Updated Mar 20, 2026Robinhood LearnWelcome: Investing 101Ready to invest, but don't know where to start?
Updated Mar 12, 2026Robinhood LearnWhat is a Recession?Economies are generally in a constant state of growth, but there are moments when this growth reverses. This reversal is relatively healthy , but if it goes on for too long, it creates adverse effects for everyone involved.
Updated Mar 12, 2026Robinhood LearnWhat is a Dividend?A dividend is like a ripe coconut falling from a tree... When a coconut falls from a tree, it’s as if the tree is a company, distributing some of its fruit back to you. As an investor, you have a choice of keeping the coconut or planting it.
Updated Mar 04, 2026Robinhood LearnWhat is an Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)? An ETF is like an investment smoothie… Similar to a smoothie, it’s one thing you can invest in that’s made up of a mix of ingredients, available in different asset flavors (i.e., industries, sectors, etc.).
Updated Mar 04, 2026Robinhood LearnWhat is a Portfolio?A portfolio is your investment pie. Each asset represents a slice of the pie, whether it be stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), cash, etc. The size of each slice is proportionate to how much you own.
Updated Mar 04, 2026Robinhood LearnWhat is a Stock?A stock is a unit of ownership in a company — If you own a stock, you're a shareholder, and you may be eligible to receive dividends and vote in some company decisions.
Updated Mar 03, 2026Robinhood LearnWhat is an Investment?An investment is an asset bought by an individual or organization with the expectation that it will generate some future income or profit.
Updated Feb 19, 2026Robinhood LearnWhat is a Derivative?Derivatives trading is like an escalator compared to the staircase of the traditional markets. Derivatives can offer investors more opportunity for speculation and increased gains. But this opportunity also exposes traders to escalated losses.
Updated Feb 19, 2026Robinhood LearnWhat is a 401(k) Plan?Sort of like a cake, a 401(k) is made up of a variety of ingredients, that bake over time. The level of retirement fund you ultimately develop in a 401(k) will depend on the kinds of ingredients and length of time it bakes, among other things.
Updated Feb 18, 2026Robinhood LearnWhat is a Fractional Share?A fractional share is like a slice of a gem… If a share in a company is like a gem, a fractional share is like a slice of that jewel. Not everybody wants (or can afford) an entire gem, but these jewels can be broken into smaller pieces.
Updated Feb 18, 2026Robinhood LearnWhat is Relative Strength Index (RSI)?Using the RSI is like trying to predict the next sale at your favorite clothing store. If you’ve been following recent price changes for that sweater you’re eyeing, you may do a better job of predicting how much it will cost in the future.
Updated Feb 18, 2026Robinhood LearnWhat is a Bid?A bid is like haggling in the world’s biggest flea market… You finally found that one of a kind rug that’s gonna look great in your living room. The price you offer to pay is your bid. The seller may accept or reject your bid.
Updated Feb 18, 2026Robinhood LearnHow can I start budgeting? Learn how to spend, save, and investBefore you can save or invest, you probably have to cover the basics: food, housing, healthcare, transportation, and insurance. If you’re able to, it’s helpful to spend less money than you earn. It’s one of the keys to building wealth.
Updated Feb 18, 2026Robinhood LearnWhat is an Iron Condor?An iron condor is like the large bird it’s named after. It can glide along smoothly if the market skies stay calm, providing investors with a welcome return. Or it can swoop in unexpected ways if the market ends up more turbulent than expected.
Updated Jan 26, 2026Robinhood LearnWhat is Correlation?Correlation is like fish moving about in an ocean. Some fish move in a school, all moving in unison with coordinated movements (high correlation). Some move independently and in different directions (low correlation).
Updated Nov 21, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is Short Selling?Short selling is kind of like Opposite Day. Instead of buying first, you borrow shares, sell them first, and buy them back later, hopefully at a lower price. Once you buy them back, you can return them to the place you borrowed them from.
Updated Aug 18, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is Liquidity?To understand liquidity, think about water. Water is a liquid that’s ready to drink. But you can’t drink an ice cube as it is. You have to wait for it to melt. Similarly, cash is liquid but if you own a house, you need to sell it to have cash.
Updated Jul 31, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is an Option?An option is a contract that gives its owner the right to buy or sell a certain security, at a certain price, up to a certain date.
Updated Jul 31, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is Interest?People don’t always like to share. Especially, when there are no guarantees they’ll get their stuff back. Interest gives the lender the confidence they need to part with their money for a while and take on all the risks that entails.
Updated Jul 15, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is Revenue?Revenue is like the pool into which companies pour all their gains. Unlike profit, revenue stays in the pool for accounting purposes even if a company spends it, and has no relationship with a business’s expenses.
Updated Jun 17, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is Dividend Yield?Dividend yield is like a stock’s bang for your buck… It’s a ratio comparing the income an investor gets from holding a stock (that pays dividends) to the price of that stock, shown as a percentage.
Updated May 05, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is a Balance Sheet?A balance sheet is like taking a financial portrait of a company with a polaroid camera... It’s a snapshot, taken at one point in time, that helps capture a company’s health by showing the value of its assets, liabilities, and shareholders’ equity.
Updated Apr 22, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is an Initial Public Offering (IPO)?With great excitement comes great responsibility… When a company IPOs, its stock becomes listed on the public investing menu for the first time. These stocks can be tempting to purchase because there’s often hype surrounding the event.
Updated Apr 16, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is Inflation?Inflation is like a leak in your money bucket. If the inflation rate is low, the leak is smaller. If the inflation rate is high, the leak is bigger. The more leakage there is, the less your money is worth.
Updated Mar 28, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is a Stock Option?Some characteristics of stock options are like growing fruit. You hope the seeds planted will grow into fruit that is ripe at harvest, so you have the option to pull it off the tree. But if the fruit is inedible, you lose the cost of the seeds.
Updated Mar 28, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is Over-The-Counter (OTC)?Over-the-counter (OTC) trades are like selling your car on your own. You don’t get the advantage of the system designed to bring buyers and sellers together. But you also don’t have to pay a listing fee or follow the rules of the exchange.
Updated Mar 28, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is an Ex-Dividend Date?The ex-dividend date is like a train taking off from the station... It’s a cut off point that defines if an investor buying a stock (that offers dividends) will be eligible or not to receive them.
Updated Mar 27, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is EPS?EPS is one tool to help investors get to know a stock… Earnings per share shows what part of a company’s total profits is “owned” by each individual share. Tracking a company’s EPS over time helps you assess the stock’s change in value over time.
Updated Mar 27, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is a Trust?A trust is like a safety deposit box that someone else holds the keys for. The deposit box holds something valuable, but you don’t have the key to open the box to get what's inside. Instead, you have to ask the trustee to open the box for you.
Updated Mar 25, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is the Rule of 72?The rule of 72 is like measuring a room by walking across it. You’re making an estimate. You should probably get out a tape measure (or do a more sophisticated calculation) before you start knocking down walls (making your investment decision).
Updated Mar 25, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is Annual Percentage Rate (APR)?An APR can help you gauge how much a loan or credit product might cost. But you’ll need more information to estimate the true cost, such as how fast you intend to pay it off, whether additional costs are excluded, or the effect of compound interest.
Updated Mar 24, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is Ex-Dividend?Buying a stock ex-dividend is like waiting in line for a rollercoaster. Everyone behind a certain point has to wait for the next trip (the next dividend). If you counted the people before you and the no. of seats, you can determine the cut-off point.
Updated Mar 24, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is the Money Market?The money market is like a weekend getaway. It’s easy and quick because it’s not a long-term commitment. You can usually pull your investments out at any time without too many repercussions or transaction fees.
Updated Mar 24, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is Retirement Planning?Retirement planning is like planting a tree. Like growing a tree from a sapling, retirement planning can’t be done overnight. It takes a long time of careful planning and effort to grow a strong retirement that you can enjoy.
Updated Mar 24, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is Macroeconomics?Similar to the way a national weather report looks at how conditions could result in above or below average temperatures throughout the country, macroeconomics looks at how market forces are shifting at a large scale.
Updated Mar 24, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is a W-2 Form?A W-2 form is kind of like a scrapbook. Instead of recording the memories of last year’s family vacations, it documents the money you made and the money you paid in taxes that year.
Updated Mar 21, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is Fully Paid Securities Lending?Fully Paid Securities Lending may sound complicated, but the goal is pretty simple: profit off of an existing security (like a stock in your portfolio) by loaning it.
Updated Mar 06, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat are Treasury Bills?A Treasury bill, or T-bill, is a bit like an IOU from a friend who’s short on cash for lunch. Your friend promises to pay you $10 next week if you pay for his $8.50 hamburger today.
Updated Feb 19, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is a Security?Picture securities as different vegetables you can plant in your garden... They’re available in many varieties, such as stocks, bonds, ETFs, and mutual funds, but there’s a risk they don’t grow.
Updated Feb 19, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is Arbitrage?Arbitrage trading requires finding unique circumstances in different markets (for example, a foreign market) that cause the same goods to be priced differently.
Updated Feb 18, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is a Hedge?A hedge is like an insurance policy. When you own a car, you usually purchase insurance to cover losses from potential accidents. If the car is totaled, you expect to gain value from the insurance company covering the damage.
Updated Feb 17, 2025Robinhood LearnThree things to do before you start investingYour investment plan starts with a few key questions: Where are you now? And where do you want to be in the future? You can prepare to invest by reflecting on your goals, paying off high-interest debt, and creating an emergency fund.
Updated Feb 17, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat’s the purpose of a diversified portfolio?A diversified portfolio is kind of like a nutritious diet... The better you spread your investments across different assets, the less likely they are to all experience a loss. Or in other words, your aggregate losses will likely be less severe.
Updated Feb 13, 2025Robinhood LearnWhat is Market Capitalization?Calculating the value of oranges by multiplying the number of oranges by the cost per fruit is like calculating the market capitalization of a company… It’s the value of all of the shares people own.
Updated Feb 06, 2025Robinhood LearnWhy should I think about investing?Like planting a tomato patch, investing requires time and patience. Often, there are challenges along the way. But with care and consistency, you give yourself the chance to build a rich harvest. So, let’s see that green thumb.
Updated Dec 26, 2024Robinhood LearnHow much should I save for retirement?Saving for retirement is like preparing for a long vacation. While you can’t pinpoint the exact cost of the entire trip, you’ll need to save enough so you hopefully don’t run out of money along the way.
Updated Dec 23, 2024Robinhood LearnHow to start investing for as little as 1 dollarInvesting in the stock market doesn’t mean you need to have thousands, or even hundreds of dollars to get started. Even if you have just one extra dollar, fractional shares (which are offered on Robinhood) can help you build your portfolio.
Updated Dec 23, 2024Robinhood LearnI’m in my 20s — How should I approach investing?At Robinhood, we’ve got a BOMB acronym to help you think about your financial life. So, here are four tips on how to Budget, Organize, Maximize, and Balance your finances to help tee up your investing journey.
Updated Oct 01, 2024Robinhood LearnWhat is a bid/ask spread?For every stock or options contract, there is an ask price, which is the lowest price a seller is asking for, and a bid price, or the highest price a buyer is currently willing to pay. The difference between the bid and ask price is called the bid/ask spread.
Updated May 17, 2022Robinhood LearnWhat is a crypto wallet?Crypto wallets provide you with secure access to your crypto for managing, spending, and sending.
Updated Jan 15, 2021Robinhood LearnPicking an investment: How to approach analyzing a stockInvesting is like shopping for a car, but more consequential. You start with your personal needs, style, and objectives. Consider different makes and models, and compare choices based on key metrics. Then, make a decision that works for you.
Updated Jan 07, 2021Robinhood LearnDoes a market “selloff” mean long-term investors should sell?Long-term investing is like seeking cover during an earthquake. Basic preparedness, like staying away from windows and heavy furniture, can help you stay strong during a difficult time. Likewise, long-term investing usually requires calm and caution.
Updated Jan 07, 2021Robinhood LearnInterest rates are at their lowest since 2008 — What does that mean?Adjusting the fed funds rate is like training as a weight lifter. The Fed raises interest rates (adds weight) to make loans more expensive, helping to manage inflation. To boost the economy, it lowers rates (removes weight) to make borrowing cheaper.
Updated Jan 07, 2021Robinhood LearnWe’re in a bear market — So, what does that mean?Investing in a bear market is kind of like bungee jumping. History indicates that the stock market bounces back from its declines. However, you must be aware, the bottom could fall out, leaving the economy and your investments in freefall.
Updated Jan 07, 2021Robinhood LearnThree charts that help explain this year’s stock market volatilityThe stock market’s reaction to COVID-19 has been, well, vicious. Here, we reflect on how the 2020 decline compares to other historic drops, what investors are paying for bonds, and how the Fed’s interest rate policy compares to recent history.
Updated Nov 25, 2020Robinhood LearnBitcoin’s mining reward is about to be cut in half — What investors should know about the “Halvening”Every 210,000 blocks, the reward for mining bitcoin gets cut in half, a process that’s designed to repeat until 21 million units have been created. Based on current activity, the “block reward” is expected to drop to 6.25 bitcoins on May 11, 2020.
Updated Nov 25, 2020Robinhood LearnInvesting during times of uncertaintyEverything about 2020 has been unprecedented, from COVID-19 to the US presidential race. This year, millions of new investors experienced the stock market’s highs and lows, a reflection of the uncertainty that gripped our nation.