Skip to content
UdemyFinance & AccountingPaid courseAll LevelsCertificate

Understand Banks & Financial Markets (Udemy.com)

The world of financial markets: participants, products, trading motives, pricing and structure

Created by: Michiel van den Broek

Last updated August 2026

icon
What you will learn

  • Improve you skills to work in the finance industry
  • Understand financial products and the language of finance
  • Identify the 3 types of money and how banks create money
  • You will learn what different types of banks do and how they make money
  • Overview of the 3 financial product categories to trade capital, foreign currencies and risk
  • Understand the emotions that drive Risk Management
  • The different types of derivative products and why they are traded in high volumes
  • Know the root of the 2008 financial crisis and how it can be prevented
  • Know how, why and by whom products are traded on financial markets
  • What is the role of Central Banks and their influence
  • How money is created
  • Overview of the payment prcoess
  • Risk management basics
  • Prepare for GARP or ACI certifications
  • Capital market products (equity; bonds)
  • Money markets

How it compares

Against the other 376 rated Udemy courses in Finance & Accounting on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.5 out of 5higher than 47% of them
  • Reviews21,250#8 of 377 by number of reviews
  • Length3.3 hoursshorter than 63% of them
  • Last updatedAugust 2026more recently than 82% of them

icon
Course Description

Welcome to our course. 

Since 2005, we design education programs for professionals who do not have a background in finance. Our ambition is to take away the curtain of complexity to make finance understandable for you and to support your career in the world of finance.

Starting in the '80s, banks have become huge financial supermarkets offering a wide range of different services and products. Employees in these large banks have developed specialized expertise in the area in which they decide to make a career.

Along with rapid developments in information technology this has resulted in large IT departments staffed by people without any particular financial and banking education.

For example: How was it possible that the 1929 financial crisis was repeated by the 2008 credit crisis? The outrage and confusion illustrates the knowledge gap of understanding what banks do, what happens on financial markets and what is needed to prevent a derailment of the financial sector.

Since 2005, I train people in the financial sector. To bridge the basic knowledge gap with an easy accessible tool, I have created this 2 hour video E-training at Udemy.

What can you expect - Example topics covered by this course:

  • Learn about money types and the role of Central Banks;

  • Understand the different bank types and their activities;

  • Get an overview of the 3 financial product categories to trade capital, foreign currencies and risk

  • Understand financial market products trading: how, why and by whom;

  • What happens on a dealing room;

  • You will be introduced to types of derivative products and why they are used;

  • Learn about the root of the 2008 financial crisis and how it can be prevented;

  • Understand how banks create maturity transformation mismatche to increase Net Interest Income

  • The management of interest rate risk exposure result from maturity mismatches

  • Understand exchange trading by a 20 minute entertaining video of the history of the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.


BONUS: Students can download a FREE copy of my 40 page book Understand Banks and Financial Markets (Normal price $6) at Smashwords.


We have more successful Udemy bank courses for you.

Our new eLearning Understand Financial Risk from Banking will grow your understanding of the business model of banks. Course completion can also benefit professionals that work in other financial institutions, such as pension funds, insurance companies and investment firms. This course includes 43 multiple choice questions to test your understaning

Understand Money Markets introduces you to the world of interest rate calculations and the main products traded on the money markets: deposits, money market securities and repurchase agreements. This course contains more than 1,5 hours of mp 4 video’s accompanied with downloadable pdf documents (total 20 pages) and quizzes to test your skills and understanding with multiple choice questions (total 34).

Understanding Foreign Exchange is a beginner-friendly course that guides you step by step through how the global currency market: how it operates and show you how to manage the risks of currency fluctuations using tools such as FX spot, swaps and forwards. Your learning and understanding is enhanced by the multiple choice questions for every section.


Happy learnings!

Michiel van den Broek


OUR OTHER UDEMY AVAILABLE COURSES

If you work for a bank or other financial institution and want to boost your career: Udemy eLearning works!
Since 2005 we design education programs for professionals who do not have a background in finance.
More than 40.000 have already participated in our low cost programs:

  • Understand Banks & Financial Markets

  • Understand Money Market Securities and Repos

  • Understand Financial Risks from Banking

  • Understand Finance to Signal Money Laundering

  • Understanding Foreign Exchange

  • An Introduction to Financial Money and Capital Markets

If you have any questions or would like more information about our eLearning or classroom programs, please feel free to contact me.

icon
Udemy Discount

The discount is applied through our link. Open the course from here and Udemy's current promotional price is applied at checkout on most courses, no code to type.

Some courses are excluded from Udemy's promotions. If the price does not drop, clear your browser cookies and use the button again.

icon
Instructor Details

Michiel van den Broek

Finance Is No Rocket Science

I’ve always believed that finance shouldn’t feel mysterious or intimidating. My passion lies in making complex financial topics clear, practical, and engaging — because when you truly understand finance, you can make smarter decisions and see the world differently.

Since 2005, I’ve been designing and delivering financial training programs for professionals across the financial industry. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of training thousands of participants — from bankers and risk managers to accountants and IT specialists — helping them connect theory with real-world practice.

My courses cover a wide range of topics, including:

* Financial Markets and Products
* Bank Management
* Risk Management
* Asset & Liability Management (ALM)
* Business Economics Fundamentals


Whether you’re new to finance or already working in the industry, my goal is to help you build confidence and see that finance is no rocket science — it’s a skill anyone can master with the right guidance.

icon
More Finance & Accounting courses

$10.99

Free

Free

$19.99

$19.99

$11.99

icon
Reviews

4.5

21,250 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By Kanchan Prabhakar Belokar on 9/3/2026

The course content is amazing. This will surely help me to de better. And I will apply this knowledge in my current role.

By Govinden Chengadoo on 8/19/2026

Very enriching. It is also a refresher with updated information. The course contents are well presented and easy to understand.

By Guadalupe Alejandra Palacios on 7/29/2026

I really consider this course han interesting content and it´s easy to learn and understand

By Jaime Sofrino on 7/9/2026

Yes. It's a good match for me because I've just gotten in the banking industry, so I am learning a lot.

By Edmilton Fernando on 6/21/2026

Consegui ter muitas nocoes de como fuciona o Mundos Financeiro vis a vis Banco

By Jeremy Focht on 6/20/2026

First video did not play -- was able to complete after many open and closes of the course after refreshing browser each time

By Teresita De Jesus Arenas on 5/20/2026

I have already completed the course but it does not appear like this. I have to advanced in order it appears as it is finished. I think it is a bug in the platform.

By Ajith Iyer on 5/11/2026

The session and recordings are good but could have been bit more slower and ore aligned to the contents per slide, giving time to read through the sections from slide further.

By Adam Czekalski on 4/23/2026

Covered many areas, but in many cases visual presentation of particular aspect would be clearer than a talking head.

By Claudia Friel on 2/11/2026

Good course but having technical difficulty "completing" it; stuck at 97% completion despite having done all the parts and downloaded and opened the PDF. Very frustrating as I can't get the credits and there doesn't seem to be any manual workarounds!

Showing all 10 reviews on CourseDuck

Read all 21,250 reviews on Udemy

icon
Quality Score

No CourseDuck member has rated this course yet. Taken it? Give each part a thumbs up or down.

Content Quality
/
Video Quality
/
Qualified Instructor
/
Course Pace
/
Course Depth & Coverage
/

Overall Score : 90 / 100