This article will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how you can acquire knowledge on the basics of trading stocks online. Before we begin, you must first realize that successful stock trading requires skill and a strong determination to "win". As such, the trading profession must be approached with the same respect as a medical student studying to become a surgeon. To succeed in this business, it will require your utmost dedication, time and most of all your burning desire to be a great trader/investor.

The choice of the best technical analysis charting software very much depends on an investor's, trader's or chartist's needs and trading style. The financial instrument traded does not really play a major part in the decision process as almost all technical analysis (TA) software can chart stocks, bonds, commodities, forex, futures and options without any problems. As long as basic OHLC (Open, High, Low, Close) market data-feed is available, you're in business. All the TA software discussed below are capable of displaying the various standard technical indicators like MACD, RSI, Stochastics, Moving Averages and Fibonaccis, to name a few. Some of these software also contain some esoteric technical indicators like Bressert DSS, Woodie's pivots and Andrew's Pitchfork.