Trading 101

My Britannica Money series on the basics of trading, technical analysis, and market psychology.

Trading Basics

• Stock market trading time frames: Aligning strategy and personality

• Does market timing work? The risk of missing big rallies

• Calculating position size in trading: The key to risk management

• Margin account vs. cash account: What to know before you trade

• Market order, limit order, or stop order: What are they and which should you use?

Technical Analysis Basics

• Technical indicators: The tools of the trade

• Price gap analysis: What gapping stocks can tell traders

• Average true range (ATR): Using volatility for position sizing and risk control

• Volume-weighted average price (VWAP): A versatile technical indicator for pros and day traders

• Heikin-ashi candles: Making market trends easier to spot

• Candlestick patterns: Charting your trading strategy

• On-balance volume: Joseph Granville’s pioneering indicator in technical analysis

• Unlocking the power of the Chaikin money flow indicator

• Bollinger Bands: A powerful technical tool for traders

• Fibonacci trading strategies: Analysis, techniques, and debates

Market & Trading Psychology

• Trading psychology: Mastering your emotions and instincts for successful trading

• Common trading biases and how to overcome them

• Avoiding emotional investing: Strategies for better decision-making

• How companies use forward guidance to shape investor expectations

• Tax-loss harvesting: Maximizing tax efficiency in your investment portfolio

• Arbitrage and the invisible hand: Enhancing price efficiency across markets