››Foundations

Foundations

The essential building blocks every investor needs to understand before anything else.

The stock market is where buyers and sellers trade shares of publicly listed companies. Here is how it works and why it exists.

A stock represents a small piece of ownership in a company. Here is what that means and why people buy them.

A shareholder is anyone who owns at least one share of a company. Here is what that means in practice.

A bond is a loan you give to a company or government in exchange for regular interest payments. Here is how it works.

Market cap tells you how much the market thinks a company is worth. It is one of the most useful numbers in investing.

A stock market index tracks the performance of a group of companies. Here is what that means and why it matters.

The S&P 500 is the most widely followed stock market index in the world. Here is what it tracks and why it matters.

The Dow Jones is one of the oldest and most recognisable stock market indexes in the world. Here is what it actually tracks.

The Nasdaq is a stock exchange and an index heavily associated with technology companies. Here is what makes it different.

A stock exchange is the marketplace where shares are bought and sold. Here is how it works and why it exists.

Financial markets are overseen by regulators whose job is to protect investors and keep markets fair. Here is who they are and what they do.

A broker is the intermediary between you and the stock market. Here is what brokers do and how to think about choosing one.

A brokerage account is where your investments live. Here is what it is, how it works, and what to expect when opening one.

Not all investment accounts work the same way. Here is a plain-English breakdown of the main types and what each one is for.

A portfolio is the collection of all your investments. Here is what that means and why thinking in terms of a portfolio matters.