Trading Insights
Learn essentials from our trading specialists
Trading basics
What Are Leveraged & Inverse ETFs & ETNs & How Do They Work?
Learn about the complexities of leveraged and inverse exchange-traded products (ETPs) and their potential risks and benefits.
Cryptocurrencies: Should You Invest in Them?
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have been growing in popularity, but if you're considering investing in them, there are some key things you should know first.
How to Make Rational Buy and Sell Decisions
Schwab experts explain how to tune out market noise and make more deliberate investment decisions.
Common Pitfalls for New Options Traders
When it comes to options trading, education and awareness are important for establishing a strong foundation. Consider these common mistakes that traders often encounter.
From our trading experts
Market commentary
Signs Point to Rising Recession Risk
Rising inflation, rate hikes, supply-chain problems and the Russia-Ukraine war have contributed to growing recession fears. While recessions are impossible to predict, we think the risk of one—sooner rather than later—has picked up.
7 Investing Strategies to Prepare for Bear Markets
Bear markets occur with some regularity. Is your portfolio ready? Get prepared with these seven investing tips.
Schwab Market Update: S&P 500 Near Bear Territory After Seventh Week of Losses
U.S. equities revved higher into the close to finish mixed in the final session of a volatile week that saw some key retail sector earnings reports exacerbate inflation worries.
Stock Market Volatility: Schwab's Quick Take
What our experts think about the recent stock market drop.
Explore more topics
Options
Reducing Risk with a Credit Spread Options Strategy
Learn how credit spreads allow you to swap a limited amount of profit potential for the opportunity to reduce risk.
Common Pitfalls for New Options Traders
When it comes to options trading, education and awareness are important for establishing a strong foundation. Consider these common mistakes that traders often encounter.
Calculating Potential Profit and Loss on Options
Want to calculate potential profit and loss levels on an options strategy? Find out how our options calculator works.
Futures
Looking to the Futures: Does oil have more room to run?
Oil markets continue its volatile ride while traders attempt to assess the fundamentals within the industry to gain insight into futures prices of the product.
Cryptocurrencies: How You Could Invest in Them
There are multiple ways to access the cryptocurrency market, including over-the-counter trusts, mutual funds and ETFs, futures, and the stocks of companies involved in cryptocurrencies.
VIX ETFs: The Facts and Risks
Investors are fascinated by the VIX Index due to its tendency to spike during market turmoil. VIX ETFs exist but they track VIX index futures, instead of the index directly. Find out why this can be an issue.
Technical analysis
Trading Volume as a Market Indicator
Sometimes stock price trends aren't quite what they seem. Here's how to use volume to confirm or refute a trend.
The Ins and Outs of Short Selling
Make sure you understand the risks of short selling before taking the plunge.
Identifying Head-and-Shoulders Patterns in Stock Charts
Identifying so-called head-and-shoulders patterns can be tricky but profitable.
Trading Up-Close: Stop and Stop-Limit Orders
Learn the difference between a stop order and a stop-limit order and how to decide when to use one over the other
Fundamental analysis
How to Pick Stocks Using Fundamental and Technical Analysis
Find out how you can use these two stock-picking strategies together.
Trading Tools: Combining Indicators
Find out how you can how you can bring several technical and fundamental indicators together to help you decide which stocks to trade and which to avoid.
Trading tools
Reducing Risk with a Credit Spread Options Strategy
Learn how credit spreads allow you to swap a limited amount of profit potential for the opportunity to reduce risk.
Stock Settlement: Why You Need to Understand the T+2 Timeline
Learn about main types of settlement violations, their consequences, and how to avoid them.