Path 2 · Beginner

Investing Core

With the foundations in place, this path explains what investors actually buy, how markets set prices, and the practical mechanics — costs, accounts, and contribution strategies — that shape real-world results.

1. Asset Classes Explained: Stocks, Bonds, Funds, Real Estate, and Cash
   What the major asset classes are, how each generates returns, their historical risk profiles, and why the differences between them matter for portfolios.
   Beginner 4 min read
2. Index Funds & ETFs vs. Individual Stocks
   How index funds and ETFs work, what the evidence says about picking stocks and funds, and the trade-offs investors weigh between the two approaches.
   Beginner 3 min read
3. How Markets Work: Exchanges, Prices, and Volatility
   What actually happens when a share is bought, how exchanges match orders and set prices, why prices move constantly, and what volatility does and does not signify.
   Beginner 3 min read
4. Dollar-Cost Averaging vs. Lump Sum: Concepts and Historical Context
   How dollar-cost averaging works, what historical studies found when comparing it with lump-sum investing, and why most people dollar-cost average by default.
   Intermediate 3 min read
5. Fees Matter: Expense Ratios and How Costs Compound
   The main types of investment fees, why a one-percent annual fee can consume a quarter of a portfolio over decades, and how investors find and compare costs.
   Beginner 4 min read
6. Tax-Advantaged Accounts: 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, and HSA
   An educational overview of the main U.S. tax-advantaged account types, how traditional and Roth treatment differ, and the trade-offs investors weigh. Rules change — always verify current limits.
   Intermediate 3 min read