What is Trading? The Difference Between Trading and Investing

What is Trading?

Trading is the practice of buying and selling financial instruments like stocks, cryptocurrencies, foreign currenciesHey everyone! Welcome to this free trading course. This is our first session here at FinPip. We’re going to learn what trading actually is and how it differs from investing. Most of what we’ve been told about trading is either flat-out wrong or designed by people trying to sell us “get-rich-quick” dreams and expensive courses. We’re here to rebuild your mindset from the ground up and figure out, once and for all, if you can actually make money from this. This 30-session journey is all about learning when to say “yes” and, more importantly, when to say “no.”

The Main Goal of This Course

I’ve put together about 6 chapters broken down into 30 short, punchy sessions. Here’s the deal: I’m not going to bore you with dry theories on a whiteboard or endless PowerPoint slides. My goal is to skip the academic fluff and give you real-world lessons from my own years in the trenches.

Why It’s All Up to You?

I have to be honest: learning the material is one thing, but executing it is another. How you apply these tips to your trades depends entirely on your personality and discipline. I’m looking at this through an experimental lens so you can face the raw reality of the market.

My Background and Why I Started FinPip

You might not have seen me in the trading world before. That’s because for the past 6 to 7 years (since around 2018 or 2019), I’ve been working quietly behind the scenes, trading Crypto, Gold, and the Nasdaq. After all these years, I’ve gained experiences—and fixed enough mistakes—to finally pull consistent money from the market. I’m not here to sell you a course or push a specific service; I just want to share what I’ve learned.

Not Trading as a Winning Strategy

The main reason I launched FinPip might sound a bit weird at first: I did it so I would trade less. Basically, I’m creating a hobby for myself to control the urge to be constantly glued to the market. Throughout this course, you’ll learn that a huge chunk of making money in trading actually comes from not trading and keeping yourself in check. Despite what people think, a successful trader isn’t someone who sits at their desk 24/7; it’s someone who knows exactly when to walk away.

Proving Good Intentions

Those who know me from my work over the last 10 years at Mihan WordPress (since 2015) know my track record. In that industry, many people came and went, emptying people’s pockets by selling fake dreams. I proved over a decade that you can build a solid reputation without selling “wishes.” I’m bringing that same honest approach to trading, sharing both my wins and my painful losses.

Lessons from $300,000 Losses

I started trading with the income I made from my previous businesses, and man, I took some heavy hits. Over the years, I’ve lost somewhere between $200,000 and $300,000, including some massive losses on Gold and Crypto. But those losses were my greatest teachers. If you want to avoid paying that kind of “tuition” to the market, you need to listen closely to what I say about psychology and mindset management.

Real Trading vs. Investing

To keep it simple, trading means exchange. For example, you buy a phone for $1,000 and sell it two months later for $1,200—that difference is your profit. If the market drops or the phone gets damaged and you sell it for $900, you’ve taken a loss. The same thing happens with Gold in the financial markets; you profit or lose based on small price fluctuations in the moment.

The Time Factor

The main difference between the two is how long you hold the asset.

• Investing: You buy something and hold it for months or years to protect or grow your wealth.
• Trading: This is what we’re talking about. The timeframe is very short—anywhere from a few minutes to a maximum of one week. In this course, we are focusing on short-term “swing” and “day” trading.

A Serious Warning for Newcomers

If you’re here thinking trading is going to get you a new car or a house in one month, you’re in the wrong place. That mindset will lead to massive losses that could take you years to recover from. I’ve seen so many people blow their hard-earned life savings in this market, which is why they end up telling everyone else to stay away from it.

Does Your Personality Fit Trading?

Trading doesn’t end well for everyone. It all depends on what kind of person you are and how much self-control you have. Our goal over these 30 sessions is to walk through these experiences so you can decide if you’re cut out to be a trader. Beyond the money, trading teaches you how to think correctly and manage your life.

These sessions won’t take much of your time—you can even watch them on 1.5x speed—but I’m certain that by the end, your entire perspective on this market will change. Let’s dive into Session 1!