Career Resources for Finance Majors

Investment Evaluation

So you want to start saving money and investing in your future. How do you make sure you make smart decisions? While there is always an element of risk when it comes to investments, you can make more informed choices with some simple statistical techniques. This course teaches the basics you need to evaluate opportunities and get the most value out of every dollar. Instructor Yash Patel is passionate about empirical and data-driven decision making, and here he turns its power on the world of finance. Learn about the components of an investment and fundamental concepts such as time value, opportunity cost, and the difference between capital and wealth. Review the different types of investments and three different methods of evaluation: discounted cash flow (DCF), net present value (NPV), and internal rate of return (IRR). For each method, Yash lists the pros and cons, offers examples and challenges, and provides a “real talk” summary that will help anyone—not just business owners and CFOs—make smart, strategic decisions about money.

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