Do I need a separate NAOI Membership for each Study
Course I enroll in?
1.
Online Investing - Isn't that risky?
Not necessarily. Online resources are useful for all investor types from the most
conservative to the most aggressive. In the 1990's online investing got a
bad name. It became synonymous with "day trading". This is not
what the National Association of Online Investors is about. We promote the
use of online resources to enhance all types of investing activities, not
just stock trading. For example, online investing can mean using Web resources to
find the best rates on Certificates of Deposit. There is certainly nothing
"risky" about that. As another example, online investing resources
that you learn about in NAOI courses can be used to evaluate recommendations you get from
your advisor. Knowledge of online investing resources and how to use them
significantly reduces the risk of investing!
2. The market is filled with
investor education products. What makes yours different?
Many
products on the market today use the term "education" very
loosely. Some are nothing more than thinly disguised sales pitches. Other
products, such as the majority of books available, are too narrowly focused
to be useful to the individual who seeks comprehensive investing education. NAOI Study Courses provide true
education in every sense of the word. They are comprehensive, unbiased and
academically rigorous. The fact that the courses include an online component
enables us to provide elements essential to real education. These
include student interaction via such tools as online calculators and
worksheets, links to external Web resources and a testing / learning
reinforcement module.
NAOI Study Courses are the equivalent of college courses.
They cannot be compared with other so-called "education" products on the market. Click
here to review the elements of NAOI study courses that make them
"true" education.
3. I have a financial advisor who
gives me investing recommendations. Why should I
join the NAOI?
The NAOI encourages the use of financial professionals as a
part of your investing "support team". But you should never become
totally dependent on third party advice of any type. The motivations of
financial advisors often do not match your own. Only YOU are totally focused
on growing your portfolio and you must assume this responsibility. Certainly use your
advisor to get advice and recommendations but then it is up to you to perform your own analysis on
any such recommendations. NAOI Study Courses show you how to perform complete "due
diligence" on any stock or fund recommendation using Web resources. And
it only takes a few minutes.
Then you can intelligently discuss the pros and cons of the recommended investment with
your advisor. Your financial advisor should be a partner, not a dictator. If
they aren't willing to defend their recommendations when asked intelligent
questions then find another advisor.
4.
I know nothing about investing. Will I
be overwhelmed by an NAOI Investing Study Course?
No prior investing experience is required to benefit from any NAOI
Investing Study Course. Each course in the Confident Investing Series stands
as a standalone study unit. So there are no prerequisites to taking
any course. We do, however, assume that you have
a basic knowledge of how to
use a computer, the Internet and the Web. And it is always a good idea to
start with Course 1: Investing Basics
and Creating Your Investing Plan, but its not required.
5.
I just graduated from college and have
little money to invest. Why should I join?
You may not much money but
you have something far more valuable. You have time. Starting with a solid
investing plan now can result in hundreds of thousands of additional dollars
over your long investing career. New investors or even future investors
(i.e. high school students) will benefit more than most from completing
NAOI Study Course
s
now.
6.
Does the NAOI recommend stocks or
funds?
No, the NAOI is not licensed to provide advice or recommendations
related to any specific stocks,
funds or other type of investment.
Nowhere in an NAOI Study Course will you ever see
an investment recommendation. Our goal is to give you the knowledge and
resources to empower you to find quality investments on your own. We
also show you where you can get recommendations from third parties such
as newsletters, advisors, brokers, etc. and how to analyze these
recommendations. We don't give
you bread, we teach you how to bake.
7.
Most investor education products are
books. Why is yours a Membership?
The dynamic nature of the investing world makes a hardcopy book a
very poor vehicle for investor education. For example, any book that dares
mention a Web site will be outdated in less than six months. NAOI
Courses solve this problem by incorporating an online component that is
seamlessly integrated with the hardcopy book. This allows our course
content to be refreshed as needed. Our Web site references are never out
of date. The online component also provides a variety of tools and
testing capabilities that are not possible with a book. You access this
online component via an NAOI Membership. The Membership
model allows us to provide a product that is as dynamic as the field it
covers.
8. How long will it take me to
complete an NAOI Study Course?
NAOI Courses require work to complete. These
are not "get rich quick" schemes. Completing each course in
the Confident Investing Series should take on the order of 4-6 hours. Of
course this will vary widely depending on your experience level and your
study methods. Completing the entire NAOI Certification Program and
becoming a Certified Individual Investor should take in the range of
20-30 hours of study time. This has been the experience of our students,
yours may be different. It is important to remember that there are no shortcuts to investing
success. But once you have dedicated the time and effort, you will own
the incredibly valuable asset of knowledge and investing confidence. And
this is priceless.
9.
An NAOI Membership is for one year. What if I can't complete the Study
Course in that time?
An NAOI Membership can be renewed for an additional year at anytime
at a very reasonable price, however almost 100% of our students finish
their course in one year's time. Plus, the membership expiration factor
often provides that extra motivation to complete the material.
10. Which
Study Course should I choose?
The NAOI currently offers a full
range of investing courses. First, we recommend that all individual should take
Course 1 of the NAOI
Confident Investing Series. For a limited time it is free and this is course
will make sure you have a firm foundation of investing knowledge and a
structured action plan. Then, most investors will want to enroll in the
economically priced Certification
Program that bundles courses 2 through 5. This will give you a comprehensive overview of the
types of investing that all individuals should consider for their
portfolio. When you have finished the entire series then you can decide
which type of investing activities fit your unique needs and investing
style. If you are looking for education on a specific type of activity, e.g.
Options Trading, then you may wish to take just that course. Each course is
a standalone study unit with no prerequisites.
11.
Who works with the NAOI?
The NAOI has enlisted the aid of numerous people in the development of
our Study Courses. Among these people are educators,
financial professionals, Web developers, distance learning specialists and
the public. The NAOI has surveyed and interviewed hundreds of individual investors to make
sure we understand the needs of the average person with money to invest. The input of all of these
groups has gone into creating what we believe to be the best investor
education products available anywhere.
12. My entire office will
benefit from investor education. Are group memberships available?
Yes,
Group Memberships are available that allow organizations to buy an
"umbrella" membership for multiple individuals with one
convenient and economical purchase. Contact the NAOI at info@naoi.org
for details on this type of membership.
13.Investor education would give my organization a competitive edge. Does the NAOI offer
business-to-business partnership opportunities?
Yes, the NAOI
Partnership programs allow organizations to provide NAOI education to
their target audience. Partnerships have multiple options. You can
provide NAOI Memberships to your employees / customers / members for
free or at a discounted price. Another option enables you to both offer
a discount to your target audience and to generate an income stream for your own organization.
NAOI Education Partnerships are perfect for increasing the value of the
products/services of financial services firms, academia, and
associations to name just a few.
14. Your Study Courses
are more expensive than other investor education products. Why?
You
are comparing apples to oranges. As stated in the answer to question 2,
above, the term education is used quite loosely and often incorrectly in the field of investing. The NAOI provides comprehensive and unbiased education
for a full range of investing activities. Other education products are either too narrowly
focused to be useful or are simply sales pitches for a product. Look at prices
for college courses in which you earn credits for a more relevant
comparison. A better comparison, however, is between being an
informed investor and an uninformed investor. Click
here to put the cost of NAOI education into a proper perspective.
15. Are
there brokers or financial advisors that offer your educational products
to their clients?
Via an NAOI
Partnership your broker and/or advisor can offer to you discounted
prices for NAOI Membership and access to the Study Courses. Ask your
financial advisor if they are an NAOI Partner. If not, suggest that they
contact us at info@naoi.org . A broker or advisor who offers to you education in addition to
products/services is one who is confident that the products they sell
can withstand the scrutiny of an intelligent investor. This is something
for you to consider when choosing a financial partner.
16. Do I need a
separate NAOI Membership for each Study Course I enroll in?
If
you order each course separately then yes, you will need a unique membership
for each. This simply means that when you enroll in a new course you will be
asked to enter a unique User ID during the sign-up process. If you have
enrolled in other courses you can use the same password. Only the ID needs
to be unique. If you order the NAOI Certification Program then you will have
access to Courses 2 through 5 using only one User ID and Password.
