Your First Few Days With the Essential Investing Course  

Dear Subscriber,

We hope you’ve been enjoying AAII’s Essential Investing (EI) Course and everything it has to offer. During your first few days, we aim to ensure that you are becoming familiar with the Learning Management System (LMS), understanding the course curriculum and accessing all necessary resources.  

Here’s a quick check-in to ensure you’re on track and making the most of the learning materials.   

Quick Reminders: 

• Watch the Welcome Video: If you haven’t already, make sure to watch the welcome video from Raymond A. Rondeau to get familiar with the course structure and resources. Watch Now. 
• Learn How to Navigate: The Start Course Here tab is packed with useful resources to help you maximize your purchase. Here, you’ll find guides on how to navigate a class and tips for progressing through courses smoothly. 
• Explore the Curriculum: Take a look at the different classes available and see which ones align with your investing goals. Whether you are at the beginner, intermediate or advanced level, we have content designed just for you. Explore Now. 
• Participate in Discussions: Each segment of the EI Course has a Discussion Forum tab where you can ask questions and share insights on the various subjects. 

• Take the Course Survey: What did you think of the course? Take our course survey so we can continue to improve our products.  
• Start Learning: Dive into the modules that interest you, whether it’s through the EI Structured Course or EI FlexiLearn Course options. Log in to get started. 

For Those Still Choosing Between Structured and FlexiLearn … 

The preferred version is the EI Structured Course. This version contains sequential mandatory classes, an exam, AAII EI Course Certification, a certificate and access to all the EI Course Certification benefits. Completing the EI Structured Course is the only way to attain EI Course Certification. 

The EI FlexiLearn Course is for individuals who would like to access the EI Course classes in any order, at any time, who are not interested in the exam, EI Course Certification or EI Course benefits. 

Both EI Course versions are automatically placed in the My Classes area of the AAII Learning Center website when purchasing the EI Course. Both versions contain all the components of each class, and both EI Course versions can be accessed at any time. 

Explore Your EI Course Curriculum  

As you can see, the EI Course has a lot in store for individual investors just like you. Let’s explore the EI Structured and EI FlexiLearn options to find out which one best suits your learning style. 

The EI Course offers two distinct paths:  

EI Structured Course: This path includes over 12 hours of video content — featuring keynote speakers like Bruce Johnstone from Fidelity — and culminates in a comprehensive final exam. Successful completion grants EI Course Certification along with exclusive member benefits. This is the recommended format. 

EI FlexiLearn Course: This path offers flexibility to explore the course content at your own pace, including all materials from the EI Structured Course. You can access all classes at any time. However, the FlexiLearn option does not provide EI Course Certification or the benefits that come with it (see below). 

  
Whichever learning path you choose, you will get comprehensive education that you can use time and again throughout each life phase. 

Here is a listing of the primary elements of each EI Course version: 

EI Structured Course   

• Mandatory classes  
• Classes must be completed sequentially 
• Free trial period 
• EI Certification Exam 
• EI Course Certificate (for passing participants) 
• EI Course Certification Benefits (for passing participants) 
• Full access to the EI FlexiLearn Course and all the supplemental classes  

EI FlexiLearn Course 

• Composed of all the EI Structured Course mandatory classes and additional supplemental classes 
• Classes can be taken in any order  
• Supplemental classes focus on specialized investing topics  
• Shorter free trial period 
• No EI Certification Exam, Course Certification or Certification Benefits  

For most investors, we recommend building a solid investing foundation by completing the EI Structured Course first and attaining EI Course Certification with its associated benefits. After acquiring a solid investing knowledge base, we recommend going to the EI FlexiLearn Course to continue your education on more refined topics. 

Of course, it’s up to you. At AAII, we realize that no two investors are alike, and because no single course format is best for everyone, we designed this course to be flexible and meet your needs. 

Get Support  

Have questions or need assistance getting started? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team at ves@aaii.com for course-related inquiries. If you’re looking for additional help with lost or unreceived access credentials, please contact Member Services at members@aaii.com or 312-676-4307. 

Thank you for choosing AAII’s EI Course. Happy learning!  

Warm regards, 

Raymond A. Rondeau  

AAII Investment Strategist & Senior Technical Analyst 

Important Note: We recommend accessing the Essential Investing Course on a desktop or laptop for the best learning experience.