What is the Fastest Way to Learn Investing?

In some instances, you may not have a lot of time to learn a new skill. This may be the case if you’re studying investing to learn a particular skill for a work-related project or if you intend to pursue a new career path in investing. In this article, some options will be provided on which resources are available to help you quickly acquire investing training at different proficiency levels, including free resources, skills classes, certificates, bootcamps, and on-demand coursework, so you can find the training option that’s best for you.

Free Resources: The Very Basics

Because of how popular investing is in both the professional and personal setting (over 60% of adults in the US have investments), many free resources are available on investing and finance-related topics that can provide quick answers to questions or basic instruction on finance-related concepts. Students can watch YouTube videos on fundamental investing skills or read online tutorials that break down concepts like what angel funds are. Free online investing simulators are another popular resource for those who are new to investing. They allow individuals to try their hand at investing without having to risk losing their own money. Some of these simulators use real market values, which are intended to simulate the stock market. 

Additionally, providers like Noble Desktop offer investing articles and tutorials intended to help students get a feel for investing basics before signing up for live coursework. Noble’s Stock Market Investing Fundamentals is available for those who want to explore stock market basics, including how to start investing and various investment strategies. This one-hour seminar teaches participants about the capital gains tax, stock pricing, bonds, the risk-reward principle, and valuation. Since no monetary commitment is involved with free resources such as these, those who want to explore investing can do so in a low-stakes environment without having to invest hundreds or thousands on formal training.

One important consideration when opting for free online investing materials is that this content has the potential to quickly become dated. Since investing best practices change fairly quickly and depend largely on market fluctuations, this type of pre-recorded coursework isn’t always up to date. For this reason, learners are encouraged to research the provider before enrolling in a course with them. 

Skills Classes: For Students Looking to Become Comfortable with Investing

One common way some people study investing is through skills classes. These short courses are available in person and live online and typically only require a day or so to complete. Rather than approaching investing as a broad topic, skills classes hone in on one specific tool Investors use, such as Excel, or offer basic instruction to help students get started with investing basics. These short classes provide students with the opportunity to learn one tool and practice it without being distracted by other subjects. Once the class is over, they can immediately put their training to use. One of the main benefits of enrolling in a skills class is that this kind of coursework allows students to fill gaps in their education without wasting time and money focusing on skills they already have. 

Noble Desktop has several skills-specific courses that focus on finance and investing concepts and tools. Those who are new to investing can enroll in Stock Market Investing. This short class covers essential investment concepts and strategies, including what moves stock prices and how Investors value stocks. Students explore DCF analysis and P/E Ratios, financial statements, and earnings releases. Students who are interested in learning a specific investing-related skill can also gain hands-on training in Noble’s Excel Level I: Fundamentals. This beginner-friendly program covers spreadsheet essentials that have applications in finance, including basic calculations, functions, visualizations, formatting, and printing. Learners also have access to a companion video suite that includes introductory-level lessons and tutorials that further break down Excel concepts. Whether you opt to complete your studies in person close to home, or remotely through live online options, these classes provide all the perks of live training in a fast-paced, straightforward educational environment.

Another benefit of skills classes is the price. Since these courses are shorter than bootcamps or certificate programs and require only a fraction of the time of college study, they’re typically a more affordable option. Most educators provide investing skills classes for several hundred dollars. However, it’s important to keep in mind that in a skills class, the level of instruction will not be as in-depth as it would be in a longer, more intensive course, such as a certificate in financial analytics. Those who want to take a deeper dive into the field of finance may wish to enroll in a longer, more intensive type of training once they learn the basics.

Bootcamps and Certificates

Those who want to spend more time studying investing, and acquire more in-depth instruction can opt instead for a bootcamp or certificate program. While this form of training requires a longer time commitment than a skills class, the knowledge you’ll gain can be useful in your current career or can be used to pursue a completely new career path.

Investing Bootcamps 

Investing bootcamps are a popular study option for aspiring learners who want to spend a bit more time on their financial training. These courses are taught in person and live online. Unlike certificate programs, which often provide instruction on a range of investment strategies and skills, training bootcamps are usually more focused on their scope and teach one skill, such as financial accounting or how Python is used in finance. Bootcamp study is a good learning option for those looking to start with basic investing concepts and progress into more advanced-level training over several days or weeks (depending on whether they’re attending part-time or full-time). Because they’re shorter than certificate programs or college study, investing in bootcamps can be a much more affordable learning option. Some schools offer programs for approximately $500. 

Bootcamps are an excellent way to get started learning about investing and quickly take your skills further. Noble Desktop offers bootcamps in several investment-related topics. Learners can opt for the Python for Finance Bootcamp. This program prepares students to analyze SEC financial statements, create risk models, work with Python’s financial libraries, manipulate financial data, and make stock price predictions using linear regression. Noble also has a Financial Accounting Bootcamp in which learners receive introductory-level training in financial accounting concepts like accounting statements basics, as well as more advanced instruction in topics like securities and investments. Each of these bootcamps takes just a few days to complete and includes a free course retake for up to one year.

While bootcamps can provide a great opportunity for students to receive hands-on investing training, this learning option has some potential drawbacks to consider. Most bootcamps are fairly short and provide a limited type of training. For those who want to fully immerse in investing, more intensive coursework like a certificate or full-time college study may be a better option since it provides a more robust financial context for the investment strategies that are taught. 

Investing Certificates

Learning investing through certificate study is an excellent way to acquire hands-on training. Those enrolled in these in-person or live online courses not only benefit from real-time instructor-led guidance but also have the opportunity to fully immerse in their studies for an extended period of time. Because they provide participants with instruction on a range of investment strategies and skills, these robust classes usually take several weeks or several months to complete (depending on whether they are part-time or full-time). In addition to live instruction in the small group setting, many of these programs also provide participants with additional professional development incentives like 1-on-1 mentoring sessions, career counseling, mock interviews, resume critiques, or access to networking events. This ensures that certificate program graduates will be job-ready upon graduation.

Certificate study is generally the most expensive way to learn investing outside of a college setting. These programs can cost $3,000 or more to attend. While this cost is significantly higher than other live training options like bootcamps and skills classes and is much more than on-demand coursework, this additional cost is a worthwhile investment for professionals who are looking to have an in-depth understanding of investing and a robust understanding of the field of finance. If you’d like to learn about a field that is related to investing, you can enroll in Noble Desktop’s Data Science Certificate. Participants in this comprehensive class explore topics like automation, Python, SQL, data analysis, and machine learning. 

While devoting weeks or months to studying investing is a time commitment, it’s a much more focused and abbreviated training format than would be provided through four-year college study. Those who graduate with certificates can immediately apply the skills they’ve acquired to their current job or use them to boost their resume. Certificates also usually offer learners the time and space to compile a professional portfolio of work, which can be shared with prospective employers. 

On-Demand Courses: It's Hard to Tell

On-demand coursework is another training option available for those interested in quickly learning investing techniques and strategies. This type of training is pre-recorded by educational providers like Coursera and Udemy and placed online, where it’s available to students who enroll in the class. Those who opt for this type of coursework have the flexibility of deciding their own learning pace, as well as where they’d like to be when they complete lessons. Students can pick up and put down lessons as their schedule permits or pause and rewind videos to take notes and ensure they’re grasping the content. While this level of freedom is appealing to many learners, it also can be a challenge for some individuals, who may not be able to find the motivation to keep up with their studies without formal deadlines. 

On-demand investing classes range in length from several hours for skills-specific classes like the University of Michigan’s Stocks and Bonds program to several months for more intensive courses, such as Coursera’s Investment and Portfolio Management. However, since no instructor is present for this form of training, participants must find answers on their own when they don’t fully understand a concept or skill. This is why some learners may struggle with on-demand coursework, especially those who are new to the field of finance and investing and may require additional clarification or support. Some individuals, therefore, may begin with on-demand coursework but move over to live instruction to fully comprehend concepts they’ll need for their current job or a new career path.

Learn Investing with Noble Desktop

If you’re ready to get started learning investing or want to take your existing financial knowledge to the next level, Noble Desktop can help. Noble offers in-person instruction in New York City and live online courses for learners at all levels. All Noble courses provide hands-on training and include a free retake option for up to one year. 

Noble’s Stock Market Investing class is available for those interested in exploring stock market basics, such as investing, stock movements, and valuation. This short program teaches learners about the different factors that affect stock prices, how to work with financial statements, and how to perform DCF analysis. Graduates of this course leave with a well-rounded understanding of financial markets.

Learners seeking more detailed instruction can gain hands-on investing training in Noble’s Financial Analyst Training Program. This comprehensive program is designed to take students from spreadsheet basics to intermediate-level Excel skills. Those enrolled explore corporate finance and financial accounting concepts. They also learn core Excel skills, including functions, formulas, shortcuts, and PivotTables. More advanced spreadsheet training is also provided in topics like financial functions, DCF modeling techniques, and cash flow projection tools. This bootcamp is intended to prepare students to pursue a career at a top financial firm. Prior accounting and finance knowledge is helpful but not required to enroll. All students receive a short pre-learning guide a week before class starts, which they can use to brush up on basic concepts. 

Noble also offers a Financial Modeling Bootcamp in which students become familiar with essential finance and accounting concepts. This hands-on program teaches students about accounting, finance, and corporate valuation. Participants work with Excel to create a financial DCF model that’s based on a real company. Those interested in enrolling will find it helpful to have prior financial experience. As a prerequisite, participants should have intermediate-level Excel for business training, including knowledge of VLOOKUP, PivotTables, and IF statements.