Beginner
What Is a Stock?
What a stock really is, how shares and ownership work, the two ways you make money, and why prices move - explained in plain English for total beginners.
Read Article →Learn Stock Trading
36 free guides to help you master stock paper trading
Whether you're completely new to the stock market or looking to sharpen your trading skills, these guides walk you through everything step by step - from understanding what paper trading is, to reading charts, evaluating stocks, and developing your own strategies.
Every concept can be practiced risk-free using CustomStocks' paper trading simulator, which uses real market prices and supports 50+ stocks. No account required, no real money at risk.
Looking for something specific? Skim quick definitions in the stock market glossary, or crunch the numbers with our free calculators.
Stock Market Basics: Start Here
New to investing? Start with the fundamentals - what a stock actually is, how prices are set, when the market is open, and how index funds and ETFs work. Browse all 8 guides in this topic →
Beginner
How Stock Prices Are Determined
What sets a share price - supply and demand, the bid-ask spread, market makers, and the news that moves them.
Read Article →Reference
How Stock Market Hours Work
A complete guide to regular hours, pre-market, after-hours trading, holidays, and global markets.
Read Article →Beginner
Stock Market Sectors Explained
The 11 GICS sectors, cyclical vs defensive, sector rotation, and how to build a sector-diversified portfolio risk-free.
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Bull vs Bear Markets Explained
Definitions, historical examples, what causes each cycle, and how to practice trading through both with paper trading.
Read Article →Beginner
What Is a Stock Split?
How forward and reverse splits work, why companies split their shares, and why the total value of your holding stays the same.
Read Article →Beginner
Index Funds and the S&P 500
What an index fund is, how the S&P 500 works, and why low-cost index investing gives beginners instant diversification - practiced risk-free.
Read Article →Beginner
ETFs vs Individual Stocks
Compare diversification, cost, control, and learning value to decide which fits your goals as a beginner investor.
Read Article →Paper Trading: Learn by Doing, Risk-Free
Practice with virtual money before you use real money: what paper trading is, where it differs from the real thing, and the psychology that trips beginners up. Browse all 4 guides in this topic →
Beginner
What is Stock Paper Trading?
Discover how paper trading helps you learn stocks without risking real money. Perfect for complete beginners.
Read Article →Intermediate
Paper Trading vs Real Trading
Understand the key differences in psychology, fees, execution, and risk - and know when you're ready to switch.
Read Article →Intermediate
Trading Psychology and Biases
The cognitive biases - loss aversion, FOMO, herd behavior - that hurt returns, and how to build the discipline to beat them.
Read Article →Beginner
Common Stock Trading Mistakes
The most common beginner trading mistakes - no plan, chasing hype, overtrading, no diversification - and practical ways to avoid each one.
Read Article →Orders, Charts and Execution
The mechanics of a trade - order types, reading charts, technical indicators, spreads, holding periods, and the leveraged tools that can lose more than you put in. Browse all 8 guides in this topic →
Intermediate
Stock Order Types Explained
Understand market orders, limit orders, and stop orders - what each does, when to use them, and how they work.
Read Article →Beginner
How to Read Stock Charts
Master the basics of chart reading, candlesticks, and technical indicators to make informed trading decisions.
Read Article →Intermediate
Technical Indicators Explained
Understand moving averages, RSI, and MACD - what each measures, how to read the signals, and how to combine them without over-relying on one.
Read Article →Intermediate
Bid-Ask Spread Explained
What the bid and ask are, why the spread exists, what makes it wide or narrow, and how this hidden cost affects your trades.
Read Article →Intermediate
Day vs Swing vs Long-Term Trading
A time-horizon framework comparing time commitment, taxes, win rates, capital needs, and learning value for each approach.
Read Article →Intermediate
Short Selling Explained
How shorting a stock works, a simple example, and the serious risks - unlimited losses and short squeezes - every beginner should understand first.
Read Article →Intermediate
Margin Trading and Leverage
How buying on margin works, what a margin call is, and the real risks of leverage - explained and framed for safety.
Read Article →Intermediate
Options Trading 101
Calls, puts, strike prices, expiration, intrinsic vs extrinsic value, and basic strategies. Conceptual education for beginners considering options.
Read Article →Researching and Valuing Stocks
Judge a company and its price: valuation ratios, 10-K filings, financial statements, screening, dividends, and the difference between growth and value. Browse all 10 guides in this topic →
Intermediate
What is a P/E Ratio?
Learn how to evaluate whether a stock is overvalued or undervalued using the Price-to-Earnings ratio and other metrics.
Read Article →Intermediate
Stock Valuation Metrics Beyond P/E
Go beyond P/E with PEG, price-to-book, price-to-sales, EV/EBITDA, and free cash flow yield to value stocks with confidence.
Read Article →Intermediate
Fundamental vs Technical Analysis
What each approach measures, their strengths and weaknesses, and how beginners can combine them to research stocks.
Read Article →Intermediate
How to Read a 10-K Annual Report
Walk through every key section - MD&A, financial statements, risk factors, and footnotes - to evaluate stocks like a pro.
Read Article →Intermediate
How to Read Financial Statements
What the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement each tell you - and the key numbers to check.
Read Article →Beginner
Stock Screening for Beginners
What a stock screener is, which filters beginners should start with, and how to turn the results into a research shortlist you can practice risk-free.
Read Article →Beginner
How to Choose Your First Stock
A step-by-step framework for picking your first stock: start with what you know, check the business and numbers, and weigh valuation before you buy.
Read Article →Beginner
What Are Dividends?
Learn how dividend payments work, yield, ex-dividend dates, DRIPs, and qualified vs ordinary tax treatment for beginners.
Read Article →Intermediate
Growth Stocks vs Value Stocks
Compare the two classic investing styles - their valuations, dividends, risks, and which suits different market cycles.
Read Article →Intermediate
How to Trade Earnings Reports
How earnings season works, EPS and guidance, earnings surprises, and why stocks move on expectations - practiced risk-free.
Read Article →Building a Portfolio and Managing Risk
Own a set of positions rather than a single bet - diversification, position sizing, dollar-cost averaging, market crashes, and tax basics. Browse all 6 guides in this topic →
Beginner
Portfolio Diversification
What diversification is, how to spread risk across and within asset classes, simple allocation models, and how to rebalance - practiced risk-free.
Read Article →Beginner
How to Build a Stock Portfolio
A step-by-step framework: set goals, choose an asset mix, diversify, size your positions, and rebalance over time.
Read Article →Beginner
What Is Dollar-Cost Averaging?
How investing a fixed amount on a set schedule removes market timing, its trade-offs versus lump-sum investing, and how to practice it risk-free.
Read Article →Intermediate
Trading Strategies for Beginners
Learn 5 proven approaches - buy and hold, DCA, swing trading, momentum, and value investing - and practice each risk-free.
Read Article →Beginner
Stock Market Crashes and Corrections
How crashes and corrections differ, what causes them, historical examples, and how to stay calm and prepared.
Read Article →Reference
Tax Basics: Paper to Real Trading
Short vs long-term capital gains, wash sale rule, 1099-B, cost basis, and tax-advantaged accounts for the transition to real trading.
Read Article →Put Your Knowledge Into Practice
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