The post below was shared by our colleagues at Quant Alpha TECH.
We frequently get asked about ‘getting started in trading’. The truth is, it’s a long journey, don’t believe the hype (and certainly don’t pay for any of it until you know what you’re doing), but you do need to start somewhere and it’s a big head-start if you can go directly to resources that represent genuine value. Start poking around the links here, make a start and see if you uncover a real passion. You’re going to need that.

Books
I think I’m with the 99% of other traders out there who can’t help but mention the Market Wizards books first and foremost. Hearing individual’s actual stories gives me the most food for thought (which is also why I love podcast interviews more than anything these days). The two simplest collections of great, up-to-date trading books on the market are easily found on the websites of two trading podcasts in fact. So simply take a look at the books suggested by all of the interviewees on these podcasts:

Just Getting Started
If you’re really just getting started and you need to learn the basics of charting & technical analysis:
- StockCharts ChartSchool is an “extensive educational resource for investors of all levels. Here you can learn everything there is to know about investing and the analysis of financial charts”
Then there are individual educators who are no-hype, thoughtful and practical, depending on your trading style (not focussed on systematic trading though). I’m including some “mindset” material here:
- Explore all the free articles and particularly the “Price Action Trader” course at Lance Beggs’ site: Your Trading Coach
- Get everything you can from FuturesTrader71 on his site, youtube channel and videos on the futures.io forum
- James Dalton’s Site on Market Profile
- Don Miller’s Site
- Brett Steenbarger on Trader Psychology
- Jim Rohn
- Franklin Covey Mission Statement Builder
However, as I mentioned, I think the best way to begin, and then to keep learning and keep up to date, is to play trading and investing podcasts while you’re at the gym, in the car, on your bike or at your desk! There’s so much to learn here (so I’m just going to list a bunch!):
Podcasts
- Better System Trader
- Top Traders Unplugged
- Chat With Traders
- Superinvestors and the Art of Worldly Wisdom – Jesse Felder
- Trading Tech Talk
- The Australian Investors Podcast
- Chris Judd’s Masters of the Market
- Democratize Quant
- Macro Voices
- Resolve’s Gestalt University
- Resolve’s 12 Days of Investment Wisdom
- Flirting with Models
- Adam Grimes
- Futures Radio Show
- Trend Following With Michael Covel
- The Curious Investor – AQR
- The Meb Faber Show
Other Useful Tools & Resources
- Quantpedia (Library of Algo Strategies)
- Quantstart (Starting here with their Beginners Guide to Quant Trading)
- FX Calculators
- Stock Heat Maps
- Heat Maps & Stock Scans
- Trade Ideas Stock Scans
Trading Forums
“Once you stop learning, you start dying”
Albert Einstein
The World of Algo-Licensing / Funding
- Quantconnect
- Quantopian
- Fund Seeder
- iSystems
- Striker
- World Cup Advisor
- Collective2
- Forex Signals
- My FX Book
News & Economic Calendars
- Forex Factory (Economic Calendar)
- Econoday (Economic Calendar)
- Livesquawk
- Ransquawk
- Trade The News
- Investors Business Daily
- The Economist
- Financial Times
- Bloomberg
Charting Software
- Trading View (Free & Web Based)
- Ninja Trader
- Investor RT
- Book Map at Stage 5
- X-Trader
Strategy Development Software
- Amibroker
- Multicharts (Trading & Development)
- Quantopian (Web Based)
- Quantconnect (Web Based)
- Right Edge
- Traders Studio
- Trading Blox
- Trade Station
Clearly there’s a lot to choose from there, enjoy!