Guides
Investing guides
Plain-English guides to the different ways of trading and investing, written for complete beginners.
Ways to trade and invest: beginner guides
- Start hereWays to Trade and Invest: A Beginner’s GuideStocks, funds, ETFs, bonds, crypto, forex, CFDs, spread betting, futures and options explained simply, with the risks and who each one suits.
- 01BeginnerStocks and sharesBuy a small piece of a company and share in its growth and profits.
- 02BeginnerFunds (index funds and managed funds)Pool your money with other investors so one purchase buys a spread of many investments.
- 03BeginnerETFs (exchange-traded funds)A fund you buy and sell on the stock exchange, just like a share.
- 04BeginnerBondsLend money to a government or company in return for regular interest.
- 05BeginnerReady-made portfolios and robo-advisersAnswer a few questions and a provider invests and rebalances a mix of funds for you.
- 06IntermediateCryptocurrencyBuy digital tokens such as bitcoin, whose prices swing wildly and which have few protections.
- 07AdvancedForex (currency trading)Trade one currency against another, almost always with leverage.
- 08AdvancedCFDs (contracts for difference)A leveraged contract that pays the change in a price, without owning anything.
- 09AdvancedSpread betting (UK and Ireland)Bet an amount per point on a price moving, with leverage. Mainly available in the UK and Ireland.
- 10AdvancedFuturesExchange-traded contracts to buy or sell something at a set price on a future date.
- 11AdvancedOptionsPay for the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell at a set price before a set date.
Precious metals
- GuideUK · USHow to Invest in GoldEvery way to invest in gold explained for beginners: coins and bars, ETFs, mining shares, pensions and day trading. Choose the UK or US guide.
- GuideUK · USHow to Invest in SilverEvery way to invest in silver explained for beginners: coins and bars, ETFs, mining shares, pensions and trading. Choose the UK or US guide.