Week 03, Class 09
Stocks, Bonds and Index Funds
Invest, compare and plan your financial future
Investing conversations overwhelm because three very different instruments are discussed as if they were one thing. This class puts stocks, bonds and index funds side by side and compares them honestly: what each one is, what it pays, and what it asks the owner to accept.
Students build the comparison themselves, then practice matching each instrument to a goal and a time horizon. By the end, the words carry specific meaning instead of market noise.
Topics covered
- Stocks
- Bonds
- Index funds
- How the three differ
- What each is for
- Matching investments to time horizons
The practical activity
Students build a comparison table of stocks, bonds and index funds, then match each to a set of goals and defend the reasoning.
The learning outcome
Students can compare stocks, bonds and index funds and explain when each fits.