18 guides · updated regularly · free forever
Investing guides you can actually use
Written for beginners and intermediate investors who want clear explanations — not tip-sheet hype. Filter by category or tag, then open the matching free calculator.
Prefer to practice first? Try the stock market simulator or browse all free trading tools.
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Showing 18 of 18 guides
What Is Cryptocurrency? (Bitcoin, Ethereum & the Rest Explained)
A plain-English explainer of what crypto is, how it differs from stocks, and what Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, and other major coins actually are — with zero buy recommendations.
Learn the plumbing: blockchains, coins vs tokens, custody, and a neutral tour of the main assets people talk about. Educational only — not a tip sheet or a recommendation to buy anything.
How to Calculate Position Size (the 1% Rule Explained)
The formula pros use to size positions so one bad trade doesn't wreck your account.
Learn the position size formula, walk through a real 1% rule example, and see the mistakes that turn a normal stop-out into an account-wrecking loss. Pair it with our free calculator.
The Power of Compound Interest in Investing
Why starting early beats perfect timing — and how boring monthly contributions build serious wealth.
See why time beats timing, walk through a 30-year contribution example, and learn the habits (reinvest, stay consistent) that make compounding actually show up in your account.
What is a DRIP? Dividend Reinvestment Explained
DRIPs turn dividend income into more shares automatically. Here's how they work and when to use one.
Understand how dividend reinvestment plans work, the tax catch most people miss, and when to take cash instead of DRIP — plus how to model income growth over time.
A Beginner's Guide to Stock Investing
Everything you need to start: accounts, order types, diversification, and the mindset that actually works.
A practical start-to-finish path: open an account, understand orders, diversify without putting your life on one ticker, manage risk, and practice on paper before you size up.
Paper Trading Explained: Practice Stocks Without Risking Money
What paper trading is, why it works for beginners, and how to use a stock market simulator without building bad habits.
Learn how virtual trading with real prices helps you practice entries, exits, and risk rules before real capital is on the line — plus the mistakes that make simulators useless.
Dollar Cost Averaging Explained (DCA vs Lump Sum)
How investing a fixed amount on a schedule works, when DCA beats lump sum emotionally, and when lump sum usually wins mathematically.
Get a clear DCA vs lump sum comparison, real-world paycheck strategies, and a framework for choosing based on cash flow — not internet arguments.
What Is CAGR? How to Measure Investment Returns Properly
Total return vs ROI vs CAGR explained in plain English — and why annualized returns beat “I’m up 40%” bragging.
Learn when to use total return, ROI, and CAGR, how to avoid contribution-inflation tricks, and how to benchmark yourself against a simple index.
How to Read Stock Fundamentals (P/E, ROE, Debt & More)
A plain-English tour of the ratios investors actually use — and how to avoid comparing tech to utilities like they’re the same animal.
Decode P/E, beta, ROE, margins, debt-to-equity, and the 52-week range so a stock quote page becomes useful research instead of alphabet soup.
Options Trading Basics: Calls, Puts, Breakeven & Risk
How call and put options work, what you can lose, and how to read a simple payoff before you pay premium.
Learn long calls and puts in plain English, calculate breakeven, understand why options can expire worthless, and use a P&L calculator before you click buy.
How to Track Your Stock Portfolio (Without Losing the Plot)
Cost basis, P&L, and a simple tracking habit that stays honest — including why privacy-first trackers still matter.
Set up a clean holdings list, track cost basis correctly, measure performance without lying to yourself, and keep a backup so browser clears don’t erase your history.
How to Calculate Stock Profit (and Break-Even Price)
The simple P&L formula for shares, fees, and percent return — plus how to find the sell price where you break even.
Learn the stock profit formula, work a clear example with commissions, and see why break-even price matters before you exit a trade. Pair it with our free calculator.
Risk/Reward Ratio Explained (With a Simple Calculator Workflow)
What risk/reward means in trading, how to calculate 1:2 setups, and how win rate interacts with R-multiples.
Learn the risk/reward formula, why 1:2 is a common bar, and how to reject weak trades before you size them. Pair it with our free risk reward calculator.
Average Cost Basis Explained (And How Averaging Down Works)
How weighted average cost basis is calculated for stocks, when averaging down helps, and how to find your break-even price.
Understand weighted average cost, work a multi-lot example, and see when averaging down is strategy vs coping. Use our free average cost calculator for the math.
Capital Gains Tax on Stocks (Short-Term vs Long-Term)
Plain-English guide to US capital gains on stock sales — holding periods, ordinary vs preferential rates, and how to estimate tax before you sell.
Learn short-term vs long-term capital gains, why holding period matters, and how to sketch tax drag before exiting a winner. Pair with our free capital gains calculator.
Retirement FIRE Number Explained (And the 4% Rule)
What a FIRE number is, how the 4% rule estimates portfolio needs, and how contribution math connects savings rate to financial independence.
Learn how to estimate a FIRE / retirement number with the 4% rule, what the rule gets wrong, and how to stress-test contributions with a retirement calculator.
Inflation and Purchasing Power (Why Cash Quietly Shrinks)
How inflation erodes purchasing power, why “not investing” is still a risk, and how to think about real returns versus headline balances.
Understand purchasing power, real vs nominal returns, and why long-term goals need inflation-aware math — with our free inflation calculator for the arithmetic.
Stop-Loss Explained (And How It Pairs With Position Size)
What a stop-loss order does, why traders use them, common mistakes, and how stop distance plugs into the position size formula.
Learn how stop-losses define risk per share, why moving them wrecks the plan, and how to pair stops with a position size calculator so one loser can’t wreck the account.
How we write these guides
Each guide starts from a real beginner question (how many shares should I buy? what is DRIP?) and walks through the definition, a worked example, and common mistakes. Where a calculator helps, we link our own free tool so you can plug in your numbers — concept first, then practice.
Educational, not advice
These articles are for education. Markets involve risk of loss. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Do your own research and consider speaking with a qualified advisor for personal decisions. See our about page and terms.
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