Introduction
This page is solely to collect all my links and notes from over the last year of learning the stock market, and share with friends. Also, it helps me to remember what I’ve covered by writing it down. Plus, I truly think it’s a way to help people out that may not have considered investing in the past. Here are some reasons to get started. One analogy I heard a year ago was, a loaf of bread is a dollar today. If you put a dollar in a shoe box for 5 years, it’s still only worth a dollar. BUT, the cost of a loaf of bread is now five dollars. If you invest that money, your one dollar will be worth five in five years(hopefully much more), keeping it’s value, and keeping up with inflation. With that being said, if you’re here on accident, or just to see what I have going on, take a look around, and offer any suggestions at the bottom of the page.
“The best time to invest in the stock market is now.” ~ Lady from Lynda.com finance training course. Ha. That course, and a brief conversation about trading, but not wanting to pay a brokerage fee, lead me to Robinhood.com (Website | App). An average return from the stock market is about 8%. Depending on the stocks you buy and how you diversify your portfolio, that return could be less, or more. Microsoft is currently up 23% in the past year, so depending on where you invest, you’re return will vary.
Ready to jump in?
If you’d like to get started investing, click here to get your Robinhood account setup. Please use that link, so we both get a free stock. YES! We both get one. You’ll need a social security number, and your bank account information (for fund transfers). You can start with no money, or very little just to get a feel for things. Answer a few questions, and you’ll be ready to buy your first stock! Note: The value of your stocks go down at times. BUT, they will come back up in time also. It’s tough getting used to that, but after it happens a few times, you’ll be ok.
Use the rest of the page for resources… I did all the homework for you. 😉
Stocks
I was sitting at the dentist a few months ago flipping through Robinhood. A little girl (14) sits down next to me, whips her phone out and starts flipping through her stocks. I was impressed, and thought what a great lesson for a kid. I talked to her and her Mom for a minute before heading back, and heard what I thought was a good, simple, piece of advice… her Aunt told her, “buy stocks in companies you like, and believe in”. Simple enough, and makes sense. If you’re purchasing that companies products, or services, then it has value.
It’s the easiest thing you can do to invest in your future. Use some of the tools on the site, or just pick a company you’ve spent money with over the years, and buy. Pretty simple. Just continuing investing daily/weekly/monthly, and let it ride, or try your luck at buying low, and selling high to make(or lose) a few extra dollars. You pick your level. If that sounds boring, and your ready to feel some excitement, scroll down to options(not for the faint at heart).
News
Daily Morning News
Read these links daily before making any decisions on what to buy, or sell. Get the general idea of what is going to move the market, and in what direction.
Before The Market Opens – Economic Calendar – Upcoming Earnings –
MarketWatch – Trump/Twitter(Love him or hate him, his Tweets affect the market) – Portfolio (Will open your Robinhood portfolio)
Monthly News
There is monthly news that affects the price of stock. These reports are usually released at the beginning of the month.
Manufacturing/Non-Manufacturing report – Employment report – Bureau of Labor Statistics (Employment Situation) – Producer Price Index
Live Market News
Want to know what’s happening throughout the day that has an impact on your stocks? YES! Watch here.
Global News
So far, what’s happening globally doesn’t seem to have a huge impact on US exchanges, BUT they could, and it’s a good idea to be ahead of the information.
US China Trade (Past 24hrs) – World Economy (Past 24hrs)
Impeachment News
Doesn’t seem to be having much impact on the market… we’ve heard it for the last 3 years, but if things get serious, this is worth keeping an eye on. Implied Volitality will increase at the very least (increase in options value).
Market Impact Resources
Check the economic calendar to make sure you’re not cought off guard by news released that day. It will impact your stock, and it’s good to be ahead of it. If bad news is released, and your stocks start dropping, they will likely continue to drop for the rest of the day/week depending on the news.
CME FedWatch Tool(Likelihood of Fed Rate Change)– Vix Index (Implied Volatility) – Economic Calendar – Upcoming Earnings
Trading Resources
Investopedia(Great resource for terminology)
Tools
BarChart – Finviz Screener – Options Calculator(Select the middle price) – MarketWatch Screener – Market Chameleon