← Back to Curriculum

Beginner

Fixed Income and Alternate Asset Classes for Beginners

A practical, India-specific introduction to everything beyond stocks and equity mutual funds: fixed deposits, government and corporate bonds, debt mutual funds, PPF, EPF and NPS, REITs, InvITs, gold, and other alternate assets. Built for first-time demat holders, college students, salaried professionals, homemakers and retirees who want a safer, more diversified portfolio without getting lost in jargon. Uses real Indian instruments and platforms throughout: RBI Retail Direct, NSE/BSE-listed bonds and REITs, Sovereign Gold Bonds, Zerodha, Groww and CDSL/NSDL.

Fixed IncomeREITs and InvITsGold as an Asset Class

MODULES

8

DURATION

~5.6 hrs

TRACK

Alternative Investing

What You'll Master

Go beyond bank FDs into bonds and government savings schemes

Understand bond yields, interest rate risk, REITs and InvITs

Build a diversified portfolio with gold and alternate assets

Access Level

LEARNER

Start Learning Now →Sign in to resume

Everything included

Full Text Playbooks

Actionable Exercises

Mobile Reading Mode

Lifetime Updates

Curriculum Breakdown

Chapter 1: Why Diversify Beyond Stocks

3 Lessons

Beyond the Sensex and Nifty: Why Every Portfolio Needs More Than Stocks10 min read

The Risk-Return Spectrum: Where Fixed Income and Alternate Assets Sit11 min read

Asset Allocation Basics: How Much Should Go Into Each Bucket12 min read

Chapter 2: Fixed Income Fundamentals: Beyond the Bank FD

4 Lessons

Fixed Deposits Explained: Rates, Tenure and the Tax Bite10 min read

Government Bonds and G-Secs: Lending Money to the Government of India12 min read

Corporate Bonds and Credit Ratings: Understanding the Extra Yield You're Paid For12 min read

Debt Mutual Funds: How They Work and Where They Fit11 min read

Chapter 3: Government Savings Schemes: PPF, EPF, NPS and Post Office Deposits

4 Lessons

PPF Explained: India's Most Trusted Long-Term Savings Scheme10 min read

EPF and VPF: Understanding Your Retirement Corpus10 min read

NPS: The National Pension System as a Fixed Income and Equity Hybrid11 min read

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana and Post Office Small Savings Schemes10 min read

Chapter 4: Bond Prices, Yields and Interest Rate Risk for Beginners

4 Lessons

How Bond Prices and Interest Rates Move in Opposite Directions11 min read

Understanding Yield to Maturity: What Return Are You Actually Getting11 min read

Duration and Interest Rate Risk: Why Longer Bonds Are Riskier10 min read

Credit Risk vs Interest Rate Risk: Two Different Ways Bonds Can Hurt You10 min read

Chapter 5: REITs and InvITs: India's Newest Alternate Assets

4 Lessons

What Is a REIT? Owning a Slice of Office Buildings Without Buying Property10 min read

What Is an InvIT? Investing in India's Roads, Power Lines and Infrastructure10 min read

How to Buy a REIT or InvIT on the NSE/BSE10 min read

Reading a REIT's Distribution Yield and NAV Like an Investor11 min read

Chapter 6: Gold as an Asset Class

4 Lessons

Why Indians Have Always Trusted Gold, and What That Means for Your Portfolio10 min read

Physical Gold vs Digital Gold: Costs, Purity and Practical Differences11 min read

Sovereign Gold Bonds Explained: Interest, Tax Benefits and How to Buy Them12 min read

Gold ETFs and Gold Mutual Funds: The Low-Hassle Way to Hold Gold10 min read

Chapter 7: Other Alternate Assets: Commodities, P2P Lending and Beyond

4 Lessons

Commodity Investing Basics: Silver, Crude Oil and Agri Commodities on MCX11 min read

P2P Lending in India: How It Works and What RBI Rules Protect You11 min read

AIFs and Unlisted Shares: What They Are and Why Most Beginners Should Wait10 min read

Real Estate vs REITs: Comparing the Traditional and Modern Route11 min read

Chapter 8: Building a Diversified Portfolio

4 Lessons

Combining Equity, Fixed Income and Alternates: A Practical Framework12 min read

Rebalancing Your Portfolio Across Asset Classes: When and How11 min read

Common Mistakes Beginners Make With Fixed Income and Alternate Assets10 min read

Case Study: Building a Sample Portfolio for a First-Time Investor in India13 min read