Investopedia Academy Launches to Empower Consumers with Financial Skills

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Investopedia, the largest online source of financial education, today announced the launch of Investopedia Academy, an online education platform that empowers consumers with financial knowledge and practical investing skills. Investopedia Academy aims to democratize access to financial education, regardless of consumers' geographic location, education level, socioeconomic background, or professional status.

Students and professionals are challenged with the ability to pursue greater knowledge of financial skills, whether for personal or professional use. Student debt is at an all-time high ($1.4 trillion outstanding according to Experian). At the same time, national investing knowledge is still relatively low – according to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Foundation's Investors in the United States 2016 Report, 56% of investors were able to answer fewer than half of the investor literacy questions correctly. Investopedia created Investopedia Academy to address these challenges.

"We built Investopedia Academy to cross a major chasm – between the need for financial skills and knowledge and those who can't access education easily. While there are huge benefits to graduate degrees, not everyone has the necessary time, resources or means. College graduates may find themselves with a degree in hand but still lacking the necessary on-the-job skillsets to succeed, which is why so many financial institutions invest large amounts of money in training their new analysts," said David Siegel, CEO of Investopedia. "Our on-demand, online courses are designed to provide the finance and investing instruction that individuals cannot affordably find anywhere else. With Investopedia Academy, consumers now have a reliable way to advance their careers and investing knowledge."

Investopedia created Investopedia Academy to help consumers at all levels of experience through a wide range of actionable courses on finance-focused topics. Surveying its 27 million users, Investopedia found that users have a 150 percent greater interest in financial education courses than other financial products and services. The survey also showed the highest interest in courses that help them upskill in investing and practical financial skills. As a result, Investopedia Academy courses are taught by instructors who have extensive real-world subject matter experience and are able to provide practical guidance, not just theory, to their students.

Investopedia Academy is directed at consumers in every stage of their careers -- from established career professionals looking to keep up with the rapidly changing financial landscape to young professionals trying to figure out how to invest their 401ks. One course graduate, a project manager of Algorithmic Lending, commented, "After serving 25 years as a Naval Officer, I transitioned careers to banking. With no prior Excel skills or experience, this course quickly allowed me to feel competent when using Excel in my new position."

With a 20-year track record in providing premier financial education, Investopedia chose the initial Investopedia Academy courses based on user demand, with plans to expand significantly over the next 12 months. Initial 2017 courses include:

• Excel for Finance
• Financial Modeling
• Fundamental Investing
• Become a Day Trader
• Technical Analysis

JC Parets, instructor of Technical Analysis at Investopedia Academy comments, "I used Investopedia during my college years to help better prepare for a career in finance. Having the opportunity to teach my course through Investopedia Academy feels like this is coming full circle. Investopedia Academy gives me the ability to take what I've learned in my career, which started on Investopedia, and teach those looking to sharpen their skills. It's truly one of the most rewarding experiences I've had in my career."

To sign up for classes or inquire more about the Academy, click here.

About Investopedia  
Investopedia is the go-to destination investors use to make smarter financial decisions. Powered by a team of data scientists and financial experts Investopedia offers timely, trusted and actionable financial information for its over 30 million monthly visitors, from early investors to financial advisors to high net worth individuals. Investopedia is wholly owned by IAC (NASDAQ: IAC) and operated by IAC Publishing, a collection of some of the web's largest and most trusted digital media brands. For the latest in financial news and insights, visit http://www.investopedia.com.

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SOURCE Investopedia