Manage Your Retirement Investments

This group will offer two tiers of participation. If you are new to investing money, there is a monthly 'basics of investing' class. There will also be a twice monthly event for savvy investors.

The event for beginners will focus on several core concepts. An outline is published below. There will be an emphasis on covering a wide variety of topics, meant to broaden knowledge and build vocabulary.

The event for savvy investors will feature more complex topics and address the economy and various markets in real time.* The topic will be assigned prior to the event, so attendees can come prepared to share their thoughts.

Future topics will be chosen by the attendees at the end of the experienced investor meeting. Topics can change if there are big events in the markets.

People with expert knowledge of specific investing techniques will be encouraged to share their knowledge. Sales pitches will be discouraged.

There are no prerequisites for any of the events. Member can attend any event they choose.

*Most events will take place after the market is closed. Real time in this reference means the discussion will be on the most current information anyone can obtain.

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# Six-Unit Curriculum on Investing Money

## Unit 1: Foundations of Investing and Financial Markets

Objective: Understand the purpose of investing and the structure of financial markets.
Overview: This unit introduces the importance of investing and the role of financial markets, providing a foundation for understanding investment vehicles and market dynamics.

• Why Invest?: Growing wealth to combat inflation and achieve financial goals (e.g., retirement, education).
• Markets and Exchanges: Role of stock exchanges (e.g., NYSE, NASDAQ) in facilitating asset trading.
• Indexes: Purpose of market indexes (e.g., S&P 500, Dow Jones) as performance benchmarks.
• Sectors: Overview of industry sectors (e.g., technology, healthcare) for diversification.

## Unit 2: Stocks and Trading Essentials

Objective: Learn the fundamentals of stocks and how they are traded in markets.
Overview: This unit focuses on stocks as a core investment vehicle, covering their characteristics and trading mechanisms, building on market knowledge from Unit 1 to enable practical engagement.

• Stocks: Ownership shares in companies, offering growth potential and risks.
• Dividends: Payments from company profits to shareholders, including dividend yield.
• Stock Splits: Dividing shares to adjust price and improve accessibility.
• IPOs: Initial Public Offerings, how companies go public, and associated risks/rewards.
• Limit and Market Orders: Trading at a specific price (limit) or immediately (market).
• Margin: Borrowing funds to invest, amplifying gains and losses.

## Unit 3: Fundamental Analysis and Stock Metrics

Objective: Evaluate stocks using fundamental analysis and key risk/return metrics.
Overview: This unit introduces fundamental analysis to assess a company’s value and metrics to understand stock performance, building on stock basics to support informed investment decisions.

• Fundamental Trading: Analyzing financials (e.g., revenue, earnings) to determine stock value.
• P/E Ratio: Price-to-earnings ratio as a measure of stock valuation.
• Alpha: Excess returns compared to a benchmark index.
• Beta: Stock volatility relative to the market.
• Gamma: Rate of change in options pricing (brief intro to connect with Unit 4).

## Unit 4: Technical Trading and Derivatives

Objective: Master technical analysis and understand derivatives for advanced trading strategies.
Overview: This unit covers technical trading tools to predict stock price movements and introduces derivatives like options, complementing fundamental analysis and focusing on speculative strategies.

• Technical Trading: Using historical price data and charts to forecast trends.
• Moving Averages: Simple and exponential averages to identify price trends.
• Bollinger Bands: Volatility indicators for overbought/oversold signals.
• Japanese Candlesticks: Chart patterns reflecting market sentiment and price action.
• Elliott Wave: Theory of cyclical price patterns for market prediction.
• CAN SLIM: Growth investing strategy combining technical and fundamental factors.
• Options, Puts, Calls: Contracts to buy/sell assets at set prices for hedging or speculation.
• Derivatives: Financial contracts based on underlying assets.
• Short and Long: Strategies to profit from price declines (short) or increases (long).

## Unit 5: Fixed-Income Investments

Objective: Explore fixed-income securities for stability and income generation.
Overview: This unit focuses on fixed-income instruments, emphasizing their role in reducing portfolio volatility, distinct from the speculative derivatives covered in Unit 4.

• Bonds: Government, municipal, and corporate bonds for steady income.
• CDs: Certificates of Deposit for safe, fixed returns over a set period.
• Treasuries: U.S. Treasury securities (e.g., T-bills, T-notes) for low-risk investments.
• Annuities: Insurance products providing guaranteed income streams.
• Fixed-Income Instruments: Overview of bonds, CDs, and treasuries as a cohesive asset class.

## Unit 6: Alternative Investments and Portfolio Management

Objective: Understand alternative assets and construct a diversified investment portfolio.
Overview: This unit explores alternative investments like real estate, cryptocurrencies, forex, and commodities, concluding with portfolio management to integrate all asset classes for balanced investing.

• REITs: Real Estate Investment Trusts for real estate exposure without direct ownership.
• Cryptocurrencies: Digital assets (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum) with high volatility and potential.
• Forex: Trading foreign currencies, including volatility and leverage risks.
• Commodities, Gold, Metals: Investing in physical assets like gold, silver, and other metals.
• Futures: Contracts to buy/sell commodities at a future date.
• Portfolio Management: Asset allocation, diversification, and rebalancing across stocks, bonds, and alternatives.