NAOI Individual Investor Certification is a designation awarded to students who successfully complete all tests, approximately 300 investing questions, in the NAOI Individual Investor Certification Program. 

Certification is an indication to the world that you have acquired a well defined skill set as defined by the National Association of Online Investors and done so in a quantifiable manner. It is tangible evidence of your successful commitment to learn about investing and to take personal control of your financial future. 

Below on this page we provide further background on the Certification Program. Other pages in this section of the site explain in greater detail the Certification Requirements and the Certification Rewards.

The investing public today is at a tremendous disadvantage. Because we have had little or no training on how to invest, most of us are dependent on professional brokers or advisors to make investing decisions for us. The unfortunate reality is that many of these financial experts are primarily salespeople. They make money when we buy what they sell. As a result, individual investors have lost billions of dollars buying inferior or inappropriate investments without question. Legislation, regulatory agencies and the courts can't solve this problem. NAOI education can.

Just as brokers and advisors must be trained and certified to sell investing products, the NAOI believes that individuals should be no less trained and certified to buy them. The NAOI Individual Investor Certification Program was created to provide this training and to level the playing field for the investing public. Graduates of the Certification Program will have the potential to invest on their own with confidence or, if working with an advisor, the ability to thoroughly evaluate and question any advice given. An NAOI Certified Individual Investor need no longer be dependent on any third party "expert" for investing advice.

The NAOI Certification Program takes time and effort to complete. The NAOI Certification award provides motivation to finish the material. 

The Value of Motivation

The trouble with most investing books and similar resources is that they provide little incentive to complete the material and no method of measuring learning retention. The study of investing can, at times, wear on your patience if you are not involved in the learning process or if you are not given feedback on your progress through the material. How many investing books are on your shelf that you started with eager anticipation and then just didn't finish? Probably more than a few. Traditional means of investor education simply don't have the tools to motivate you to finish.

NAOI Study Courses are different. The mufti-media format allows you to participate in the learning process as described in the "Study Courses" area of this site. You are asked to take an online test after each lesson to ensure learning retention and a testing Scorecard displays your progress through the material at all times. In addition NAOI Courses provide rewards for those who successfully complete the material.

You earn the NAOI Certified Individual Investor designation by completing all lessons tested presented in the online component of the Certification Program. Click here for more details related to the testing module.

The Certified Individual Investor designation is not simply a "vanity" title. It is a tangible symbol of your commitment to complete a course of study that takes significant time and effort to master. The title and associated rewards give you the motivation to finish the material. How many people would run a marathon if there was no medal at the finish line? Very few. Motivation is key to accomplishing many of the major goals in life and learning to protect your financial future should be one of these goals. NAOI Certification is one of many motivations that will take you to the finish line!

What NAOI Certification Is and Is Not

In addition to understanding what NAOI Certification is, it is just as important that you understand what it is not.  

NAOI Certification is NOT a license that enables you to establish yourself as a financial advisor. NAOI Certification does NOT allow you to charge clients for financial advice. NAOI Certification is NOT recognized by any federal or state securities regulatory organization or agency. 

Rather, NAOI Certification is a symbol of accomplishment, indicating that you have successfully completed an intense investing study course. It is a symbol of your determination to take personal control of your financial future. It is a symbol that gives you confidence to make your own investing decisions and to decrease your dependence on third party advice. Nothing could be more valuable.