Investing from Scratch: Stocks, ETF, Bonds

Investing is not speculation or a lottery, but a systematic allocation of capital with the goal of earning income or preserving purchasing power. However, without understanding the basic principles and instruments, it’s easy to fall into traps of emotional decisions or lose money due to unjustified risk. This course provides structured knowledge of three key asset classes—stocks, ETF, and bonds—and teaches you to evaluate them in terms of return, volatility, and their role in a portfolio. You’ll learn how long-term investing differs from short-term speculation, and how inflation affects real returns.

The course program covers both fundamental and applied topics. You’ll study what a stock is as a share in a business, how to read valuation multiples (P/E, P/B, dividend yield) and assess a company’s fair value. A separate block is devoted to ETF: how index funds are structured, how to track benchmarks, fees, and liquidity. In the bonds section, you’ll cover coupon income, duration, credit rating, and how bond prices depend on the key interest rate. Portfolio strategies are also discussed: diversification across asset classes, sectors, and currencies, rebalancing, and using correlation to reduce risk. You’ll learn how to calculate target return for your time horizon and risk tolerance, and you’ll be introduced to asset allocation models.

The course methodology is built around practical case studies and real investor mistakes. You’ll learn how to open a brokerage account, choose a plan, and set up regular purchases via ИИС or a standard account. Special attention is paid to behavioral traps: how not to panic during market drawdowns, not to chase “hype,” and not to break discipline. Typical misconceptions are covered, such as the illusion of control over the market, the disposition effect, and survivorship bias. The course does not provide ready-made recommendations for specific securities, but equips you with tools for independent analysis and decision-making.

The course is designed for beginner private investors who want to approach personal finance management systematically. It will be useful for professionals with non-financial backgrounds—engineers, doctors, teachers, IT specialists—who have accumulated capital and are looking for ways to preserve and grow it. The course is also suitable for entrepreneurs who want to diversify business assets, and for young families planning long-term savings for children’s education or retirement.

By the end of the course, you will confidently navigate basic investment instruments and terms: stocks, bonds, ETF, dividends, coupon, duration, beta coefficient, and correlation. You’ll be able to build your first diversified portfolio aligned with your risk profile and understand how to adjust it as market conditions change. You’ll master the principles of investment discipline: regularity, diversification, time horizon, and emotional control. You’ll be ready to make well-founded decisions without relying on rumors or advice from bloggers.