Hello Fellow ChartWatchers!
First off I just want to take a second and say "Welcome" to all of our new members. Since January 1st, almost 1,000 new members have joined StockCharts.com(!). That's almost triple the rate at which we normally get new members and we are very glad that more and more people are using our service.
Given all those new members - and all the "old-timers" like myself who may have forgotten some things - I wanted to point out a couple of under-utilized sources of information on StockCharts.com that can really help you get the most out of our site:
The Newcomer's Guide - If you are really new to the website (or never really "got" how things work here), be sure to read the Newcomer's Guide that we put together. It explains at a high level where things are located on the site. Don't let the name fool you - even if you are an "oldcomer", there may be a gem or two on this page for you.
Getting Started with StockCharts - The is our "Hello!-Glad-you-could-make-it!-Lemme-show-you-around" hands on tour of the site. Originally written by John Murphy, Getting Started with StockCharts is a tutorial that is meant to be printed out and then - when you have 10 minutes of uninterrupted time - worked through using your computer. If you have not worked through this tutorial, you are doing yourself a big dis-service! While we'd love to come to your home and show your around the site in person, we can't and so Getting Started with StockCharts is the next best thing.
Getting Started with Stock Scans - Stock Scanning is deceptive. It looks easy but to get good at it takes time and discipline. Getting Started with Stock Scans is our scanning tutorial. Print it out, find some time, and work through it. You'll be very glad you did.
Our FAQ Pages - Many people are allergic to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) pages. If they look at them at all, it's only when they have a problem - and then they look at them in a panic, skipping over lots of valuable info. Don't make that same mistake here. Our FAQ Pages may seem long and intimidating at first but they are chock full of very useful information! Find some time (20 minutes max - I promise!) and just read through them. Each one is a potential pitfall that you can easily avoid. Read them when you aren't panicked about some problem and you'll learn at least one thing you didn't know about StockCharts - I guarantee it!
ChartWatchers Archives - I've saved the best for last. Our ChartWatchers' Archives contains every newsletter we've ever sent out (even this one!) going all the way back to 1999 when we were founded. There is TONS of great info in there too. While some articles focus on market conditions at the time, all of the articles have timeless lessons on investing and using the website that many people don't know about. Granted, you'll need more than 10 minutes of time to comb through everything, but there is a gold mine of great info just waiting to be discovered.
So again, to our new members I say "Welcome!" Here are five ways to really get into StockCharts.com and get the most out of your membership.
