January 23, 2003

Investing for Your Future

North Dakotans who want to learn about investing with small dollar amounts have two new ways to receive educational materials, according to Debra Pankow, North Dakota State University extension family economics specialist.

The Cooperative Extension system has developed a home study course entitled “Investing for Your Future”.  It is an 11 unit course that is available on-line and in workbook format.  Workbooks are available through local county extension offices for a nominal charge, and the online course is available without charge at http://www.investing.rutgers.edu/

“Course topics are covered in a logical order, starting with basic topics and progressing to specific investments, and then to topics of use to investors, such as how to select financial advisors and how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud,” Pankow says. 

Topics for the course include:

• Basic Building Blocks of Successful Money Management
• Investing Basics
• Finding Money to Invest
• Equity Investing
• Fixed-Income Investing
• Investing in Mutual Funds
• Tax-Deferred Investing
• Investing with Small Dollar Amounts
• Getting Help:  Investment Resources
• Selecting Your Team of Financial Professionals
• Investment Fraud

Every unit concludes with worksheets and a list of action steps designed to help learners apply the course material to their lives.  The “Investing for Your Future” Website urges readers to consider the action steps carefully, in order to take action that is appropriate for each unique financial situation.

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Source: Debra Pankow, (701) 231-8593, dpankow@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Writer: Teresa Oe, (701) 231-8371, teresa.oe@ndsu.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu