Diploma in Investing

Course details

The Diploma in Investing, delivered over eight weeks by market practitioners, covers a wide range of subjects relevant to financial service professionals. From modern technology execution, alternative investments, risk management and detail on how product performs in reality.

The course is designed to help those working in the financial services industry to understand how retail investors think about and engage with financial service professionals. This will benefit you in your own company where you will be more attuned to keep customers into the future.

Learning Outcomes

Students will gain the following from course attendance:

• Knowledge that bridges the gap for those in financial services who have not dealt with the practical nature of markets
• An understanding of how the retail investor feels about engaging with the financial services industry.
• An understanding of the risks, truths and myths associated with price movement and what affects product performance
• An awareness of developments in technology, investing techniques and psychology as it relates to the retail investor.
• An ability to evaluate product as it relates to the customer

Programmes are accredited for CPD purposes by: Institute of Banking, Life Insurance Association, Association of Compliance Officers in Ireland, Irish League of Credit Unions.

CPD Hours: 4 hours

Course Content

Module 1: An inside view of financial markets – Peter Brown

• Course overview and framework
• How the financial markets work
• How big players influence the markets
• What determines price movement
• Risk and reward management for investors
• The effect of the low interest rate environment
• Assessing euro versus non euro assets
• Assessing hidden risks in investment products
• Making money in the markets

Module 2: Individual Asset Classes – Martin O Sullivan

• Deposits – being careful about where you put your cash
• Bonds – higher yielding alternatives for investors
• Pros and cons of corporate versus sovereign bonds
• Commodities – should investors be in gold, oil, food commodities?
• ETFs or exchange traded funds – what are they? Why does the modern investor need to know about ETFs?
• ETFs: target specific asset classes (equities, property, bonds, commodities etc.) to suit your investment strategy
• Relevant investor examples

Module3: Managed Asset Classes and Portfolio construction – Robert Whelan

• Tracker Bonds – prospects for success in this environment, costs and risks.
• Managed Funds – the good the bad and the ugly.
• Portfolio Construction – determining the mix of asset classes – low, medium and higher risk.
• How to build and maintain a persified investment portfolio
• Relevant investor examples

Module 4: Modern tools and Techniques – Niall O’ Connor

• Platforms and techniques
• Buying shares online
• ETFs online
• Financial spread betting
• CFDs
• Options – a simple overview
• Practical demonstration by a top service provider
• Tools
• Technical analysis for investors
• Useful information sources

Module 5: Shares/Fundamental Analysis / The Role of News – Vincent Hogan

• The various stock markets and sectors
• How to evaluate companies
• Rules for buy trades
• Rules for short trades
• Common mistakes investors make
• How to maximise your profits
• Interpreting news and benefiting from it
• Assessing the macro economic cycles
• Some further reading

Module 6: Property Investing – Karl Deeter

• Property as an investment
• Property versus other investments
• What factors affect property investing?
• Ways of evaluating a property investment
• Valuing property as an investment
• Historical performance and cyclicality
• Leverage
• Taxation
• Regulation
• Summary

Module 7: The Pension Market and Pension Management – Cormac Farrell

• What is really happening in the Pension market
• What are smart people doing
• Self-directed pensions
• Better pension performance
• Charges and penalties
• Allocation rates

Module 8: Course Review and developing your action plan – Tomas Agnew

• A professional Financial Planner will attend the module and help you develop your personal investment action plan
• Engaging a broker – advisory or non-advisory
• Optimising the tax efficiency of your investments
• Course review and moving forward
• How to access IIFT support