Investing education or courses

ChilliBob

Hey everyone,

Except for the IFAs on here has anyone completed any investing courses? If so what?

I'm aware of the CFA, but not sure if people tend to do that off their own back if not employed. Or indeed if that's the most relevant applicable thing. 

I'm not looking to do it for career purposes, more just for interest really.

Thoughts much appreciated. 

Alexland

One low cost option is to buy the textbooks for the CII Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning. If you don't mind them being a year or two out of date the books are very cheap on ebay being sold by people who probably got them for free from their employer or training provider.

https://www.cii.co.uk/learning/qualifications/diploma-in-regulated-financial-planning-qualification/

ChilliBob

Ah interesting, thanks for the reply, so this is essentially what IFAs would have to do? Alongside other things of course, but it's that path.. Where as I guess CFA is geared more towards working in that industry instead (so at a fund manager, or Morningstar etc). I can see merit in both.

Thanks, I'll give that a look 

Alexland

ChilliBob said:

so this is essentially what IFAs would have to do?

Yes but they might have professional membership and exam fees to pay. As I am only managing our own money I just buy second hand books to read.

ChilliBob

Cool, I'll give that a look, cheers as always  

bostonerimus

I have three friends who have done the CFA in the US. One is in the insurance industry and the others are self employed in technical consulting areas who took the courses to market themselves better and also because they sit on a couple of small company boards. The sense that I got from them was that it was a lot of work, but that it wasn't technically difficult - you need more stamina than brain power. It also strikes me that like many professional graduate courses sold by "institutes" it's a bit of a money making racket. They have made the qualification almost a prerequisite for some jobs and getting the qualification is quite expensive.

ChilliBob

Yeah I do remember some colleagues doing it and whinging about certain parts (ethics I think) which was just a massive memory test, and all were doing it as a stepping stone into a role within the industry. Looking at Alex's suggestion, it's probably more what I'm after. Especially CII R02

Thrugelmir

There's no shortage of books to get you started. Harriman Press is an ideal place to start.  While some of the books have been around for a long time (aged data wise). The same basic principles apply today as they did decades ago. 

ChilliBob

Cheers, I do have a few books, I was just curious what the education route was really, and if it offered anything different really. I think it may well do. 

Just had a quick look on that site, cheers for the heads up, many I had not heard of and some, like Psychology of Money, which are in my Book already  

Thrugelmir

ChilliBob said:

Cheers, I do have a few books, I was just curious what the education route was really, and if it offered anything different really. I think it may well do. 

Route to do what?  There's no shortage of available courses. Whether they be for private or professional purposes. Though when you are paying for some ones time , resource and expertise they never come cheap. 

ChilliBob

Perhaps route was the wrong word, I guess I was interested in the professional qualifications involving investment really, which seem to be in two camps depending on whether you want to work *in* the investment world, say at a fund manager, or similar, or, want to be an IFA, or work with some kind of Wealth Management. Clearly both offer benefits to the individual retail investor really. Obviously neither routes are necessary, I just figured they could be interesting and stretch me a bit if/when I felt that need!