The asset classes
Every market headline is about one of these. Each page explains what it is, what moves it, how it can hurt you, and the moment in history that shows it best.
A word on "securities"
A security is a tradable financial claim: a share in a company, a loan to a government, a unit in a fund. Stocks and bonds are securities. Commodities and real estate usually are not, unless you own them through a fund or a listed company. Whether a crypto token counts as a security is still argued over by regulators.
Stocks
A share of a company's future profits. The highest long-run returns, and the deepest falls.
Bonds
A loan you make to a government or a company. Steadier than stocks, until rates move fast.
Funds & ETFs
One purchase, hundreds of holdings. How most people get exposure to markets today.
Commodities
Oil, gold, copper, wheat. Physical goods whose prices swing with supply shocks.
Cash & Money Markets
Deposits, T-bills and money market funds. Safe in name, but inflation is the quiet risk.
Real Estate
Homes, offices and warehouses. Rent and leverage, tied tightly to interest rates.
Crypto
Digital tokens on public ledgers. A young asset class with extreme swings.
Derivatives
Futures, options and swaps. Contracts whose value comes from something else.
Educational content only. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell any asset, and it does not consider your personal situation.