Educational

Guides and how-tos to improve your investing skills
26
Aug
Dark navy poster with distressed white text reading “DIVIDENDS = PAYCHECK” and a small tagline at the bottom.

How Do Stock Dividends Work? Your Paycheck for Owning Stocks

Dividends aren’t free money. They’re the market’s paycheck for owning real businesses. Here’s how they work, why they matter, and how to use them to actually build wealth.
3 min read
26
Aug
Dark navy poster with “NO ACCOUNT. NO GAME.” in white, red broken padlock, and small tagline below

What Is a Brokerage Account? Your Ticket to the Money Party

Without a brokerage account, you’re not an investor — you’re a spectator. Here’s why it matters, how it works, and how to use it to actually build wealth.
3 min read
25
Aug
Split image with a slot machine crossed out on the left and bold text “STOCK MARKET = OWNERSHIP” on the right, highlighting that investing is not gambling.

How Does the Stock Market Work?

The stock market isn’t a casino — it’s an auction. Prices move because of business results, mood, and the big picture. Respect it with a process and it works. Treat it like gambling and it’ll clean you out.
3 min read
25
Aug
Lighthouse standing on rocky shore at dusk, waves crashing, symbolizing stability and guidance in uncertain markets.

What I Learned About Risk While Building My First Investment Portfolio

“I built my first portfolio back in 1990 — and learned the hard way what happens when the market turns. Three simple questions turned that shaky start into a plan I can trust through any market. Here’s how you can do the same.”
2 min read
24
Aug
Dark blue graphic with bold 3D text “INDEX INVESTING.” Background shows a basket overflowing with stock ticker symbols, symbolizing buying the entire market at once

What is Index Investing?

Index investing sounds simple: just buy the market. But once you look under the hood, you’ll see it’s not as bulletproof as the guides make it sound.
3 min read
24
Aug
Dark blue graphic with bold 3D text “MUTUAL FUND.” Background shows a basket filled with coins and papers, symbolizing the pooled-money structure of mutual funds.

What is a Mutual Fund?

Mutual funds are the old-school way to invest. Before ETFs came along, this was the default. If you had a
3 min read
24
Aug
ark blue graphic with bold 3D text “ETF MISTAKES” above a cracked basket spilling stock ticker symbols, symbolizing the hidden risks of buying ETFs the wrong way.

What is an ETF?

Most people buy ETFs without knowing what’s inside. That mistake can cost you. Here’s the no-BS guide to how ETFs really work.
4 min read
23
Aug
Digital graphic with bold text “Start Investing Stocks,” showing a central stock certificate with coins reinvesting into it, symbolizing DRIP and beginner investing.

How to Start Investing in Stocks?

You don’t need to be an expert to start investing in stocks. Begin small, research what you know, reinvest dividends, and let compounding do the work.
2 min read
23
Aug
Twenty-dollar bill split red and blue with a faucet in the center, symbolizing the Federal Reserve’s control of money flow, with the Fed building faint in the background.

What Is the Federal Reserve?

The Fed isn’t just a bank. It’s the faucet of money. Open it and markets flood. Crank it shut and the economy cracks. And you don’t get a vote.
3 min read
23
Aug
Illustration of a twenty-dollar bill with a faucet in the center, one side glowing red and cracked, the other glowing blue with water pouring out, symbolizing monetary policy.

Monetary Policy: The Fed’s Playbook

Money doesn’t just flow — the Fed controls the faucet. Open it too wide and bubbles form. Slam it shut and the economy cracks. That’s monetary policy — and it decides more about your wallet than any speech in Washington.
2 min read
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