Investing
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Market order, limit order, or stop order: What are they and which should you use?
Basic order types: The long and short of it.
Investing
Intro to options: A different way to participate in the stock market
Learn about calls and puts.
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Trading crypto? Using it in transactions? Are you mining or staking? Your crypto is taxable
Uncle Sam gets a slice of your digital profits.
What are closed-end funds, and are they risky?
Yields can be enticing, but understand why.
The broker and the exchange: Getting the order filled
Who all is involved in your trades?
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1031 exchange rules: How to avoid capital gains tax when selling property
It’s a “like-kind” kind of thing.
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Angel investor vs. venture capitalist: What’s the difference?
Do angels lead the way where VCs fear to tread?
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Are central bank digital currencies the future of global money?
The theoretical vs. the reality.
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Basics of margin calls: An unpleasant flip side of using leverage
When the double-edged sword draws blood.
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Beyond banks and brokers: All about decentralized finance (DeFi)
Can it be trusted with your assets?
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Bollinger Bands: A powerful technical tool for traders
Dual insights from a single indicator.
Investing
Compounding interest and investment returns: The incremental approach to building wealth
Time is money.
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Crypto use cases: 9 ways to use cryptocurrency to manage money
It’s becoming more useful—but be careful.
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Cryptocurrency exchanges: Where to buy and sell Bitcoin and other digital assets
Every market needs a marketplace.
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Cycle race: How sector investing can help investors navigate bull and bear markets
It can smooth performance.
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Different margin for different traders: Reg T, futures margin, and portfolio margin
Regular, enhanced, and super-duper.
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Directional risk in options: Understanding delta and gamma
The rate of change of the rate of change.
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Entrepreneurs vs. small business owners and corporate executives: What’s the difference?
Building a business from the ground up—and assuming the risk.
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Equity crowdfunding: A bold new frontier for investors and entrepreneurs?
Crowdfunding just got leveled up.
Investing
Fibonacci trading strategies: Analysis, techniques, and debates
See it in nature; see it in price patterns.
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Financial market participants: Market makers, institutional investors, and you and me
It takes all kinds to make a market.
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Following the money flow: How the global currency market works
Money: It sorta makes the world go round.
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Fractional shares: Slicing stock into bite-size pieces
No long-division calculations necessary.
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Fundamental analysis: How it can help you determine a stock’s value
The financial and economic factors.
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Futures contract specifications: Know the delivery terms before jumping in
Specs are a key part of any risk assessment.
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Get your portfolio’s passport stamped: Reasons to consider international investing
Own a little bit of the great big world out there.
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Gold-plated investing strategy? Shiny metal and your portfolio
All that glitters is an alternative investment.
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Got stock, or looking to acquire shares? Two options strategies to consider
Moving from speculator to strategist.
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Green bonds: ESG investing meets the fixed-income market
Fight climate change and earn a return.
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Hedge funds: How they work, types of strategies, and some of the big players
Two words: Expensive and complex.
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How to start investing while repaying student debt and loans
An early start can make a big difference.
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Inflation impact: Rising prices project strength, but too much is painful
Why “Goldilocks” inflation is best.
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Inflation protection from Uncle Sam: Here’s how I bonds can help you save
A partial offset to the pain of rising prices.
Investing
Intro to options: A different way to participate in the stock market
Learn about calls and puts.
Investing
Introduction to financial markets: What are markets, and why do they exist?
Finding a fair price and allowing for easy exchange.
Investing
Line, bar, and candlestick charts: Three types technical analysts use
Learn to read the stories charts are telling.
Investing
Market order, limit order, or stop order: What are they and which should you use?
Basic order types: The long and short of it.
Investing
Market volatility: Identifying and quantifying investment risks
The battle between fear and greed in the market.
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Navigating the markets with moving average convergence/divergence (MACD)
A technical indicator that tracks momentum.
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Need financial guidance? Here are 4 types of financial advisors
Which (if any) is right for you?
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NFT use cases: 8 innovative ways to use non-fungible tokens
NFTs can tokenize almost anything.
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Option collar strategy: Can you get free price protection?
Kinda sorta. But there are trade-offs.
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Option specs: American vs. European exercise; physical vs. cash settlement
Know the terms of the trade.
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Option theta, vega, and implied volatility: Navigating uncertainty
Time and tide wait for no option contract.
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Payment for order flow: How it works and why it matters
The price of low (and zero) commissions.
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Price floors and ceilings: Areas of support and resistance in the markets
Know where price might bounce.
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Proof-of-work vs. proof-of-stake: Comparing two blockchain verification types
Two validation methods, one goal.
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Quarterly earnings and earnings per share: The company profitability snapshot
Peek at a company’s health.
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Rare earth metals: What are they, and are they a solid investment?
It’s amazing how much they impact modern life.
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Read the room: Why quarterly earnings conference calls are worth a listen
Get it straight from the source.
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Regulation Best Interest: A rule to protect investors
Your broker-dealer is required to be on your side.
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REITs: Targeting income, capital appreciation, and diversification
Real estate investing goes beyond your home.
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Retail forex trading: An introduction for active investors
The global currency market at your doorstep.
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Running the life insurance numbers: Determining your coverage
How much do you need, and how much will it cost?
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Sales loads, 12b-1 fees, and more: A closer look at mutual fund fees
A little slice for management.
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Selling call and put options: A guide to the risks and rewards
Your rights vs. your obligations.
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Selling vertical put option spreads: Defined risk and reward with a bullish bias
It’s a probability/profit trade-off.
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Should you invest in I Bonds? Pros and cons of inflation-linked investments
Timing is everything.
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Slicing the market pie: How stock splits work and why they matter
If you cut it in half, will it grow back?
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Smart contracts vs. dApps—how are they different?
Digital handshakes for specific conditions.
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Starting your stock analysis? Here are the best financial ratios to watch
Let’s dig into some numbers.
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Stock dividends: Seem like free money, but it’s a bit more complicated
Income from ownership.
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Stock index funds: simplicity and lower fees, but you’re tied to index performance
Not as glam—or risky—as stock-picking.
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Stock investment risk: Understanding systematic and idiosyncratic risks
Understand, minimize, mitigate.
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Stock market basics: Earnings and other key drivers of share prices
Ownership has perks. And risks.
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Stock market indexes: Tracking Wall Street in real time and long term
The market’s scorekeepers.
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Stock sector performance and a sector investing example
Different components, different outcomes.
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Taking the economy’s temperature: How understanding GDP can help you make better investing decisions
Checking the measurements.
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Technical analysis: Is there predictive power in chart data?
Discover why the trend is your friend.
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Technical indicators: The tools of the trade
Analyze price trends, trading volume, and more.
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The 11 stock market sectors: What they are and why they matter
Which slice would you prefer?
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The great debate: How growth vs. value stocks differ and why each could be worth owning
It’s the ultimate argument among stock investors.
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The greater fool theory: The root cause of market bubbles?
Bubbles blow, bubbles grow, bubbles pop.
Investing
The life cycle of a buy or sell order: How trades happen
Complex transactions in the blink of an eye.
Investing
Trading crypto? Using it in transactions? Are you mining or staking? Your crypto is taxable
Uncle Sam gets a slice of your digital profits.
Investing
Understanding mutual funds: Types, investing styles, fees, and other basics
How mutual funds work.
Investing
Understanding the complexities of exchange-traded notes (ETNs)
They look like ETFs, but they’re quite different.
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Using the stochastic oscillator to anticipate market turning points
Looking for a price reversal?
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Vertical call option spreads: Defined risk and reward with a bearish bias
Putting time on your side.
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Want to be an activist investor? As a shareholder, start with proxy voting
It’s your chance to vote your views and your conscience.
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Want to limit your downside risk? Introducing the protective put strategy
Collision insurance for your stock holdings.
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What are cryptocurrencies and why is the world paying attention?
A crypto FAQ for beginners.
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What are exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and how do they work? An investor guide
They’re like mutual funds, but different.
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What are junk bonds? The risks and rewards of high-yield fixed income
Some are more junky than others.
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What does the monthly jobs report tell us and why is it so important?
The big kahuna of government economic reports.
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What investment types can I use to build a diversified portfolio?
The usual, but there are alternatives.
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What is leverage in trading? A powerful tool for doing more with less
But it’s dangerous if misused.
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What is reshoring, and why are American companies shifting toward it?
Globalization in reverse? Deglobalization?
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What is the industrial production and capacity utilization report?
A way to mine for economic clues.
Investing
What is the metaverse? Understanding investment opportunities and risks
Investing in virtually anything.
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What is Web 3.0? Understanding Web3 decentralized Internet
Giving digital control and privacy back to users.
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What’s the difference between day trading and swing trading?
A quick move or a longer setup.
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What’s the yield curve? Charting interest rates and the economy
Upward, downward, and sideways.
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Why emerging markets might be worth owning in a diversified portfolio
Risks and rewards to consider.
Featured Term
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alternative investments
Alternative investments are those that are different from traditional investments in stocks, bonds, and cash. Some examples of alternative investments include hedge funds, real estate, and natural resources.