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Why markets exist, what you're actually buying, and the handful of math facts (compounding, inflation, diversification) that drive every long-term outcome.
13 lessons in 2 modules about 58 min of readingFree to read
Start with lesson 1A share is a claim on a real business — companies sell those claims to raise money without borrowing.
Exchanges are the regulated marketplaces (NYSE, NASDAQ) where buyers and sellers meet and prices are discovered.
One ticker that holds a whole basket of assets, tradable like a stock — the workhorse of modern diversified investing.
Own the whole market instead of guessing winners — the strategy that beats most professionals after costs.
The older pooled-investment structure: priced once daily, often actively managed, usually costlier.
Price × shares outstanding — the actual size of a company, and why a $5 stock isn't 'cheap'.
Cash the company pays you for owning it — and a large, underrated share of long-run returns when reinvested.
Returns on top of returns — the exponential math that makes time in the market the most powerful variable you control.
The silent tax on cash — why 'safe' money loses purchasing power and real (after-inflation) returns are what count.
There is no extra expected return without extra risk — every pitch claiming otherwise is mispriced or a lie.
The only free lunch in finance: same expected return, less risk, just by not concentrating.
Invest a fixed amount on a schedule — automatic discipline that buys more shares when prices are low.
The stocks/bonds/cash split — the decision that explains most of a portfolio's risk and return.
Every lesson in this course is free to read. A free account adds the quizzes at the end of lessons, keeps track of what you have finished, turns questions you missed into review flashcards, and lets you ask the lesson tutor and keep notes. Finish every lesson to earn the course certificate.
An account is also how you reach the rest of ScanPro: the stock scanner, alerts and paper trading with simulated money.
Educational tools, not investment advice.