Investing Paths
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Basics

Start here: accounts, first buys, and the habits that compound over time.

12 articles

Never invested before? Start here.

Seven articles in the order they make sense in, about 25 minutes of reading, total. Nothing here assumes you already know what an ETF is.

  1. 1
    What is Compound Interest?Why starting small and early beats starting big and late.
  2. 2
    How to Save MoneyWhere the money to invest actually comes from.
  3. 3
    Investments 101: Stocks, Bonds, Real Estate, and MoreWhat the options are, in one place, without jargon.
  4. 4
    Index Funds vs ETFs: What's the Difference?The one distinction most beginner guides get vague about.
  5. 5
    How to Buy ETFs and Stocks?The mechanics: what you click, and what it costs.
  6. 6
    How to Build a Simple Long-Term PortfolioA portfolio you could actually hold for a decade.
  7. 7
    Why Time in the Market Beats Timing the MarketWhy the next step is doing nothing, on purpose.

Try it instead of reading about it

Every idea in these guides can be tested on real prices before you risk anything, free, no signup.

Strategy backtesterTest a rule on any stock or ETF: moving-average cross, RSI, MACD, Bollinger, breakout, trend pullback and more, with optional stop-loss, take-profit and risk sizing (see your expectancy in R). Includes the monthly what-if calculator, and compares any of it against the S&P 500, a drip-feed, or simply holding cash.OpenMomentum screenerThe best-documented anomaly in finance: hold the strongest large caps, rebalance monthly. A 15-year backtest against the S&P 500, the latest monthly book, and one click to backtest any of them on its own.OpenValue screenerGreenblatt's magic formula and Piotroski's F-score, run on companies' own SEC filings: ranked on what they earn against what they cost, scored on whether the business is actually improving. Updated nightly.OpenMarket meterWhere the market stands today, in one number from four independent reads: CNN's Fear & Greed, the VIX, the S&P 500's 200-day regime, and how many sectors are trending up. Each read shown separately, the formula printed, updated daily.OpenIntrinsic value calculatorWhat a share is worth, not what it costs: discounted cash flow to equity and discounted EPS, with the growth rate, discount rate and horizon yours to set. Shows the year-by-year present values, so you can see how much of a valuation is a forecast.OpenCongress tradesEvery US House and Senate stock disclosure since 2015, straight from the official filings. Ranked by what a mechanical copy would have returned buying AFTER each filing became public, the earliest anyone could act, and a very different number from the member's own.Open
How to Follow Congressional Stock Trades (Without Fooling Yourself)A practical guide to congress trading: where the filings live, how to read an amount band, what the 30–45 day rule really means for your entry price, and the four checks worth running before you copy any congress stock trades. Built from 40,082 parsed disclosures.Read Investments 101: Stocks, Bonds, Real Estate, and MoreStocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, cash and property compared on how each behaves, what it pays, and when it makes sense to hold it.Read Understanding Assets: What To Invest InWhich assets are actually open to you depends on portfolio size, career and network. A realistic map of what to invest in at each stage.Read Why Time in the Market Beats Timing the MarketMiss the market's best days and the maths turns brutal. Why staying invested beats waiting for the right moment, with the numbers behind it.Read How to Build a Simple Long-Term PortfolioA long-term portfolio needs fewer decisions, not better ones. How to build one you can hold through a bad year, and the once-a-year check it does need.Read How to Buy ETFs and Stocks?The actual steps to place your first order: choosing a broker, funding the account, picking the order type, and what happens after you buy.Read Index Funds vs ETFs: What's the Difference?Index funds and ETFs track the same things and differ in how you buy them. The trading, cost and minimum-investment differences that decide which suits you.Read What is Compound Interest?Compound interest explained with real numbers, where it shows up in your life, what actually drives it, and the ways it works against you too.Read How to Achieve Passive Income: Simple StrategiesLearn how to achieve passive income with dividend stocks, real estate, and digital assets. Discover simple strategies to build multiple income streams for financial freedom.Read Stocks vs ETFs: What New Investors Need to KnowA share is one company; an ETF is a basket of them. What that changes about risk, cost, and how much attention you need to pay.Read What Are BondsLearn what bonds are, how they work, and why they’re important for your portfolio. Discover types of bonds, risks, and beginner tips for bond investing.Read How to Start InvestingEight steps from no account to a portfolio you review rather than watch: goals, budget, the right account, starting small, and what to do after that.Read