Buy quality stocks or ETFs and hold them for years regardless of short-term swings. The S&P 500 has returned ~10%/year on average — patient investors capture this by staying in through crashes and booms alike.

Invest a fixed amount on a regular schedule regardless of price. When prices are high you buy fewer shares; when they're low you buy more. Over time you average out your cost basis and remove emotion from investing.

An ETF holds hundreds of stocks in one package — one share of SPY gives you instant exposure to all 500 S&P 500 companies. ~80% of active fund managers fail to beat the S&P 500 over 10 years, making ETFs a strong default choice.

Sell a stock held under 1 year and profits are taxed as ordinary income (up to 37%). Hold for over a year and you pay the preferential long-term rate (0–20%). Holding a few extra months can meaningfully reduce your tax bill.

Starting cash

$

Minimum $100 · This is fake money