Brush up on your knowledge

Want to prepare for the "knowledge and experience" test or simply learn key financial concepts? Take your first steps with our financial investment guide.

When you buy a bond from a company or state, you lend money to the issuer. The issuer will repay the loan at the end of a predetermined period. In exchange for making your money available to it, the issuer will pay you interest during the term of the bond. This interest is called a coupon.
Read the bonds knowledge sheet.

An investor who buys equities becomes a co-owner of the company that issued them. A shareholder is therefore willing to take risks. They benefit from the company's profits when it does well, but are also exposed to potential losses when it performs less well.

Read the equities knowledge sheet.

Most funds are collective investment undertakings (CIUs). Each CIU can be thought of as a separate company whose aim is to pool the savings of many investors in a large pot. Each fund’s managers invest the collected capital according to a predefined strategy and conditions. Managers can invest in products such as equities, bonds, derivatives and real estate. Read the knowledge sheet on funds without capital protection.

This is a medium- to long-term savings product in the form of a life insurance policy. It offers capital protection for your savings and for the returns on those savings. Read the knowledge sheet on Branch 21 insurance-based savings.

Most funds are collective investment undertakings (CIUs). Each CIU can be thought of as a separate company whose aim is to pool the savings of many investors in a large pot. Each fund’s managers invest the collected capital according to a predefined strategy and conditions. Managers can invest in products such as equities, bonds, derivatives and real estate. Read the knowledge sheet on Branch 23 capital-protected insurance-based investments.

Like a bond, a structured product has a fixed term and in principle ensures that all of your capital is protected at maturity. However, the return is either not guaranteed or only partially guaranteed. As a rule, if you want a potentially higher return, you must waive capital protection. Read the knowledge sheet on 100% capital-protected structured products.

Find out more about all the categories of investments mentioned above.

• Other investment categories
• What is a structured product that doesn’t offer 100% capital protection at maturity?
• What is an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF or tracker)?
• What is a subordinated bond?
• What is a convertible bond?
• What is a perpetual bond?
• Investments in gold (or other precious metals)
• What are derivative products (options, warrants, turbos etc.)?
• What is a hedge fund?
• Individual investments in commodities through derivative products (futures-based commodity trackers).
• Tax-efficient savings

For a complete overview of all investment categories, click here.

• Read essential information on our financial instruments and issuers
• Read the financial instruments brochure