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A step-by-step path for new traders

Six steps, in order: learn how orders work, write your rules down, size every trade, keep a journal, read charts as a vocabulary, and keep records that hold up at tax time. Each step starts with something free, though a few of those free items are still coming soon.

  1. Learn the Basics

    Learn the basics

    Before any strategy, know what your orders actually do. A stop order and a stop-limit order can behave very differently in a fast market, and trading hours and settlement decide when your shares and cash are really yours. A few minutes here prevents expensive surprises.

    Start with

    Order Types & Time-in-Force Cheat SheetComing soon · Dec 2026
    The PDT rule was replaced on June 4, 2026. Here's what changed.Free article

    Then

    Trading Terms GlossaryComing soon · Feb 2027
    Market Hours, Settlement & Holidays Cheat SheetComing soon · Mar 2027
  2. Planning & Routine

    Write a trading plan and rules

    A plan written while you're calm is the rule you follow when you're not. Write down what you trade, the most you'll risk on one trade and on one day, and when you stop, before the first order goes in.

    Start with

    Trading Plan & Rules TemplateComing soon · Jan 2027

    Then

    Pre-Market ChecklistComing soon · Jan 2027
    Watchlist TemplateComing soon · Jan 2027
  3. Journal & Risk

    Size every position and cap your worst day

    How much you buy decides how much a wrong idea costs, and every trader is wrong often. Work out the share count from your stop and a fixed % risk, and set a daily loss limit that tells you when to stop.

    Start with

    Position Size & Daily Loss CalculatorFree browser tool
    Risk-Fuse CalculatorFree download
  4. Journal & Risk

    Keep a journal and review your trades

    Memory flatters. A short record of each trade (the plan, the size, what happened, whether you followed your rules) shows your real habits. Review it on a schedule, and grade the process, not the profit.

    Then

    Trading Journal & Risk Toolkit$29
    Trade Review & Post-Mortem KitComing soon · Mar 2027
  5. Charts & Patterns

    Read charts as vocabulary, not forecasts

    Chart patterns and indicators are a shared language for describing what price has already done. They aren't forecasts, and patterns fail often. Learn to read and name what you see, and keep your size and stop rules in charge.

    Patterns fail often. Education only.

    Start with

    Chart Pattern Cheat SheetComing soon · Dec 2026

    Then

    Support, Resistance & Moving Average Reading GuideComing soon · Dec 2026
    Chart Review TemplateComing soon · May 2027
  6. Tax & Records

    Keep tax-ready records

    Your broker's 1099-B can't see possible wash sales across accounts, including IRA buys. Logging every lot as you go turns tax season into a check instead of a reconstruction. Not tax advice. Confirm with a CPA.

    Then

    Wash-Sale & 1099-B Year-End Workbook$19
    Year-End Trader Records ChecklistComing soon · Nov 2026
Education only. Not advice. This path is general education, the same for every reader. It isn't a recommendation to trade, and nothing here promises results. Items marked "Coming soon" aren't for sale yet and dates can move. Not tax advice. Confirm with a CPA for your own situation.

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