ETFs Matching Certain Criteria | |
| Module 2 | Finding Stock Funds | |
| ETFs offer unparalleled access to the stock market. Using ETFs, you can invest in specific industry groups, specific sectors, or in the entire stock market with a single investment. However, knowing what to look for as you assess fund holdings, methodologies and management fees can make all the difference in your investing success. | ||
| Lesson 1 | Reading: Finding Stock Funds | |
| Lesson 2 | Video: Find Your Stock ETFs (7:35) | |
| Lesson 3 | Quiz: Finding Stock Funds | |
| Lesson 4 | Assignment: Find Latin American Funds | |
| Module 3 | Finding Bond Funds | |
| If you don't want to buy individual bonds — be they government or corporate — you can buy bond-based ETFs. These ETFs provide a tremendous amount of flexibility in your portfolio, but it is important you understand the differences between owning individual bonds themselves and owning bond-based ETFs. | ||
| Lesson 1 | Reading: Discover Your Bond Funds | |
| Lesson 2 | Video: Discover Your Bond ETFs (8:22) | |
| Lesson 3 | Quiz: Bond ETFs | |
| Lesson 4 | Assignment: Find 30-Day Yields and Expense Ratios | |
| Module 4 | Allocating Your Cash | |
| When it comes to holding some of your assets in cash, many investors think the only choice they have is to stick their money into a savings account or a money market account. They don't realize that, thanks to ETFs, they can hold their "cash" in precious metals or foreign currencies as well. | ||
| Lesson 1 | Reading: Allocate Your Cash | |
| Lesson 2 | Video: Allocate Your Cash (8:17) | |
| Lesson 3 | Quiz: Allocating Cash | |
| Lesson 4 | Assignment: Find Cash Alternatives | |
| Module 5 | Real Estate Funds | |
| How would you like to allocate a portion of your portfolio to real estate without the headache of being a landlord? With real-estate-based ETFs, you can do just that. Plus, you can buy or sell your real estate at any time without having to pay those outrageous realtor fees. | ||
| Lesson 1 | Reading: Diversify Your Real Estate Funds | |
| Lesson 2 | Video: Diversify into Real Estate (7:10) | |
| Lesson 3 | Quiz: Real Estate Funds | |
| Lesson 4 | Assignment: Find a REIT ETF Matching Certain Criteria | |
| Module 6 | Commodity Funds | |
| If you truly want to invest in the global economy, commodities have to be a part of your portfolio. In the past, you had to open a futures account to trade commodities like oil. But thanks to commodity-based ETFs, you can own commodities in any investment account. | ||
| Lesson 1 | Reading: Finding Commodity Funds | |
| Lesson 2 | Video: Evaluating Commodity ETFs (9:28) | |
| Lesson 3 | Quiz: Commodity Funds | |
| Lesson 4 | Assignment: Find Commodity Producer ETFs | |