Free course · 9 chapters · about 90 minutes

Investing, explained from zero.

Nine short chapters that cover what a beginner needs to know: what money does, how stocks and funds work, what bonds, gold, options, and crypto are, how retirement accounts save tax, and how to build a first portfolio. Plain words. Core facts first. No advice.

Start Chapter 1 Read the 5-minute version
A sheep in a business suit holding a briefcase in front of stock charts

The course

Read in order the first time. Each chapter opens with its core facts, so you can skim what you already know.

  1. 1

    Money Basics

    Inflation, compounding, risk, and time horizon. The four ideas everything else depends on.
  2. 2

    How the Stock Market Works

    What a share is, how prices are set, who the big players are, and what an index measures.
  3. 3

    Index Funds and ETFs

    Diversification, expense ratios, and why most beginners start with a fund, not a stock.
  4. 4

    Bonds and Treasuries

    Lending money for interest, why prices and yields move opposite, and where bonds fit.
  5. 5

    Gold and Commodities

    What a commodity is, the ways to own gold, what moves its price, and what it cannot do.
  6. 6

    Options Trading

    Calls, puts, premiums, and strike prices, with the risks stated before the strategies.
  7. 7

    Crypto and Blockchain

    Bitcoin, blockchains, wallets, and the specific ways beginners lose money.
  8. 8

    Roth IRA and Retirement Accounts

    Roth vs. traditional, contribution limits, 401(k) matches, and withdrawal rules.
  9. 9

    Building Your First Portfolio

    Allocation, automatic investing, rebalancing, and fees. The habits that matter most.

How it is written

Core facts first

Every chapter starts with the five to eight facts that matter. If you only read those, you still leave knowing the essentials.

Short words, short sentences

Terms are defined where they appear and collected in the Glossary. Nothing is assumed.

Mistakes named, not hinted

Each chapter lists the specific ways beginners lose money on that topic, so you recognise them before they happen.

Library

Reference pages for specific questions. Not part of the course order.

About Sheeplz

Sheeplz is written and maintained by Dylan Siegel. It exists because most beginner investing content is either sales material or too long. This is neither. It is free, it stays free, and it does not tell you what to buy. Corrections are welcome on the Sheeplz Discord.