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Handbook
// Quick reference. Rules. Vocab. Strategy.
⚠ Pattern Day Trader (PDT) Rule
Under $25K? You get 3 day trades per rolling 5-day window on SoFi. Buy AND sell the same stock same day = 1 day trade. Buy today, sell tomorrow = NOT a day trade — no limit on those.

Swing trades are your best friend at $50. Buy in the afternoon, sell the next morning on the bounce. No PDT risk, cleaner entries.

After-hours orders (placed after 2 PM MT) queue and fill at the next morning's open price — not the price you saw when you clicked buy.

June 4, 2026: SEC removes the PDT rule. Until then — count your shots.
Golden Rules
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Never risk more than 2% on one trade

On $50 that's $1. Sounds tiny — that's the point. One bad trade should never crater your account. Split your stack: max $15 per position, hold at least $20 in reserve.

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Set your exit BEFORE you enter

Decide your stop-loss and profit target before you buy. "I'll sell if it drops 5% or gains 8%." Write it down. Then stick to it — emotion will lie to you every time.

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Don't trade the first 15 minutes after open

Market open (7:30 AM MT) is chaos. Spreads are wide, moves are fakeouts. Let the dust settle. Best entries come at 8:00–8:30 AM MT when direction is clear.

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Trade with the trend, not against it

If SPY is red, don't hunt for green stocks. The market will drag them down. Go with momentum. Fighting the tape is how small accounts disappear.

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Take profits. Seriously.

Greed kills good trades. Up 6–8% on a quick move? Take it. Don't wait for 20%. A bird in hand beats watching a winner turn into a loser.

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Afternoon buys are cleaner than morning buys

12–2 PM MT is the sweet spot for swing entries. Direction is proven, volatility calms down, and you're set up for a next-morning sell. Beats chasing the open every time.

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Volume confirms the move

Only trade stocks with high daily volume (millions of shares). A big move on low volume is a trap. High volume on a breakout is the real thing.

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News = opportunity AND trap

Big news creates big moves. But if you didn't get in early, don't chase a stock that already ran 10%. Wait for the pullback — or skip it entirely.

Vocabulary
SUPPORT
Price floor where stock tends to bounce. Good entry zone — buy near support.
RESISTANCE
Price ceiling where stock stalls. Good exit zone — sell near resistance.
STOP-LOSS
Auto-sell order if price drops to X. Limits your damage. Always set one before you enter.
SPREAD
Gap between buy price and sell price. Wider spread = harder to profit. Stick to high-volume tickers.
FLOAT
Shares available to trade publicly. Low float = small supply = fast, large moves.
BREAKOUT
Stock pushes through resistance on high volume. Often triggers a momentum run.
PULLBACK
Brief dip in an uptrend. Often the cleanest entry — buy the dip, not the top.
CATALYST
News or event driving a move. Earnings, product launches, FDA approval. Always ask: why is it moving?
SWING TRADE
Hold 1–5 days. No PDT risk. Best strategy at your current account size.
LEVERAGED ETF
ETF that multiplies index moves 2x or 3x. TQQQ = 3x Nasdaq. Day trade only — don't hold overnight.
VOLUME
Shares traded in a period. High volume on a move = real move. Low volume = suspicious.
VIX
Fear index. Above 20 = nervous market, wider swings. Below 15 = calm. High VIX = higher risk everywhere.
MARKET ORDER
Buy or sell immediately at current price. After hours? Fills at next morning's open — not the price you saw.
LIMIT ORDER
Only fills at your specified price or better. Safer — but might not fill if price doesn't hit your number.
Starter Strategies
// THE MORNING SETUP
Before open: check pre-market news. Find a stock moving on a real catalyst. Wait for open, let it breathe 15 minutes (until 7:45 AM MT). If it holds above its pre-market level → enter. Set stop below the morning low. Target: 5–8% gain. If it dumps immediately at open — skip it entirely.
// THE AFTERNOON SWING (Your Best Move at $50)
Check the dashboard at 12–1 PM MT. Find a stock the dashboard signals as BUY — DIP. Market is green, stock pulled back slightly. Buy in the afternoon. Hold overnight. Sell the next morning when it bounces toward the previous high. No PDT risk, cleaner entries, less chaos.
// THE MARKET FOLLOW
SPY or QQQ strong green by 8 AM MT? Buy TQQQ. Ride the wave for 1–2 hours. Sell before lunch (10 AM MT) when momentum fades. Simple, boring, effective. Counts as a day trade — use sparingly.
// THE SPLIT STACK
With $50, never go all-in. Split: max $15 in position 1, max $15 in position 2, $20 held in reserve. The reserve lets you add to a winner or pivot to something better. This is the play at your account size — always.