What you'll learn (absolute beginner friendly)
- Trading (shorter-term, rule-based) vs. Investing (long-term, fundamental)
- Core building blocks: markets, products, charts, orders
- Your basic toolkit: charting tool, watchlist, trading journal
Plain-English explanation
Trading means you buy or sell because you expect the price to move soon (minutes to weeks). You aim to take a small, repeatable edge many times. Investing means you buy and hold for months or years (e.g., because the company is strong).
Key terms (super short)
- Bid / Ask: Highest buyer vs. lowest seller. The difference is the spread.
- Order: Your instruction. Market (execute now), Limit (only at your price or better), Stop (safety or trigger).
- Candlestick chart: Each candle shows open, high, low, close for a time period. Green = up, red = down.
Step-by-step (do this today β 20β30 min)
- Open a chart: Choose a major index (e.g., S&P 500). Set Daily timeframe and candles.
- Create a watchlist: Add 10β15 liquid symbols (1β2 indices + 5β10 large stocks).
- Start a trading journal: A simple table is enough (Sheets/Excel/Notion).
      
 Columns: Date, Symbol, Thesis/Setup, Planned entry, Stop, Target, Risk in $, Screenshot link, Notes.
- Exercise: Mark 2 obvious highs and 2 lows on the daily chart. Write whether the market is trending up, down, or sideways.
Common beginner mistakes (avoid today)
- Clicking without a plan.
- Trading without a stop-loss (βit will come backβ).
- Watching too many symbols at once (stick to 10β15).
Mini-quiz
- What is the spread?
- What is a stop-loss for?
- How does trading differ from investing?
Educational only. Not financial advice.
