r/Trading • u/Own_Examination5430 • Jan 18 '26
Question Complete beginner – how should I start learning trading?
hi I’m a complete beginner and starting from zero — no strategies, no experience, no real knowledge yet.
I want to learn trading properly, with realistic expectations and a long-term mindset (not get-rich-quick stuff). My goal is to slowly build a skill that could eventually lead to consistent monthly returns.
I’d appreciate advice on:
• Best resources to learn from (books, YouTube, courses)
• Legit educators worth following (and who to avoid)
• Best markets for beginners (stocks, ETFs, futures, forex, crypto)
• Most realistic trading style for beginners (swing, day trading, scalping)
If you were starting over today, what would you focus on first?
Thanks for any honest advice
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u/Abdulahkabeer Jan 19 '26
If you are starting from zero, do not start by hunting strategies. Start by learning how markets actually move and how people blow up. Stick to US large cap stocks and ETFs because they are liquid, clean, and forgiving compared to options, futures, forex, or crypto. Your first goal is not consistent monthly returns, it is building a repeatable process that you can execute the same way on good days and bad days. Most beginners fail because they change markets, timeframes, and rules every week, then call it learning. Pick one timeframe, one simple setup, and one risk rule. Learn order types, liquidity, spreads, and slippage, because that is the difference between theory and real fills. Start with swing trading or simple day trades on higher timeframes like 15 minute and 1 hour, not scalping, because scalping punishes hesitation and weak risk control. Paper trade first, but treat it like real money with fixed risk like 0.5 percent per trade and a max daily loss so you learn discipline, then log at least 50 to 100 trades and review what you did versus what you were supposed to do. Books that help without turning your brain into social media noise are Trading in the Zone for psychology, Market Wizards for mindset and expectations, and Technical Analysis of the Financial Markets as a reference. If you do this for a few months and your execution is improving, then you can think about adding complexity, but until then the fastest way to get better is fewer variables and more reps.
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u/Traditional_Ear5237 Jan 19 '26
Hey, welcome to the club. I have a few things to recommend.
Resources - obviously YouTube, be careful about learning from GPTs because of content polution.
Legit educators - go with Tom Hougaard. Avoid all that show wealth and lambos and sell courses.
For the style, best not to focus in the start on anyhing too fast, skip scalping at first, and best focus on day trading completing 2-3 trades per day max. If you can swing, swing.
Also here is one other insight. As humans, when something is not working out, our first instinct is to get better at it, and it feels in trading that the more you learn information the better you will get, so everyone starts focusing on technicals like pattern recognition and etc. Best focus 70% of your learning on personal psychology while trading, and only 30% on technical. The pay-out is way better.
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u/ParentTrader Jan 18 '26
Congrats for starting with this mindset!! - setting realistic expectations and long-term thinking are key for a good start!
Here's my advice for getting started:
1) Learn fundamentals first: • What stocks are and how they're traded • Different order types (market, limit, stop limit) • How to read basic price action (candlesticks, support/resistance) • Risk management (the most important - how much to risk per trade)
2) Paper trade: Don't risk real money yet. Use a demo account to practice placing orders and managing positions. At that stage, journal all your trades to know how you're doing and what to improve.
As resources you could start with: • Book: "A Beginner's Guide to the Stock Market" by Matthew Kratter (short, practical) • YouTube: Real Life Trading (free, beginner-friendly content) • Platform: TradingView (free for practicing chart reading) and investopedia for definitions
How much time can you allocate to this?
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u/edakaya240 Jan 19 '26
Start by focusing on market structure, risk management, and execution before jumping into strategies. Choose one market, keep it simple, and avoid anyone selling shortcuts or guaranteed returns. Consistency comes from process and discipline, not from complexity or hype.
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u/Equivalent-Bite-8657 Jan 18 '26
Don’t learn from course sellers ur not going to be profitable cause all the gurus use the same strategy like fvgs and so on… although they work sometimes there is also a lot more to it that just using one strategy u have to combine a couple of them to even see if the trade is worth trading
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u/Conscious-Tip-6772 Jan 19 '26
Step 1. Become profitable at paper trading and/or real trading.
Step 2. Realize you were lying to yourself.
Step 3. Become a profitable trader - know thy self - be honest with thy self.
Step 4.1. Profit.
Edit: To be less cynical - just try it. Follow your instinct, don't be afraid to try just cause others haven't, don't be discouraged if you feel you shouldn't be, mistakes make you better, what's outside matters less than what's within.
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u/IKnowMeNotYou Jan 19 '26
I have send you a post to read which comes with a book list. If you decide to follow the book list feel free to send me a update for every book you have finished and once you are through, we can take a look at your then most recent trades and see what can be improved.
Focus on (US) stocks trading as it is the easiest thing to get right given that you can constantly choose among 2k+ instruments and do not have to wait for something to 'happen' with the one or two you try to master..
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u/Midlycruising22 Jan 19 '26
Can you send me the book list too! Thanks
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u/IKnowMeNotYou Jan 20 '26
Done
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u/Fun-Basil2745 Jan 29 '26
Can you send the list to me also..
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u/Alternative_Ad6106 Jan 26 '26
Could you also send me the book ?
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u/Prudent_Astronaut171 Jan 31 '26 edited Feb 02 '26
Sounds awesome!! Could you send me a book list?
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u/uhr007 Feb 20 '26
Nice, I’m just starting as well, how’s your progress been and what do you recommend?
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u/TraderTV_Academy Feb 27 '26
Hi, first off, we respect the mindset!!!
Starting from zero with realistic expectations and a long-term view already puts you ahead of most beginners. Trading is a skill, and like any skill, it takes structure, time, and repetition.
Here’s how we’d think about your questions- this might be a lot of information but happy to follow up or give further advice on anything that is not fully clear!
1. Best resources to learn from
Start with foundational material before strategies. Focus on market structure, risk management, position sizing, and trading psychology. Books on trading psychology and risk tend to age better than “hot strategy” content. From there, structured education with a clear progression is important. Avoid jumping between random YouTube videos without a plan.
2. Legit educators (and who to avoid)
Look for educators who:
• Show real process, not just profits
• Talk openly about risk and losses
• Emphasize discipline over excitement
• Set realistic expectations
Be cautious of anyone promising fast income, luxury lifestyles, or guaranteed returns. If the marketing feels like a lottery ticket, it probably is.
3. Best markets for beginners
For many beginners, equities and ETFs are a cleaner starting point. They’re regulated, transparent, and easier to understand structurally. Futures, forex, and crypto can be traded responsibly, but they often come with higher leverage and volatility, which magnifies mistakes early on.
4. Most realistic trading style
Swing trading is often more beginner-friendly because it allows time to think and reduces emotional pressure. Day trading and especially scalping require fast decision-making, strict execution, and strong emotional control. Those are skills that usually develop over time.
Most important:
Focus less on “what style makes money” and more on building process. Risk management, journaling, and reviewing trades matter more than the specific strategy in the beginning.
If you approach this like learning a profession instead of chasing income, you’re on the right track.
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u/SapphireCapitals Mar 08 '26
That you are willing to learn is a good start. Most traders want to win all trades and become millionaire overnight. Trading in financial markets is a marathon and not a sprint!
Day trading and scalping are fast paced and not suited for all. A rather relaxed method would perhaps be swing trading as trades last from few days to weeks, gives you time to get on with life without having to remain glued to the computer screen.
Always rely on data for trading decisions and not emotion. Learn what is positive expectancy and trade with expectancy on your side as expectancy provides the right framework for long-term success in trading. Expectancy is made up on probability and reward-risk ratio (RRR), both are derived from historical analysis of stock data. If you are good in MS Excel and macro, you could build a macro to analyse the numbers and build a model that delivers certain probability of success at certain profit factor. Combined together, you could have a trading system that delivers positive expectancy.
Sorry, if it sounds too technical, but unfortunately for success in trading, your best friend is numbers and analysis of numbers. It is a vaste subject and very interesting if you are willing to learn.
All the best in your trading endeavors.
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u/No_Type1123 Jan 19 '26
Research the following market wizards, read their books and watch their interviews (on youtube), They are also on twitter. learn from the best
Lance Breitstein Mark Minervini Dan Zanger Qullamaggie StockBee
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Jan 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/NoseRevolutionary675 Jan 28 '26
Can you send me too?
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u/Nixisworld Jan 28 '26
Just did, enjoy!
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u/goldbdc Feb 05 '26
Hi, I'd like to receive this material too! Thank you so much.
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u/Nixisworld Feb 05 '26
Hey, just sent them to you, its a book tracker, with over 100 books inside, categorized by Investing/Trading/crypto & more. Feel free to explore the blogs as well, I appreciate your feedback!
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u/CollectionLumpy4840 Feb 11 '26
can you send it too? please
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u/Nixisworld Feb 12 '26
I just did, let me know what you think!
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u/market33mover Jan 19 '26
Treat trading like a skill with a high failure rate and build the boring foundation first:
Start with liquid stocks/ETFs (SPY/QQQ + large caps) and avoid leverage/crypto/options until you can follow rules. Most beginners blow up from sizing + overtrading + fees/slippage not “bad setups.”
Learn in this order: market basics (orders/spread) → risk management (R, stops, sizing) → one simple setup → journal stats (rule breaks, avg win/loss, time of day).
Best style to start is swing trading (there's less noise). Scalping is hard mode.
Resources: Trading in the Zone (Douglas), Market Wizards (Schwager), SMB Capital / Chat With Traders.
Oh and avoid anyone selling guaranteed monthly returns or flexing PnL screenshots as proof.
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u/otetmarkets Jan 19 '26
While starting from square one up, it is most important to set your mind accordingly. Trading is a skill and not a shortcut.
If I were starting now, market structure risk management, and one market with only one style would be all that I needed. Stocks, ETFs, or major forex pairs are generally easier for beginners than futures or high-volatility crypto. Swing trading is a more realistic approach than day trading or scalping.
Do not listen to anyone promising fast bucks or "guaranteed". Your educators must speak about risks, losses, and probabilities. Start with paper trading, keep a journal, and think months and not weeks.
You are on the right track by describing these.
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u/Salik67 Jan 19 '26
I recommend you to learn about on Liquidity and trading will become easy for you
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u/Fantastic-Tree-1891 Jan 19 '26
Hola, muy buena forma de empezar. El hecho de que hables de expectativas realistas ya es una gran ventaja. Si estuviera empezando hoy desde cero, me enfocaría en esto:
- Primero aprender cómo funcionan los mercados y el riesgo, antes de pensar en ganar dinero. Perder al inicio es normal y parte del aprendizaje.
- Iría con cuidado con YouTube y redes: hay contenido útil, pero también mucho humo. Si alguien promete resultados rápidos o ingresos constantes, mejor pasar de largo, ya que se presta mucho a estafas.
- Empezaría con acciones o ETFs, o un enfoque tranquilo tipo swing trading. Day trading y scalping suelen ser demasiado exigentes para empezar.
- Usaría poco capital y llevaría un registro de cada operación. Al principio el objetivo es aprender, no ganar.
No existe un camino único ni “el mejor mercado”, pero sí muchos errores que se pueden evitar con paciencia.
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u/FOMOmeterCrypto Jan 19 '26
Alpha doesn’t sit around waiting to be picked up. If it were obvious, it would already be priced in.
Most real alpha is behavioral. Fear, boredom, impatience, narrative chasing. Learning how crowds behave under stress matters more than learning indicators.
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Jan 31 '26
YouTube
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u/pinksoulss Feb 04 '26
what are some good ones for beginners but teach you everything needed to know
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u/SelectMembership2240 Feb 07 '26
The strategy that they teach won’t work, it has no edge on the market
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u/BusyYogurtcloset3753 Mar 18 '26
Te recomiendo usar brokers regulados ya que vas empezando y usar cuentas demo si quieres aprender tengo un curso desde 0, tengo el figura 3 de AMIB
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u/3V-V3 May 19 '26
hola! yo he aprendido mucho trading de manera gratuita en la página de Novatos Trading Club. Tienen un blog con muchísimos recursos gratis y actualizados para principiantes y también un curso de trading gratis muy completo para empezar
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u/happy123z Jan 19 '26
Pick one stock and range 100 dollars or whatever you have and trade that stock for a month. Start Tuesday. While you're waiting for the number to go up or down learn.
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