My Skill Lab
FinanceBeginner

Investing & the Stock Market for Beginners

Start investing with a calm, sensible plan.

Taught by Pooja Adhikari · CFA, Equity Analyst

What you'll learn

  • Explain in plain language what stocks, bonds, and funds are and how each makes (or loses) money
  • Describe how exchanges, orders, and market prices work so you can place a trade with confidence
  • Quantify the trade-off between risk and return and match a portfolio to your time horizon
  • Build a diversified, low-cost portfolio using index funds and ETFs
  • Set up dollar-cost averaging and calculate how fees quietly erode long-term returns
  • Recognize and avoid the most common beginner mistakes that destroy returns

About this course

Learn how the stock market actually works and how everyday investors build wealth over decades without gambling or guesswork. This course turns confusing jargon into a simple, repeatable system: understand what you own, manage risk with diversification, keep costs low, and let compounding do the heavy lifting. By the end you will have a clear, written plan you can act on with confidence.

Course content

8 lessons
  1. 1What You Actually Own: Stocks, Bonds, and FundsThe three building blocks of almost every portfolio, and what each one really represents.Preview
  2. 2How the Stock Market Actually WorksExchanges, brokers, order types, and where a price really comes from.Preview
  3. 3Risk and Return: The Trade-Off That Governs EverythingWhy higher returns demand higher risk, and how to measure both.
  4. 4Diversification: The Only Free LunchHow spreading bets reduces risk without sacrificing expected return.
  5. 5Index Funds and ETFs: The Beginner's Power ToolHow to own the whole market cheaply and automatically.
  6. 6Dollar-Cost Averaging: Investing on AutopilotWhy investing a fixed amount on a schedule beats trying to time the market.
  7. 7Fees and Taxes: The Silent Drag on ReturnsHow small percentages compound into huge differences over decades.
  8. 8Common Beginner Mistakes and Your Written PlanThe traps that destroy returns, and a simple plan to avoid them all.