Lesson 7: The Tools I Use

The right tools will make your learning curve dramatically shorter. Here’s exactly what you need and what to ignore.

Brokerages — Where You Place Trades

Beginner Recommendations

Robinhood — Simplest interface. Free trades. Good for absolute beginners. Downsides: Limited charting, basic options chain.

Webull — Better charts than Robinhood. Free. Better for active trading. Free paper trading account (highly recommended for practice).

ThinkorSwim (Schwab) — Professional-grade. Advanced charting. Better for serious traders. Has a learning curve.

My Recommendation for You

Start with Webull’s paper trading to practice without real money. When you’re ready for real trades, Webull or Robinhood for simplicity. As you advance, transition to ThinkorSwim for more powerful tools.

Charting Platform

TradingView.com — Essential

TradingView is the single most important tool in my kit. It’s a free web-based charting platform that works in any browser. Features:

• Clean, customizable charts
• Tons of free indicators
• Ability to save drawings and layouts
• Custom scripts (including Saty’s Pivot Ribbon, Phase Oscillator, and ATR)
• Works on any device

Getting Started

1. Sign up for a free account at tradingview.com
2. Start with the basic (free) plan
3. Upgrade only if you find you need more
4. Load Saty’s free indicators from satyland.com

Indicators to Load on Every Chart

Once you’re in TradingView, add these indicators to your default layout:

The Essential Fo

• Saty’s Pivot Ribbon — Trend direction at a glance
• Saty’s Phase Oscillator (Saty’s) — Momentum and extremes
• Saty’s ATR Levels (Saty’s) — Volatility-based targets For ADR Zones: https://www.tradingview.com/script/iRFijVEu-ATRvsDTR-ADR-Zone-SSS50/

Timeframe continuity: https://www.tradingview.com/script/9QtwuoHf-Timeframe-Continuity/

Candle Type #TheStrat https://www.tradingview.com/script/0WOo54ab-Candle-Type-The-Strat/

SMA indicator I use it for the 50 sma: https://www.tradingview.com/script/Yf5SvY8G-30-50-100-and-200-Day-Simple-Moving-Averages/

Less is more. Don’t load 15 indicators.

News Sources

Staying informed is critical — but don’t drown in news.

Primary Sources

• CNBC — Real-time market coverage, morning articles on pre-market movers
• Yahoo Finance — Comprehensive stock data, news aggregation
• Twitter/X — Real-time market commentary (follow traders you respect)
• Benzinga Pro (or Squawk) — Breaking news with faster delivery

For Earnings

earningswhispers.com — Free. Shows upcoming earnings with time estimates and “whisper numbers” (unofficial expectations).

For Analyst Upgrades/Downgrades

marketwatch.com/tools/upgrades-downgrades — Free running list of analyst actions.

News Rules

• Don’t trade on news alone — always check the chart
• Be skeptical of hype
• Understand the difference between a rumor and confirmed news
• Major news AFTER hours often gaps the stock — manage open positions accordingly

Option Flow Platforms (Optional)

Seeing what institutions are buying gives you an edge. These tools show large “sweeps” in real-time.

Platforms

• FlowAlgo — Popular, clean interface
• QuantData — Algorithmic analysis of flow
• Cheddar Flow — Good for beginners

Important Notes

All of these are paid services ($75-200/month). They offer free trials.

Do NOT start with flow tools. Master the basics first. Flow becomes useful once you already have a strategy — it’s confirmation, not your primary signal.

Trade Journaling

TraderSync.com

Free tier available. Automated syncing with many brokerages. Tracks P&L, win rate, setup performance.

Excel/Google Sheets

Free and fully customizable. Track whatever you want.

Physical Journal

Old school. Forces slower reflection. Some traders swear by it.

Just pick one and use it every day. Tracking is more important than the tool.

Community and Education

Trading alone is hard. Community accelerates learning.

What to Look For

• Transparent traders sharing both wins AND losses
• Educational content, not just “hot stock picks”
• Reasonable moderation (not chaos)
• Members genuinely trying to learn, not pump tickers

What to Avoid

• “Guaranteed winners” groups (scams)
• High monthly fees with vague promises
• Discord/Telegram groups pushing penny stocks
• Anyone guaranteeing specific returns

Free Resources

• YouTube — Search “options trading tutorials” — filter for educational channels
• r/options — Reddit community with mixed quality but some good discussion
• Twitter/X — Follow verified professional traders

Bullish vs Bearish Cheatsheet

Keep this reference handy as you’re learning to read news:

Bullish Signals (Stocks Usually Rise)

• Analyst price target upgrade
• Earnings beat expectations
• Company gets acquired (target company rises)
• Big investor announces stake
• Stock split announcement
• Increasing user/subscriber growth
• Sales numbers rising
• New favorable regulations
• Fed lowering interest rates
• Strong cash flow reports

Bearish Signals (Stocks Usually Fall)

• Analyst price target downgrade
• Earnings miss expectations
• Stock offering announcement (dilution)
• Losing a major lawsuit
• Restrictive new regulations
• Declining users/subscribers
• Company declaring bankruptcy
• Lowered earnings guidance
• Loss of major client/partnership
• Fed raising interest rates significantly

Mixed/Context-Dependent

• Insider buying vs selling (context matters)
• CEO changes
• New product launches (depends on reception)
• Sector rotations

My Setup Summary

For complete clarity, here’s exactly what I use:

What You Actually Need to Start

To keep this beginner-friendly, here’s the minimum viable setup:

Week 1:

• Open a free Webull paper trading account
• Sign up for free TradingView
• Add Saty’s indicators to your charts
• Bookmark CNBC, Yahoo Finance, earningswhispers.com

Total cost: $0

That’s it. Everything else is optional. Don’t get distracted by premium tools — master the basics first.