How to start investing
Never bought a stock? Start here. Follow the steps in order, and each one takes a few minutes. You do not need any money to read them.
Stuck on a word? Look it up in the glossary.
Know what you are buying
You can explain what a stock is and how a company ends up on the market.
- What Is a Stock? Shares, Ownership and How You Make Money →What owning a share really means.
- How the Stock Market Works: Exchanges, Brokers and Prices →Who buys, who sells, and where it happens.
- What Is a Ticker Symbol? How to Read AAPL, BRK.B and More →The short codes you will see everywhere.
See how prices work
You can read a price quote and know why it keeps changing.
- Why Do Stock Prices Move? The Mechanics Behind Every Tick →The news and the people behind every move.
- How to Read a Stock Quote: Every Number Explained →What each number on a quote means.
- Bid, Ask and Spread Explained: The Hidden Cost of Every Trade →Why there are two prices, not one.
Understand the risk
You know you can lose money, and how people limit that.
- Risk and Diversification Explained →Why not to put everything in one stock.
- What Is Volatility? Why Stocks Swing and What the VIX Measures →Why prices swing, and why that is normal.
- Bull vs. Bear Market: What’s the Difference? →The good years and the bad years.
Pick a simple way to invest
You know the easy options that most beginners start with.
- What Is an ETF? →Many stocks in one purchase.
- How to Buy the S&P 500: A Step-by-Step Guide →The most common first investment.
- VOO vs SPY vs IVV: Which S&P 500 ETF Should You Pick? →Three funds, one index, and which to choose.
- Dollar-Cost Averaging Explained →A calm way to invest a little at a time.
Open an account
You know what to look for in a broker and how to place a first order.
- How Much Money Do You Need to Start Investing? →Less than you think.
- How to Open a Brokerage Account: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners →The steps, from sign-up to first deposit.
- Market Orders vs. Limit Orders →The two ways to place a trade.
Read a company
You can look at a company’s numbers and tell what they say.
- Market Capitalization Explained →How big a company really is.
- P/E Ratio Explained: How to Value a Stock →Whether a stock looks cheap or pricey.
- How to Read an Earnings Report →What to check when a company reports.
- How to Read a 10-K (Annual Report) →The deep dive, when you are ready.
Keep up with the news
You can follow the market in a few minutes a day.
- How to Follow Market News in 10 Minutes a Day (Plain English) →A short daily routine that works.
- The Market in 5 Minutes →Today’s moves and why, in one read.
- Market quiz →Test what you have learned.
- Glossary →Look up any word you do not know.
Follow along as you learn
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Informational only, not financial advice. Content is AI-generated and may contain errors. How this works.