Useful educational resources for every stage of the investment journey.

With a wealth of information available for investors, it can be hard to know where to start or judge if your research is helping achieve your objectives.

Here are some useful resources that investors can use to:

• Learn about strategies and products when starting out
• Look at market trends
• Learn about different investment opportunities

Starting out

ASX Investment Tools and Resources provides information for those looking to start investing or wanting to learn more. It’s your gateway to ASX’s main educational resources. 

Online courses cover topics such as Shares, Options, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and Exchange Traded Products (ETPs), and Bonds.

In addition, several finance providers offer online courses for account holders. They include nabtrade Academy, which provides interactive learning tools that enable users to test their knowledge; and CommSec Learn, which helps those starting out or wanting to develop their skills.

Specialist providers have also created comprehensive education centres to offer essential information about products such as ETFs and personal investment.

• Check out the BetaShares Education Centre to learn about ETF basics, access research and view webinars.
• Visit the Blackrock ishares  “Learning about ETFs” information page in their investor education centre.
• Vanguard’s education centre features articles and videos as well as a weekly newsletter.  

The Moneysmart website is another great resource, providing free calculators, tips and guides on various financial topics, including investing and super.

Keeping up to date with market trends

The ASX’s blog contains the latest updates and podcasts, including Investor Update and The Ideas Exchange podcast, featuring some of the market’s best-known experts and commentators, across market-related and educational topics in various asset classes.

Many financial organisations, such as Stockspot, run similar blogs, featuring interviews, articles and news.

Product providers and market analysts also offer regular blogs and updates catering for investors with varying experience:

• Equity Mates provides podcasts for those starting out, as well as more experienced investors, featuring financial advisers, fund managers and expert insights.
• Regular Investor Update contributor Gemma Dale from nabtrade hosts the Your Wealth podcast that has insights on different assets, market outlooks, investment trends and more.
• For those looking for a daily fix, Sean Aylmer’s Fear and Greed podcast features business news and insights from economists in a 20-minute program. 

Tuning in to events and webcasts

ASX runs regular events and webinars to keep investors up to date on ASX products, services and latest market news. ASX’s on-demand webcasts can be viewed at any time and more information about ASX events is available on the website.

Key events include:

• Investor Day, which provides timely market insights and investment ideas from industry experts.  
• CEO Connect, which enables investors to hear directly from the CEOs of leading ASX companies about their business vision, strategy and their company’s latest achievements.
• The Small and Mid-Cap Conference, featuring emerging leaders from ASX-listed small and mid-cap companies. 

Testing your strategies with trading games

A low-risk way to test your investment strategies is to sign up for ASX’s bi-annual Sharemarket Game. Players receive $50,000 in virtual cash to invest in a selection of S&P/ASX200 shares, small and mid-cap companies, and more than 30 ETFs.

For those interested in Options, there is also an Options Trading Game, which is suitable for all experience and knowledge levels. 

Keeping track     

The ASX website has a host of features, interactive tools and regular newsletters and invitations to keep investors up to date, including daily market wrap-ups and the ability to create up to 10 personal watchlists in the ASX investor portal.

You can update your watchlist with any securities you hold and the price you paid, so you can easily see any change in value (20-minute delayed pricing).

To access all services and sign up for newsletters and invites, create a personal profile by clicking on the login button and following the prompts.