Market Mechanics 101
Understanding the market like weather — no finance degree required
The "Market Engine" Status
Fuel (Cash/Liquidity)
How much money is flowing
Cost to Drive (Rates)
How expensive is borrowing
What are you seeing right now?
Click on what matches the news or your portfolio:
🎮 Quick "Cheat Codes"
Pattern recognition shortcuts:
| If you see... | It means... | Watch out for... |
|---|---|---|
📈Rates+📉Stocks | Money is expensive | Small Companies (IWM), Growth Stocks |
📈Gold+📉Silver | Economy is slowing | Industrial stuff (Oil, Copper, Cyclicals) |
📉Everything (even Gold) | Panic! Cash shortage | Everything. Hold Cash. |
🎨 Visual Dictionary
Icons we use throughout the platform:
📖 Plain English Glossary
No jargon, just simple definitions:
Rates (Interest Rates)
The price of borrowing money. When rates go up, loans get expensive.
Liquidity
How much cash is floating around. When liquidity dries up, nobody can borrow or sell easily.
Margin Call
When your broker forces you to sell your stocks because you borrowed money and lost it. Like the bank forcing you to sell your house to pay bills.
Yields
Same as rates (for this purpose). Higher yields = higher interest rates.
Safe Haven
Assets people buy when scared. Gold, bonds, cash. Like a bunker during a storm.
Defensive Sector
Industries that do okay even in bad times. Healthcare, utilities, food. People always need medicine and electricity.
Ready to Study Live Market Activity?
Understanding market mechanics is foundational. The Alpha tier adds trade case studies, analyst research, and news tracking to apply these concepts.
⚠️ Educational Disclaimer: This page is a simplified educational model to build intuition. Markets can behave differently in real time, and exceptions happen. This is not investment advice — always do your own research or consult a financial advisor.