This course is part of the Practical Guide to Trading Specialization

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32 ratings

Steven Levine

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Offered By

Practical Guide to Trading SpecializationInteractive Brokers

About this Course

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In this fixed income course, you will learn to distinguish between different types of U.S. dollar-denominated corporate and municipal debt issuance, identify corporate and municipal bonds available to purchase and sell on an online trading platform, grasp the market mechanics underlying each type of fixed income instrument, as well as conduct basic analyses, and flag critical investment risks.
At the end of the course, you should be able to describe different types of corporate and municipal bond products available to buy and sell, some of the related risks you, as an investor, are likely to face, certain ways of mitigating them, as well as how to use an online trading platform to identify available securities to invest in, conduct due diligence, and much more

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Course 3 of 4 in the

Practical Guide to Trading Specialization

Beginner Level

Previous investment experience is helpful although not required.

Approx. 15 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Distinguish between types of U.S. dollar-denominated corporate and municipal debt issuance
Identify corporate and municipal bonds available to purchase and sell on an online trading platform
Grasp the market mechanics underlying each type of fixed income instrument
Conduct basic analyses and flag critical investment risks

Skills you will gain

Interest Rate
municipal bonds
Corporate Bond
bond analysis
Credit Rating

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Course 3 of 4 in the

Practical Guide to Trading Specialization

Beginner Level

Previous investment experience is helpful although not required.

Approx. 15 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.44/5 (11 Ratings)

Steven Levine

Senior Market Analyst

43,557 Learners

8 Courses

Offered by

Interactive Brokers

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

7 hours to complete

Introduction to Municipal Bonds

In this module, you will learn to: differentiate different types of municipal debt-Identify different features of municipal bonds available to purchase and sell on an online trading platform; track the trading performance of municipal bonds in the secondary market; grasp the market mechanics underlying municipal bond issuance; conduct fundamental, governance, and default risk analyses and calculate debt service coverage ratios.

7 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 21 min), 2 readings, 10 quizzes

6 videos

Fixed Income Overview1mIntroduction to Municipal Bonds - Overview2mGeneral Obligation Bonds3mRevenue Bonds4mShort-Term Notes3mSecondary Market5m

2 readings

Credit Ratings & Insurance15mU.S. Muni Market: Political & Governance Risk (Part 1-3)1h

7 practice exercises

Introduction to Municipal Bonds15mGeneral Obligation Bonds15mRevenue Bonds15mShort-Term Notes15mCredit Ratings & Insurance15mSecondary Market15mMunicipal Bonds30m

Week2

Week 2

4 hours to complete

Municipal Bond Analysis & Tax Considerations

Determine how taxes are applied to different types of fixed income issuance, including in-state and out- of-state municipal bond purchases, Build America Bonds (BABs), corporate bonds and U.S. Treasuries, as well as examine recent tax law changes, and how taxes apply to capital gains and losses. Learn how to compare the yields of tax-exempt and taxable debt issuance, as well as explore how taxes are applied to different types of municipal bonds.

4 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 14 min), 1 reading, 7 quizzes

Week3

Week 3

5 hours to complete

Introduction to U.S. Corporate Bonds

Learn what it means for a company to fail to honor its debt obligations and what this portends for its creditors, define the recourse corporate bondholders have in the wake of a company's default or bankruptcy filing, as well as describe certain default risk mitigation methods.Explore how Investors of corporate bonds may commit a tremendous amount of time to fundamental analysis to inform their investment decisions – conducting analyses on credit, market, liquidity, operational, and political risks, among countless others – when considering the potential for default. Examine how interest rate changes and central bank monetary policies can affect corporate bond prices, as well as influence levels of supply and demand in the market. Identify the steps involved in the creation of a corporate bond issuance, as well as examine some of the regulatory rules that govern this process. Examine the differences between yields and prices of corporate bonds trading in the secondary market, as well as explore the nature of basis point spreads.

5 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 38 min), 1 reading, 11 quizzes

9 videos

Corporate Bond Overview3mDefault Risk4mFundamental Analysis3mInterest Rate Risk and Central Bank Support6mCredit Ratings4mPrimary Market4mPractical - Intro to the IBKR Global Bond Scanner3mUnderstanding Prices and Yields6mFixed Income Conclusion1m

1 reading

Instructions to download Trader Workstation15m

9 practice exercises

Corporate Bond Overview15mDefault Risk15m Fundamental Analysis15mInterest Rate Risk and Central Bank Support15mCredit Ratings15mPrimary Market15mIntro to the IBKR Global Bond Scanner15mUnderstanding Prices and Yields15mCorporate Bond - Graded Quiz30m

Reviews

4.6

10 reviews

5 stars
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4 stars
9.37%
2 stars
6.25%
1 star
3.12%

TOP REVIEWS FROM U.S. BOND INVESTING BASICS

by AAMar 6, 2023

This Course gives you a base of Finance and it's very useful for someone who would like start to do trading

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About the Practical Guide to Trading Specialization

Imagine you’re an experienced oil trader and have been watching the volatility in the world markets and would like to hedge your risk using commodity futures, or you have been trading stocks and want a more diverse portfolio. This specialization is designed for those students who may already be deeply involved in one facet of the capital markets, but who desire a better understanding of how capital flows around the world.

Those who participate will be able to leverage their understanding of the financial markets to explore how a parallel market may influence, or be influenced by, that asset class in which they have familiarity. By the end of this specialization, the interweaving of several capital markets will be apparent to students keen to learn about its mechanics, as well as those investors whose strengths are limited to their existing trading knowledge. Students may also further their involvement with this material by opening a Paper Trading account, enabling them to enjoy a hands-on experience in a safe, simulated trading environment, while being fully immersed in the fundamentals that underpin the capital markets. For more information about Interactive Brokers visit: ibkr.com

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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