5 Free Online Investment Courses

The older I get, the more I want to learn about my investment options. I think I have finally accepted the fact that one day, my sweet kids are going to grow up, leave the nest and want me to pay for college. However, I don’t want to spend a lot of money on investment courses and I have a limited amount of free time, so attending an in-person course or seminar isn’t a great option. Thankfully, the Internet is filled with a plethora of free resources, including free online investment courses.

Morningstar.com is always my go-to site for investment information. You will need to register for a free account for access to the online classroom, which has 172 different courses that cover a variety of topics including stocks, funds, bonds and your portfolio. Once you complete a course, you take a quiz for points. After earning 790 points, you can turn the points in for a 60-day Morningtsar.com Premium subscription.

TD Ameritrade’s courses are only open to TD Ameritrade account holders. A few years ago, I signed up for a free TD Ameritrade savings account because I’d receive a $100 bonus if I made 12 consecutive monthly deposits of at least $50. I’ve since transferred the funds from that savings account but I still have access to the online investment courses. If you already have an account with TD Ameritrade, then these courses can help you expand your investment knowledge base without breaking the bank.

Investopedia University’s expansive database of online tutorials covers a variety of financial topics including macroeconomics, ethical investing, taxes, young investor-specific information and general personal finance. The format is less like an actual online interactive course and more like an online investment book, but the tutorials are easy to read, and you can pick and choose the topics that matter to you most.

iTunes U is an information junkie’s dream. If you want to learn about something — anything — then I encourage you to visit iTunes U. BUS123 by Frank Paiano, a professor at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, Calif., is just one of many investment courses available on iTunes U. The Introduction to Investments course is perfect for true beginners.

Learn more about investing basics, how to find money to invest, tax-deferred investments, small dollar investing and more in this home-study course sponsored by the Rutgers Cooperative Extension. This is a home-study course and will likely take several sessions to complete.

If you've taken one of these free online investment courses, did you find it useful?