If you are new to trading, do not start by chasing trades. Start by learning how the market works. This page is built to help you understand the foundation: charts, structure, risk, discipline, and preparation.
New to Trading? Start Here First
Before learning chart patterns, indicators, or strategies, beginners need the right basic setup. Trading should not start on a phone. Start with a laptop or desktop computer, stable internet, and a proper brokerage platform that lets you chart, practice, and place orders safely. Use paper trading first. Learn your platform, practice placing orders, understand the buttons, and get comfortable before real money is involved. Examples of brokers/platforms beginners may see include Fidelity, Interactive Brokers, Robinhood, and Webull. SkyVestments is not affiliated with these brokers. I personally use Interactive Brokers and like IBKR Desktop, but beginners should choose the platform that fits their needs and gives them a safe place to practice.
Learn the Chart
Before you can trade, you need to understand what you are looking at. Learn candlesticks, timeframes, volume, chart layout, and basic price movement. A chart is a visual representation of supply and demand, and candlesticks show you how buyers and sellers are acting at each price level.
Understand Market Structure
Markets do not move randomly. They move in structure: trends with higher highs and higher lows (uptrends), or lower highs and lower lows (downtrends). Learn consolidations, breakouts, and reversals. Understanding structure helps you identify where the market has been and where it might go next.
Mark Support and Resistance
Traders identify important price areas where the market has reversed or consolidated in the past. These are support (where price bounces up) and resistance (where price pulls back down). Use these areas to plan your entries, exits, and stop losses. Strong support and resistance give you clear levels to work with.
Learn Risk Management
This is the foundation of professional trading. Learn stop losses, position sizing, risk-to-reward ratios, and trade planning. You must know how much you are willing to lose before you enter any trade. Protect your account first, and profits will follow over time.
Build an Entry Strategy
Learn how to identify high-probability entries with structure and confirmation. Watch the Entry Strategy lesson to see real examples of how professional traders identify entry points with proper planning.
Build an Exit Strategy
Learn how to manage trades through targets, stops, and disciplined trade management. Watch the Exit Strategy lesson to see real examples of how professional traders protect their capital and manage trades.
Beginner Beginner Trader
Start here before the charts. Learn the basic trading setup: computer, internet, broker, paper trading, and how to prepare before placing real trades.
Learn the Chart
Basic chart reading, candles, price movement, and understanding what traders are looking at.
Market Structure
Trends, ranges, higher highs, lower lows, lower highs, higher lows, and structure shifts.
Indicators and Tools for Support and Resistance
Learn how key indicators and chart tools can help you find important support and resistance areas, understand where price may react, and prepare your chart with more confidence before taking a trade.
Entry Strategy
Learn how to build structure, confirmation, and reason into every entry.
Exit Strategy
Learn how to think through targets, stops, trade management, and protecting profits.
