Finelo Blog
Learn investing and trading, one article at a time. Practical guides, beginner-friendly explainers, and learning tips from the Finelo team.
What Is Portfolio Margin: Learn the Concept & Risk Controls
Portfolio margin is a risk-based method that applies scenario analysis to eligible positions in an approved margin account.
What Is NQ in Trading: Learn the Concept & Risk Controls
In trading, NQ is the ticker symbol for the E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract, listed on CME Group's exchange.
What Is Backtesting: Definition, Examples & Key Limits
Backtesting means taking a trading strategy's exact rules, when to enter, when to exit, how much to risk, and applying them to historical market data to see how the strategy would have performed.
Volatility Smile in Options: Learn the Concept, Uses & Risks
A volatility smile is the pattern where implied volatility (IV) plotted against strike price forms a U-shape: options deep in- and out-of-the-money show higher IV than at-the-money contracts.
Uptick Rule: The 10% Trigger Under SEC Rule 201
The original U.S. uptick rule no longer applies. The current framework is SEC Rule 201, often called the alternative uptick rule.
Types of Market Data: Overview
Learn how real-time, historical, reference, and alternative market data differ, what each dataset can show, and which limitations to check before using it for trading research.
Trading Order Types Cheat Sheet: Use Cases, Benefits, and Next Steps
This page quickly explains the common order types, when to pick each one, a compact comparison table, practical examples that show outcomes, and simple decision rules you can apply next.
Trade-Through Violation: How Regulation NMS Rule 611 Works
A trade-through occurs when an execution is made at a price inferior to a protected quotation displayed by another trading center, unless an exception applies.
Theta Decay Curve: Impacts on Options Trading
Theta (time decay) measures how an option’s price falls as time passes; the theta decay curve shows that loss is not steady — options typically lose extrinsic (time) value slowly early, then faster as expiration approaches, and this behavior guides whether you buy, sell, or hedge options Charles Schwab.
Sustainable Growth Rate Formula: Definition, Calculation, and Applications
The sustainable growth rate (SGR) is a simplified steady-state estimate of growth that may be supported while a company retains a constant share of earnings and maintains key financial relationships.
SMT Divergence Trading: Learn the Concept & Risk Controls
In trading, SMT stands for Smart Money Technique, and it is almost always discussed as SMT divergence. It is a concept from the ICT (Inner Circle Trader) framework that describes one specific moment: two markets that normally move together stop confirming each other.
Round Lot vs. Odd Lot: Current U.S. Stock-Market Definitions
A round lot is the standard trading unit assigned to an NMS stock. An odd lot is an order for fewer shares than that stock’s round-lot size.
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