ACTIVE INVESTING GUIDE
Active Investing Guide
Choosing and holding individual businesses, with a thesis behind them — beside a passive core, never instead of one.
What to expect
Twenty lessons, one running example, and a four-page checklist you can use on any company. No stock tips, no price forecasts, and an honest account of how hard this is.
Core and satellite
Your passive portfolio stays exactly as it is. Picked stocks are ten to thirty percent of the stock side — enough to matter, not enough to sink you.
Reading a company
What makes a business genuinely good, how to read the three financial statements without an accounting background, and the six numbers that decide it.
Working out what it is worth
Price against value, putting a range on a company, the margin of safety, and the cheap stocks that are cheap for a reason.
Owning it properly
Position sizing, buying patiently, writing down why you bought, and knowing when to sell — which is where most of the money is lost.
Free account
One free account, everything we teach.
The Insights are free to read and always will be — no account, no paywall, no email required. An account opens the rest of what we publish, at no cost and with no payment details.
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Who is this guide for?
Someone who already has a passive portfolio running and wants to put a slice of it into businesses they choose themselves. It assumes you have read the Passive Investing Guide, or already do what it describes.
Will it tell me which stocks to buy?
No. It teaches a method and works one example all the way through — Coca-Cola, labelled as an example and not a recommendation. What you take away is the ability to judge a company yourself, which is worth more than any list.
Do I need paid data or software?
No. Every number the checklist asks for is available free, and the guide shows you where: TradingView for the financial history, the company's own annual report and investor pages, and SEC EDGAR for filings. TradeOS automates the same checklist if you would rather not do it by hand, but nothing here depends on it.
Is stock picking not a losing game?
For most people who try it, yes — they do worse than the index they could have bought instead. The guide says so plainly and is structured around that fact: a passive core you do not touch, a limited satellite, and a written record so you can judge your own results honestly after a few years.
Does it cover tax?
No. Tax on investments differs by country and by situation. Ask somebody qualified where you live.
Do I get support when I am stuck?
The academy support team is available for you at any time through the support chat. If you still have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].