This course is part of the Credit Risk Analysis & Portfolio Management ExpertTrack
Credit Risk Fundamentals and Fixed Income Essentials
Unlock the secrets of credit risk with expert-led financial analysis and hands-on modelling skills
Duration
2 weeksWeekly study
2 hours100% online
How it worksIncluded in an ExpertTrack
Course 1 of 4
Credit Risk Fundamentals and Fixed Income Essentials
Master credit risk and financial analysis to boost your career
The world of credit fundamentals is complex and critical for financial success.
This two-week online course will equip you with powerful analytical tools and practical skills to confidently evaluate credit risk, analyse cash flows, and apply sophisticated credit risk models used by top industry professionals.
Dive into the fundamentals of credit evaluation with ratio analysis
Unlock the power of financial ratios to uncover the true creditworthiness of organisations.
Develop the skills to accurately interpret financial signals that drive smarter lending and investment decisions with real-world context.
Unlock cash flow secrets to assess debt servicing ability
Explore how cash flow analysis reveals an organisation’s capacity to meet its debt obligations.
Learn practical forecasting techniques and apply them to real data, enabling confident assessments of financial stability.
Roll up your sleeves to master default risk and credit models
Get hands-on with calculating the probability of default and expected loss using advanced quantitative models.
Understand structural and reduced-form credit risk frameworks to choose the right approach for precise risk evaluation and investment decisions.
Bring it all together with a capstone project and real-world insights
Put your new skills into practice through a capstone project simulating real credit risk challenges.
You’ll walk away with a new credit analysis toolkit, ready to enhance your career and excel in complex financial markets.
Syllabus
Week 1
Credit Analysis Basics & Fixed Income Markets
Lesson 1: Credit Analysis Fundamentals
Learn the purpose and scope of credit analysis, key risk factors, the role of credit analysts, and common pitfalls to avoid.
Lesson 2: Fixed Income Securities Overview
Understand different types of fixed income instruments, bond structures, investment risks, market categories, and how bond performance is influenced by yield spreads and economic factors.
Week 2
Credit Ratings & Financial Statement Evaluation
Lesson 3: Credit Ratings and Risk Assessment
Delve into how rating agencies operate, the differences between investment-grade and high-yield bonds, and how ratings affect investment decisions.
Lesson 4: Financial Statement Analysis for Credit Risk
Practice interpreting financial statements using key ratios, assessing cash flow reliability, and identifying warning signs of financial distress.
Lesson 5: Advanced Credit Ratings
Reinforce core financial analysis skills with a deeper look at statement-based credit evaluation. Ideal for additional practice and mastery.
Prove you're job ready
Highlight the new, job-relevant skills you’ve gained and supplement existing qualifications with a hard-earned, industry-specific digital certificate – plus one for every course within your ExpertTrack.
- Learn the latest in your chosen industry or subject.
- Complete each course and pass assessments.
- Receive certificates validated by the educating organisation.
- Impress employers with learning outcomes you can add to your CV.
- Make your career dreams a reality.
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Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Execute fundamental credit risk assessments using industry-standard analytical frameworks.
- Evaluate various fixed income securities and their risk characteristics across different market segments.
- Interpret credit ratings and assess their implications for investment decision-making.
- Apply basic financial statement analysis techniques to assess issuer creditworthiness.
Who is the course for?
This course is ideal for senior financial analysts specialising in credit, fixed income traders, portfolio managers, and corporate finance professionals managing complex debt portfolios.
It also perfect for credit risk experts in banks or rating agencies and investment professionals focusing on bonds and fixed income.
Who will you learn with?
Who developed the course?
Starweaver
Starweaver is a next generation platform that engages your workforce as no other. Combining business and technical skills, Starweaver provides real-time skill building that is in line with your business objectives and strategies, and in your associates day to day tasks and jobs.
Start learning today - free 2-day trial
After your free trial you can:
- Pay $39 per month to keep learning online
- Have complete control over your subscription; you can cancel any time
- Work at your own pace and set your own deadlines at every stage
- Only pay while you’re learning; the subscription will cancel automatically when you finish
- Complete online assessments to test your knowledge and prove your skills
- Earn digital course certificates and a final award that you can share online, with potential employers, and your professional network
- Keep access to the content of courses you complete even after your subscription ends
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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