Learn to Invest

Diversification spreads your money across different investments so no single one can sink you. Learn how it works and what it cannot do.

Dollar-cost averaging means investing a fixed amount on a schedule. See how it works with a worked example and what its trade-offs are.

Compounding means earning returns on your earlier returns. See the math with simple examples and learn why time matters more than most people think.

An exchange-traded fund (ETF) is a basket of investments you buy and sell like a single stock. Here is how ETFs work, what they cost and where they fit.

Index funds track a market index instead of trying to beat it. Learn how they work, why they are cheap, and what the S&P 500 really is.

The expense ratio is the yearly fee a fund charges. See how a small difference in fees can add up to thousands of dollars over decades.

The price-to-earnings ratio compares a stock’s price to the company’s profit. Learn what a high or low P/E means and where it can mislead you.

Public companies report results every quarter. Learn what EPS, revenue, a “beat” and guidance mean, and why a stock can fall on good news.

Dividends are cash payments companies make to shareholders. Learn how yield and payout ratio work and why a very high yield can be a warning sign.

Market capitalization is the total value of a company’s shares. Learn how it is calculated and why size matters for risk and return.

What bull and bear markets are, how corrections differ from crashes, and how long-term investors think about market declines.

Why markets watch the Federal Reserve so closely. A plain-English look at how interest rates influence stocks, bonds and sectors.

The stock market is divided into 11 sectors, from technology to utilities. Learn what each one covers, how they behave, and how to compare them.

Learn the basics of price charts: line vs candlestick, volume, time ranges, moving averages, support and resistance, and what charts cannot tell you.