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Courses/Finance/Investing

A History of Investing and a Look Ahead

Discover how portfolio building has shifted from simple stock picking to sophisticated, factor-based strategies.

Created byDavid Petersworkspace_premium
5.0
(13 reviews)
BeginnerUpdated Apr 16, 2026
A History of Investing and a Look Ahead

What You'll Learn

check_circleIdentify the foundational contributions of Harry Markowitz to modern portfolio theory.
check_circleRecognize how the concept of diversification has changed over time.
check_circleDistinguish between major factor investing models, including Fama-French, Carhartt, and Pastor-Stambaugh.
check_circleApply behavioral finance principles to distinguish between information processing and emotional biases in client decision-making.

About This Course

You hear it all the time: financial products are becoming more complex. Diversification has changed. Our approach to investing has changed. What does all this mean? In this course, we will explore how investment theory has changed over time from Markowitz to factor investing. Using examples and practical applications, we will talk about how our modern notions of portfolio building have developed throughout history.

The curriculum examines the historical triumphs, major market crashes, and pivotal milestones that have shaped global economies, offering a deep contextual look at market cycles, regulatory changes, and long-term economic shifts. Moving beyond historical analysis, the course shifts its focus to the horizon, exploring emerging trends, disruptive technologies, and potential economic catalysts poised to define the next generation of capital allocation. It is an engaging exploration of how the enduring lessons of financial history remain essential for navigating the ever-evolving investment landscape of tomorrow.

Who Should Attend:

CPAs who are involved with the investment functions of their companies, as well as financial advisors who manage client portfolios.

Your Instructor

David Peters
David Peters

CPA, CFP, CLU, CPCU, MST, MBA

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star1,872 reviews

David Peters is the Founder and Owner of Peters Professional Education in Richmond, VA. He is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as an Investment Advisor Representative (IAR) with Peters Financial LLC. He brings over 20 years of experience in financial services, including three years in the hedge fund industry and six years in insurance. David was the first Chief Financial Officer of Compare.com, where he served for more than three years. He holds four master’s degrees, contributes frequently to professional publications, and is a nationally recognized CPE instructor and discussion leader for Surgent seminars and a former instructor for Don Farmer. David received the AICPA Outstanding Facilitator Award in 2021, 2023, and 2024 as well as Surgent's Outstanding Discussion Leader awards in 2019 and 2022. He also co-authored the Virginia CPA Ethics course in 2018, 2019, and 2020, which is a requirement for all CPAs licensed in Virginia. Through Peters Professional Education, David is the author and instructor for over 125 recorded on-demand CPE courses and leads private trainings, in-person tax seminars, and quarterly live tax update webinars. His areas of instruction include accounting, finance, insurance, financial planning, and ethics, and he regularly teaches professionals across the United States.

Credit Information

Is this course eligible for my CPD requirements as a Canadian CPA?

Provincial regulators of CPAs in Canada do not require that independent providers of CPD be approved to offer courses. Instead, individual CPAs are responsible for assessing whether a CPD activity meets their requirements, and may take activities from any source provided those requirements are met.

Every course offered on LearnFormula is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, and advances learning objectives that are relevant to the responsibilities or professional competencies of Canadian CPAs. All activities on LearnFormula are quantifiable in terms of hours, and are also verifiable, in that users receive documented evidence of their attendance via a certificate of completion after finishing a course (and this certificate is stored by LearnFormula indefinitely). Nearly 100,000 Canadian CPAs successfully satisfy their CPD requirements via LearnFormula on an annual basis.

What Students Are Saying

5.0
Student's Choice
13 reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 327+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 29 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.