Stocks
How shares, share prices, indexes and company numbers work, and how to read them.
- The bid-ask spread: what it is and why it matters for every tradeThe bid-ask spread is the gap between the best buy and sell prices. How it works, what it costs on every round trip, and how to measure it.
- Buy and hold investing: how it works and where it goes wrongBuy and hold means owning good companies through their ups and downs for years. How it works, what it demands of you, and where it can fail.
- Dividends explained: how they work and what they tell youDividends are cash or new shares paid to owners out of profit. How they work, how yield and payout ratio are worked out, and what they can and cannot tell you.
- Earnings reports explained: what to read first and what moves the priceAn earnings report shows a company's profit, revenue and outlook. What to read first, how to compare results, and why good numbers can still fall.
- Ex-dividend date, record date and payment date explainedThe ex-dividend date decides who receives a dividend. How the ex-date, record date and payment date work, and why the price often adjusts.
- Float and shares outstanding: how big a company really isShares outstanding and free float show how many shares exist and how many trade freely. How to read both, and why the gap matters for size and trading.
- How stock indexes work: weighting, reading and why they can misleadA stock index tracks a basket of shares. How the main weighting methods work, why an index can rise while most shares fall, and how to read one.
- How to compare two stocks fairly: a checklist and a worked exampleComparing two stocks fairly means matching size, sector, time frame and the measures you use. Here is a checklist and a worked example you can follow.
- How to use a stock screener: build a screen, test it, avoid the trapsA stock screener filters companies by rules you set. How to build a screen, the traps that give false results, and how to test it before you rely on it.
- How to read a stock chart: candles, volume and time framesA step-by-step guide to reading a stock chart: what a candle shows, how to use volume, how to choose a time frame, and what a chart cannot tell you.
- Index funds vs picking single stocks: what each one asks of youIndex funds spread money across a whole index, while single stocks concentrate it. Here is how they compare on risk, cost and effort, and how to choose.
- Market capitalization explained, with examplesMarket capitalization is the share price times shares outstanding. How to calculate it, how companies are grouped by size, and where it misleads.
- P/E ratio explained: what a good number is, and what it is notThe price-to-earnings ratio compares a share price with profit per share. Here is how to calculate it, what a high or low ratio means, and the traps to avoid.
- Penny stocks: why cheap shares carry the highest riskPenny stocks are very cheap shares with a high risk of loss. Here is why a low price misleads, how manipulation works, and what to check before any trade.
- Shareholder rights explained: what owning a share gives youOwning shares gives you limited liability, a share of profit, a vote, information and a claim on what is left. What each right means, and where it stops.
- Stock order types explained: market, limit, stop and stop-limitMarket, limit, stop and stop-limit orders set the price and timing of a trade. How each works, with examples, and the mistakes that cost money.
- Stock splits explained: why a lower price can change nothingA stock split changes the share count and price without changing the company's value. How splits work, what they do to a chart, and common myths.
- Trading volume explained: what it tells you about priceTrading volume is how many shares change hands in a period. What it tells you about conviction and liquidity, and how to read it with price.
- What is a share price and how is it set?A share price is the latest agreed price for one share of a company. Here is how it is set, what moves it, and what it does not tell you.
- What is an IPO? How new listings work and what to checkAn initial public offering (IPO) is a company's first sale of shares to the public. How IPOs work, what to read in a prospectus, and the risks.
Crypto
Coins, tokens, market caps and the risks of the crypto market, explained plainly.
- Altcoins explained: what they are and why most struggleAltcoins are every cryptocurrency other than bitcoin. What they are, why they exist, and why most of them lose far more than bitcoin in a downturn.
- Bitcoin dominance explained: what the percentage meansBitcoin dominance is bitcoin's share of the total crypto market cap. Here is how it is calculated, what a rising or falling share can signal, and its limits.
- Bitcoin halving explainedThe bitcoin halving cuts the new coins paid to miners in half about every four years. Here is how it works and why it is not a price guarantee.
- Circulating, total and max supply: how to read a coin's supplyA coin's supply can mean three different numbers. Here is what circulating, total and max supply mean, how they change, and which one to use for a decision.
- How crypto exchanges work: custody, fees and what to checkA crypto exchange lets you buy and sell coins, and usually holds them for you. How exchanges work, how they charge, and what to check before you deposit.
- Crypto market cap explained: price, supply and why rank can misleadCrypto market cap is the coin price times the coins in circulation. How it is calculated, why rank matters, and where supply figures mislead.
- Crypto market cycles: boom, bust and what history does and does not showCrypto prices have moved in boom and bust cycles. What they looked like, what may drive them, and why history cannot time the next turn.
- Crypto scams to avoid: the common ones and the warning signsCrypto scams take money through fake exchanges, fake support, phishing and fake gains. The common forms, the warning signs and what to do if hit.
- Crypto and tax: general principles you should know (not advice)Crypto is taxed in many countries when you sell, swap or earn it. The general principles, how gains are worked out, and why you need records. Not tax advice.
- Why crypto is so volatile, and how to measure itCrypto prices move far more than most stocks. Here is why, how to measure volatility, and what it means for drawdowns, position size and the risk of holding.
- Crypto trading volume explained: real demand or wash trading?Crypto trading volume is how much value trades in a period. How it is measured, how to judge real demand, and why exchanges report it differently.
- Crypto wallets explained: hot, cold, custodial and self-custodyA crypto wallet holds the keys that control your coins. Hot and cold wallets, custodial and self-custody, and how to keep access safe.
- Dollar-cost averaging into crypto: how it works and where it failsDollar-cost averaging buys a fixed amount at regular intervals. How it works in crypto, a worked example, and the limits it cannot fix.
- Gas fees explained: what you pay for a crypto transactionGas fees pay the network to process a transaction. How they are calculated, why they rise and fall, and how to estimate a transfer's cost.
- How a blockchain works, in plain wordsA blockchain is a shared record kept in linked blocks. How transactions are added, why the record is hard to change, and what it costs to run.
- How crypto prices are calculated across exchangesA coin's price comes from trades on many exchanges that rarely agree. How price sites combine those trades, why prices differ, and what to check.
- Seed phrase safety: how to write it down, store it and keep it secretA seed phrase is the master backup of a crypto wallet. How to write it down, store it, test the backup and keep it away from scammers.
- Stablecoins explained: how they hold their price and the risksStablecoins are tokens designed to hold a steady value, usually one dollar. How the main types work, how they lose their peg, and the risks.
- What is a cryptocurrency?A cryptocurrency is a digital asset recorded on a blockchain, a shared ledger no single company controls. What that means, and what it does not.
- What is a crypto token? Coins vs tokens, standards and supplyA crypto token is built on another blockchain. Tokens versus coins, token standards, and what to check about supply and unlocks.
International markets
How stock markets in other countries work, how to buy into them and what to check first.
- ADRs and GDRs explained: buying foreign companies in dollarsAn ADR is a dollar-priced certificate for shares of a foreign company, traded on a US exchange. How ADRs and GDRs work, their levels, fees and risks.
- Currency risk for foreign stocks: how exchange rates change your returnBuying shares in another currency means your return includes the exchange rate. How currency moves add or cut a return, and whether to hedge.
- Emerging vs developed markets: what the difference means for investorsEmerging and developed markets differ in size, liquidity, governance, currency and access. What the labels mean and how to weigh the risk.
- Exchange holidays and trading days: why markets close on different daysStock markets close on different days for holidays and their own calendars. How closures affect orders and settlement, and where to check them.
- Foreign investor rules: ownership limits, registration and moving money outForeign investors face ownership caps, registration, custody and money-out rules in many markets. What they are and what to check.
- Frontier markets explained: small, thin and high-risk stock marketsFrontier markets are the smallest, least developed stock markets. What the term means, why they are hard to trade, and the risks to weigh.
- How NEPSE works: trading days, the index and settlementHow the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) works: its trading days, what the NEPSE Index measures, how a trade settles and what to check before you rely on a price.
- How to buy shares in Brazil on B3: a step-by-step guide for investorsHow to buy shares on B3, Brazil's stock exchange: the accounts you need, the tax ID, foreign investor rules, the real and the checks before you invest.
- How to buy shares in India: NSE and BSE, step by stepHow to buy shares listed on India's NSE and BSE: the accounts you need, how orders and IPOs work, and the checks to make before you invest.
- How to buy shares in Indonesia on the IDX: a step-by-step guideHow to buy shares on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX): the accounts you need, board lots, settlement, the rupiah and the checks before you invest.
- How to buy shares in Kenya on the NSE: a step-by-step guideHow to buy shares on the Nairobi Securities Exchange: accounts, stockbrokers, settlement, the shilling and the checks before you invest.
- How to buy shares in Nepal (NEPSE): a step-by-step guideHow to buy shares on the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE): the accounts you need, how orders work, the IPO route, and the checks to make before you put money in.
- How to buy shares in Nigeria on the NGX: a step-by-step guideHow to buy shares on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX): the accounts you need, how orders settle, the currency risk and the checks to make before you invest.
- How to buy shares in Pakistan on the PSX: a step-by-step guideHow to buy shares on the Pakistan Stock Exchange: brokers, accounts, settlement, the rupee and the checks before you invest.
- How to check a foreign broker before you open an accountCheck a broker's licence, where your money is held, what protection applies and what it really costs before you fund an account in another country.
- How to invest in US stocks from abroad: accounts, taxes and costsBuying US shares from abroad: the broker check, currency costs, withholding tax on dividends, the forms to file and the risks to weigh.
- How to read a country's stock indexWhat a national stock index measures, how its weighting changes the picture, and how to use it to read a market without treating it as a forecast.
- NSE vs BSE: what is different for an investorIndia's NSE and BSE trade the same shares, but differ in listings, volume, indexes and history. What changes for an investor and how to choose.
- Sanctions and trading access: why a share can become impossible to sellHow sanctions, exchange suspensions and broker restrictions can block a foreign stock or a whole market, and what to check before you invest.
- Taxes on foreign stock gains: what to check before you sellTax on a gain from a foreign stock depends mainly on where you are tax resident. Learn what to check on dividends, withholding, currency and records.
Chart patterns
Common chart patterns and indicators: what each one shows, and what the evidence says about it.
- Ascending and descending triangles: reading a squeeze before the breakHow ascending and descending triangles form, why the direction of the breakout matters more than the shape, and how a common textbook target is measured.
- Breakouts and false breakouts: how to tell a real move from a fake oneWhat a breakout is, how traders confirm one with closes, volume and retests, and why many breakouts reverse back inside the range they left.
- Bull and bear flags: the short pause after a strong moveHow bull and bear flags form after a sharp move, how the flagpole sets a textbook target, and what to check before trading a flag breakout.
- Candlestick patterns explained: what the shapes tell you and what they do notWhat the hammer, engulfing candle and doji show, how to read them in context, and why their record is weaker than their names suggest.
- Do chart patterns work? An honest look at the evidenceChart patterns are popular, but the evidence that they predict prices is mixed. How to test a pattern fairly, and what the research suggests.
- Chart reading mistakes: the errors that make a clean chart misleadThe common chart reading errors, from hindsight and cherry-picked timeframes to ignored costs and scale, and a short check to catch each one.
- Cup and handle: a rounded base with a small pullbackWhat a cup and handle pattern looks like, how traders set a breakout level and a textbook target, and why the breakout matters more than the rounded shape.
- Double tops and double bottoms: how to spot them on a chartWhat double tops and double bottoms look like, where to place the neckline, and why both patterns need a confirmed break before they mean anything.
- Fibonacci retracement explained: the levels traders draw and why they are conventionsHow Fibonacci retracement levels such as 38.2, 50 and 61.8 percent are drawn from a swing, and why they are reference points rather than laws.
- Gaps on charts explained: common, breakaway and exhaustion gapsWhat a price gap is, the types traders name, how gaps are filled, and why a gap at the open can make a stop-loss fill at a worse price than planned.
- Head and shoulders pattern: how to spot it and how often it worksThe head and shoulders is a reversal shape with a neckline. How to draw it, how traders use it, and why its record is weaker than its reputation.
- MACD explained: how the moving average convergence divergence line worksWhat the MACD line, signal line and histogram show, how the standard 12, 26 and 9 settings are built, and why crossovers often come after a move has started.
- Moving averages explained: simple, exponential and how traders use themWhat simple and exponential moving averages calculate, how traders use them to read trend and support, and why crossovers lag and can whipsaw.
- Multiple time frame analysis: using a higher chart to read a lower oneHow traders combine a weekly, daily and intraday chart, why the higher timeframe usually sets the bias, and how to avoid reading too many charts at once.
- Price action basics: reading the chart without indicatorsHow traders read price alone through swings, candle structure and key levels, and why a clean chart can still mislead without context.
- Rising and falling wedges: when a narrowing range leans against the trendHow rising and falling wedges form, why they often lean against the prevailing trend, and how a break in either direction changes the reading.
- RSI explained: what the relative strength index measures and where it misleadsHow the relative strength index is calculated, why 70 and 30 are common reference lines, how divergence is read, and why an overbought reading can persist.
- Support and resistance: the price levels traders watchHow to find support and resistance on a chart, why they work as zones rather than exact lines, and how to use them without false precision.
- How to draw trendlines that mean somethingHow to draw uptrend and downtrend lines, which points to use, how to test a line, and the errors that make trendlines look better than they are.
- Volume and price confirmation: when a move has backing and when it does notHow traders use trading volume to judge a price move, what confirmation and divergence mean, and why volume data differs from market to market.
Trading and investing basics
Money, risk and the habits that matter before and during trading.
- Diversification explained: spreading risk so one bad holding does less damageWhat diversification means, why it lowers risk when holdings do not move together, and its limits, since correlations rise in crashes.
- Emergency fund before investing: why a cash buffer comes firstWhy many investors build a cash emergency fund before they invest, how to size it in months of essential spending, and where to keep it.
- Expense ratios and fees: how small annual charges add up over timeWhat an expense ratio covers, how fees and spreads reduce long-term returns, and how to compare the full cost of two funds before you buy.
- Financial statements basics: reading the balance sheet, income statement and cash flowWhat the three main financial statements show, how to read them together, and the common warning signs investors check before judging a company.
- How to set financial goals: turning a wish into a plan you can measureHow to write financial goals that are specific, dated and measurable, how to work out the savings needed after inflation, and how to review progress.
- Inflation and your money: why cash can lose value and what to do about itWhat inflation does to cash and savings, how to measure the loss of purchasing power, and why investing is judged against inflation, not the headline return.
- Investing myths to drop: common beliefs that cost moneyCommon investing myths, such as timing the market, rare big winners and safe bonds, and what the arithmetic and the evidence suggest instead.
- Margin and leverage explained: borrowing to trade and how it magnifies lossesWhat margin and leverage mean, how a margin call works, and why borrowed money magnifies losses as well as gains, with a worked example.
- Paper trading first: how to test a method before risking real moneyWhat paper trading is, how to run it so the results mean something, what it cannot reveal about costs and emotion, and when to move to real money.
- Position sizing basics: how much to put into one trade or holdingHow to size a position from the amount you can lose, the distance to your stop and your account size, with a worked example and common mistakes.
- Profit and loss explained: realised, unrealised, gross and netHow profit and loss are calculated, how realised and unrealised results differ, why fees matter, and how to express a result in money, percent or units of risk.
- Risk and return explained: why higher expected returns come with bigger swingsWhat risk means in investing, why expected return and volatility usually move together, and how to judge whether a return is worth the risk taken.
- Risk-reward ratio explained: how to compare what you can win with what you can loseHow to calculate a risk-reward ratio from entry, stop and target, why a good ratio alone does not make a trade profitable, and how to test it.
- Short selling explained: how to profit from a fall and what can go wrongHow short selling works, why it can lose more than the amount sold, what borrowing costs and recall risk mean, and the checks to make first.
- Stop losses: what they do and what they do notA stop loss is an order that closes a trade at a set price to limit a loss. How to place one, how to size around it, and the ways it can fail.
- Trading journal basics: what to record and how to use itWhat a trading journal should record for each trade, how to review it for patterns, and why a dated log is the simplest way to test your own method.
- Trading psychology basics: how emotion shapes decisions and what to do about itThe emotions that most often push traders off their plan, such as fear, greed and revenge trading, and simple rules that reduce their effect.
- What is a bond? How it pays, how its price moves and what can go wrongA plain guide to bonds: what the issuer promises, how coupons and maturity work, why prices move against interest rates, and the main risks.
- What is an ETF? How exchange-traded funds work and what to check before you buyWhat an exchange-traded fund is, how it tracks an index, how its price stays close to value, and which costs and gaps to check before buying.
- What is compound interest? The maths in plain wordsCompound interest is interest earned on interest. Here is the formula in plain words, a worked example, and why time matters more than the rate.