Are Investing Courses Worth It?

Are investing courses worth it? Sadly, there is no cut-and-dried answer to this question since much depends on both the quality of the courses as well as the ability of the student to absorb the information.

That said, there are some things you can do that will make choosing whether to take an investing class or not easier.

Are Investing Courses Worth It? Count The Cost

The first indicator that an investing class might NOT be worth the cost is the price tag itself. You might actually be OK with the price, but what about when you compare the same course to others like it?

What’s the average price point for those investing classes? If you are being asked to pay more than what might be typical for the level and duration of the training you get, it is a good idea to keep shopping around.

Of course, in some cases, a price disparity might have to do with the fact that one course has a better reputation and clearer results than others. That is something to remember when comparing prices, especially on something associated with the learning experience no matter what topic you’re exploring.

How Much Can You Learn For Free?

Let’s face it, some people are charging money for you to learn things you can actually discover on your own without paying anybody at all. Are you interested in learning something that is well documented and available online for free?

A good non-investing example of that lies in Khan Academy, which has released a lot of videos on YouTube about math and learning math skills. You might (or might not) discover similar resources available online for free–the real question here is whether or not you have the ability to use such free resources and actually learn.

Advanced Learning Costs Money

If you need advanced investing courses rather than entry-level teaching, this is a scenario where it may actually pay for you to invest some money–learning what you cannot learn for free online or through books is something not to be taken lightly. Advanced learning is achieved by experience and if you don’t have a way to get that experience, paying for the benefit of someone else’s hard work makes sense.

But don’t neglect a search to find the information a different way just in case.

Do Some Research

If you believe you have found investing courses that may be worth the money, one important thing to do is to research the company offering those courses–what is the online reputation of the school or content provider you’re considering? You can check sources including crowd-sourced Q&A platforms on Reddit, Quora, etc. And you can also double-check the official site of the Better Business Bureau to see what kinds of complaints might have been lodged about the company over the years.

Don’t be daunted by a lack of BBB entries on the school or facility you choose–not all businesses get rated at or by the Better Business Bureau–you can always Google the name of the company and add the word “scam” to your search to see what might come up!

Lastly, if you’re reading this because you want some solid investing ideas, consider checking out Ten Factorial Rock’s article on dividend paying stocks under $10.