For a first-time investor who wants to understand the system before choosing a ticker, or someone who opened an account but is unsure what to buy, how much risk to take, or how to judge fees. This course focuses on a simple long-term plan, not trading, predictions, or guaranteed returns.
Course 02 · Money course 02
Start Investing From Zero
Understand accounts, risk, diversified funds, fees, and automation before placing your first long-term investment.
Before you start
Choose a fictional or personal long-term goal, target date, and monthly amount you could contribute repeatedly. You can complete every exercise without opening or funding an account.
See everything you’ll needWhat you’ll leave with
A written investing policy and a simple, diversified, automated plan matched to one real goal.
Start course Start without an account. Sign in to save lesson progress across devices.
Your project
Start with the practice files. Build your project one lesson at a time.
Practice files are free without an account. Sign in to save your project record in My Proof: a description, checklist, and optional work link. Keep the original files in your own app or notebook; saving a project record does not upload them.
- Get your materialsDownload the toolkitUse the downloadable worksheet or toolkit alongside the lesson instructions.
- Make your projectView the project checklist Work in your own notebook, document, or software. Use the supplied practice examples when you prefer.
- Keep a private recordSave a project record Sign in to save a description and checklist, then return to update them.
Optional course overview
Watch an introduction.
This overview from Fidelity Investments introduces ideas you’ll practice in the lessons.
Watch directly on YouTubeFidelity InvestmentsWhat Is Diversification?YouTube
Course handbook
Know the route before you begin.
Here’s what you’ll need and what you’ll make. You can return to this guide during any lesson.
- Choose a fictional or personal long-term goal, target date, and monthly amount you could contribute repeatedly. You can complete every exercise without opening or funding an account.
- Know the balance of your emergency savings and any high-interest debt.
- Locate your workplace retirement-plan summary if your employer offers one.
- Use the compound-growth calculator for scenarios, never as a promise of returns.
Finish with proof you can use.
A one-page investing policy stating the goal, time horizon, account type, diversified allocation, contribution schedule, maximum acceptable fees, and rules for reviewing or changing the plan. It should be understandable enough that you can follow it during both calm and falling markets.
Save a project record in My ProofSee project checklist and review criteria
- A goal statement with time horizon, emergency-fund status, and sustainable monthly contribution.
- A risk statement defining your horizon, acceptable decline, and no-panic rule.
- An account decision memo that states the goal, rules, access constraints, and fees.
- A one-page portfolio map showing each holding’s role, weight, cost, and overlap.
- A simulated small first purchase, sample confirmation, and written explanation of the order type used. No real purchase is required.
- A written investment policy with contribution schedule, target allocation, review date, and change rules.
Three ideas to help you along the way
Three useful ideas
The rules behind the steps.
Goal before product
The date and purpose of the money determine appropriate risk before any fund, stock, or account is selected.
Account and investment differ
A 401(k), IRA, or brokerage account is the container; the fund, stock, or bond held inside is the investment.
Diversification manages concentration
Owning many companies, sectors, and sometimes asset classes reduces dependence on one outcome, but cannot eliminate loss.
What do these words mean?
Key words
Key terms worth knowing.
- Time horizon
- The amount of time before the money is expected to be needed.
- Asset allocation
- The proportion of a portfolio held in categories such as stocks, bonds, and cash.
- Diversification
- Spreading exposure across investments so one holding has less influence on the whole portfolio.
- Expense ratio
- The annual operating cost of a fund, expressed as a percentage of assets.
- Volatility
- How widely and quickly an investment’s market value moves up and down.
Your route6 lessons.
6 lessons.
One useful project.
Work in order the first time. Each lesson makes something the next lesson can use.
- 1Up next
Know when you are ready
Separate money that can stay invested from money needed soon.
- 228 min
Understand risk and return
Connect price changes, the time before you need the money, and your likely reaction to a loss before choosing investments.
- 327 min
Choose the account before the investment
Understand how account rules shape taxes, access, and purpose.
- 430 min
Build a diversified core
Use broad exposure to reduce dependence on one company, sector, or prediction.
- 524 min
Practice a first investment order
Move from plan to execution without avoidable order or settlement mistakes.
- 620 min
Automate and review
Create a boring maintenance system that reduces emotional decisions.
Use the tools
See all tools Tools to help you practice.
Source transparency
Sources and further study.
Explore the references behind the lessons and take your learning further. Source notes explain access and reuse.
Ready when you are
Start lesson one Start with the first useful move.
You’ll always know what to do, what to make, and where to go next.
Open collaboration ideaHelp keep this complete course free.
Potential collaboration: Brokerages, financial education, tax software
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