Introduction to Investing and Financial Planning

Date: March 18, 2012

For further inquires please e-mail mintz@lander.ac.il

Day & Time:  Sunday’s from 9:30a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Length: 8 weeks; the class meets one time per week

Academic Hours: 32

Instructor: Doug Goldstein

Cost: 2200 ₪+ 200 ₪ Non refundable Registration Fee.

Payment by Cash, Check or Credit Card. All fees must be paid up to one week before the course starts. If paying by Credit Card, tuition may be paid in installments of no less than 250 ₪ /mo for a maximum of 10 months.  If paying by check, checks must be paid in advance and can be post dated until the course completion date. Cash – tuition must be paid in full before the course begins. (For exceptions please call our office)

Introduction to International Investing and Financial Planning

Veteran investment advisor Douglas Goldstein, CFP, Director of Profile Investment Services, Ltd., presents a solid overview of practical strategies for achieving financial success. Goldstein teaches how to get your financial house in order and how to create long-term plans for wealth. He brings in special guest speakers to teach about tax, insurance, budgeting, and more.

I.      Introduction

If past performance is no guarantee of future returns, why does everyone look at the past?

1. 1. Basic terms and summary of how asset classes work
      1. Stocks
      2. Bonds
      3. Mutual funds
      4. Money managers
      5. Bank deposits
2. II.      Stocks
   1. Owning a business vs. buying shares
   2. Figuring out when to buy and sell
   3. Time-frame for investing in stocks
   4. Diversification techniques
      1. Market sectors
      2. Common or preferred shares
      3. U.S. or foreign shares
      4. Research vs. indexing
      5. Capitalization of companies
   5. Trading terms – how to enter the trade you really want to enter
3. III.      Bonds
   1. Treasuries vs. corporate bonds
   2. Municipal bonds
   3. Zero coupon bonds
   4. Understanding bond yields
   5. Premium priced bonds
   6. Quality – high quality vs. high yield
   7. Bond investing strategies
   8. Inflation and bond buying
4. IV.      Mutual funds
   1. Pros and cons of mutual fund investing
   2. Calculating real rate of return
   3. How mutual funds really work
   4. Managed funds vs. Index funds
   5. Open-end funds vs. closed-end funds
   6. Understanding fund research
   7. Costs and fees of owning mutual funds
5. V.      Professional analysis
   1. What do analysts look for when researching stocks
   2. Fundamental vs. technical analysis
   3. Benchmarking returns using the right index
   4. Investment strategies
      1. Buy and hold vs. day trading
      2. Dollar-cost averaging
      3. Buying IPOs
      4. Short-selling
      5. Buying on margin
      6. Options trading
      7. Do it yourself vs. using a professional
6. VI.      Financial planning
   1. Creating a budget
      1. Making ends meet
      2. Analyzing income
      3. Analyzing expenses
      4. Keeping up with inflation
      5. Hints for making a successful budget
      6. Savings
   2. Determining goals and how to achieve them
   3. Financial planning analysis techniques
      1. Return-assumption
      2. Monte Carlo Statistical Simulation
      3. Rule of 72
   4. Asset allocation
   5. Assembling portfolios to match the requirements of a financial plan