The Game of Investing

It’s easy to think the Game of Investing is rigged, or that the markets (or their players) want to mess you up. Reality is that it’s about assessing inputs of information to generate money-making investments. Simple(!)

This 3-lesson module focuses on the broader game, some of its core rules, and some principles to help you navigate the playing field, the players, and the mistakes they make.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to figure out your own investing style instead of relying on others
• Why the idea of “Mr. Market” is B.S. (and so is the idea of an investing “holy grail”)
• The actual first steps you need to take to conquer the inner game of investing
• The 4 core market truths you need to put on a Post-It beside your computer
• How to assess your ‘5 types of capital’ (not just your financial capital)
• How to use context to rein in the wall of information we’re all bombarded with everyday
• And more

At the End You Will:
Be an emotionally more self-aware investor… Learn (or confirm) your investing style… Curate your information diet wisely.

The Stuff That Drives Markets

Market drivers are a kind of Russian doll ecosystem, with a number of trends of various time horizons co-existing at any one point in time.

This 7-module lesson will give you a solid foundation in understanding co-existing (and seemingly conflicting) trends – because if the trends don’t make sense to you, you’ll feel in the dark with your portfolio…

What You’ll Learn:

• The 3 broad categories of market drivers
• How the hell you’re meant to integrate different categories of market drivers into one portfolio
• Why you can get an edge by finding the trend inside the trend
• The relationship between central banks and market drivers
• How to juggle several time horizons at once
• How to set and track market drivers yourself

At the End You Will:
Understand the ecosystem of market drivers… Know how to track market drivers yourself… Stress-test your portfolio with your new knowledge of market drivers.

The Art (& Science) of Charts

Like most tools in investing, charts need to be handled carefully and well if they are to help you stack the probabilities in your favor and manage risk well enough that you get to continue to play the game.

This 6-lesson module focuses on the value of charts as a tool in everyone’s framework.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why charts are your “best friend and worst enemy all at once”
• How to use charts to help you filter ideas and see a ton of information in one place
• The classic mistakes investors make when using charts
• Exactly why charts are not predictors of the future
• How to identify a trend, key support, resistance levels, and more
• Some common chart patterns including pennants, head-and-shoulders, flags, and triangles
• And more

At the End You Will:
Understand common chart patterns… Know the “gotchas” of relying too much on charts… Be ready to use charts as a tool to inform your investing decisions.

The Asset Class Universe 

The core asset class universe is made up of equities, fixed income, commodities, currencies, and digital assets.

This 7-lesson module focuses on getting to know that universe (and most importantly, how the ‘planets’ in the universe interact).

What You’ll Learn:

• How to identify the common drivers behind asset price performance
• A top-down framework to understand and manage the asset class universe
• Why bonds are less intimidating than they may appear at first
• How to get to know the relationships between equities, fixed income, commodities, currencies, and digital assets.
• How to apply asset class fundamentals to your own investing
• And more

At the End You Will:
Understand the different players in the asset class universe… Know the relationships between all the players… Feel comfortable building hypotheses based on these relationships.

The Science (& Art) of Building a Portfolio

By now, you’ll have a solid foundation in charts, investing psychology, asset classes, and market drivers.

This 6-lesson module covers the entire process of portfolio management – from expressing a single trade idea to building a robust portfolio suitable to your needs.

What You’ll Learn:

• The golden rules of risk management
• The tricky game of understanding correlations in your own portfolio
• How to think about and manage liquidity risk, volatility, and leverage
• Why risk management and portfolio construction are perhaps the most important part of the whole investment process
• How to approach portfolio construction based on your individual circumstances
• And more

At the End You Will:
Feel more confident constructing and managing your own portfolio… Be able to apply the ‘rules’ of risk management… Be able to tailor your portfolio construction based on you instead of applying a general structure and hoping for the best.

How You’ll Learn:

The course is designed to develop your approach to investing. Even if you have been doing it for years, it will force you to go back and stress test your process, something any investor and trader should do.

Here’s the approach to each module:

1. First, we cover the core ideas and concepts for each module in the Basics
2. Then we review these ideas and concepts in laidback Discussions with Roger Hirst, Jamie McDonald and James Helliwell. Here, you’ll learn different nuances from 3 pros who each look at markets differently
3. Next, we unlock the insights from the Real Vision archives and learn From the Pros, including Raoul Pal, Chris Cole, Lyn Alden, Mark Ritchie II, and Pierre Andurand
4. Then, Roger pulls it altogether in action-focused Workshops, which feature practical activities, actionable strategies, and various investing scenarios – all the real world stuff.

Plus…

• A module handbook, plus extra resources
• Chatting with fellow Academy members on Real Vision