Finelo Blog
Learn investing and trading, one article at a time. Practical guides, beginner-friendly explainers, and learning tips from the Finelo team.
Credit Spread Duration: Estimating Bond Price Sensitivity
Credit spread duration estimates how much a bond or bond portfolio's price may change when its credit spread changes, assuming the underlying Treasury curve is otherwise unchanged.
CPI vs PCE Inflation: Key Differences in Measurement
CPI and PCE are two different price indexes that measure inflation; CPI is the Consumer Price Index calculated monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, while PCE is a separate price index commonly discussed alongside CPI (it’s introduced with CPI and PPI in education material) CPI calculated monthly by the BLS and PCE as an alternate price index.
Covered vs Noncovered Cost Basis: Broker Reporting Rules
Covered cost basis means your broker reports the purchase price (and selected cost‑basis method) of those shares to the IRS; noncovered cost basis means the broker does not report that purchase data to the IRS and you remain responsible for supplying accurate basis when you sell Vanguard.
Cost Basis vs Market Value: Tax and Portfolio Differences
Cost basis is the historical amount you paid for an asset (total or per unit); market value is the asset’s current quoted price multiplied by the units you hold.
Cost Basis of Inherited Stock: Step-Up Rules & Examples
For inherited stock, “cost basis” usually means the value used to compute gain or loss when you later sell the shares — commonly reset (or “stepped up”) to the security’s fair market value (FMV) at the decedent’s date of death.
Cost Basis of Gifted Stock: Carryover and Dual-Basis Rules
When someone gives you stock, your cost basis generally equals the donor’s original cost basis for determining gains; however, if the stock’s fair market value (FMV) at the gift date is lower than the donor’s basis, special “dual-basis” rules apply and can change how losses are measured on a later sale.
Consumer Confidence Reports: What They Measure & Why Markets Watch
What a Consumer Confidence Report Measures
Cash Available to Trade vs Settled Cash: Rules & Examples
What Trading Cash vs Settled Cash Means Cash available to trade (sometimes shown as "buying power" in cash accounts) is the cash balance your broker will permit you to use for immediate purchases.
Call vs Put Options: Rights, Payoffs & Risk Compared
A call option gives its holder the right to buy the underlying asset (or the value of that asset for index options); a put option gives its holder the right to sell the underlying asset see FINRA.
Best Investing Books for Beginners: A Practical Reading Framework
There’s no single “best” investing book for every beginner. The right choice teaches core principles—goal-setting, risk and diversification, costs and taxes, and a repeatable strategy—while matching your time horizon and learning style.
Investing Apps for Beginners: How to Compare Features, Fees & Risk
What Beginners Should Evaluate in an Investing App
Adjusted Cost Basis: Formula, Examples & Tax-Lot Adjustments
Adjusted cost basis is the original cost you paid for an asset modified for later events that change its tax or accounting basis — for example, reinvested dividends that increase the amount you effectively spent.
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