🌱 Why grow your capital in the stock market?

Your salary pays your bills. Your savings sit in a bank account earning close to nothing. The stock market is the most accessible tool available to ordinary people to make their money work — not for a bank, not for an institution, but for themselves. You don't need to be wealthy to start. You need to be informed, disciplined, and patient. That is exactly what People's Trades is built to help you achieve.

📋 What kind of trades will I be placing?

All strategies trade exclusively US-listed stocks on US markets. Orders are placed at the market open — on rare occasions at the close. There is no intraday trading: you place your order before the market opens, and you are done for the day. No need to watch charts or monitor positions during trading hours.

🏦 What is a brokerage?

Think of a brokerage as a ticket office. You want to buy a seat at a concert (a share of a company). The ticket office is the only place where those tickets are sold. The brokerage is your ticket office to the stock market.

When you open a brokerage account, you deposit your own money — nobody else touches it. People's Trades never holds your money or executes trades for you. You always remain in full control. We publish our own trading activity as a journal — what you read, and whether you act on it, is entirely your decision.

Your brokerage account is protected by investor compensation schemes (up to €20,000 in the EU, $500,000 in the US via SIPC). Your money is completely separate from the broker's own assets.

💸 Why commissions are an important factor

A commission is the fee your broker charges every time you buy or sell a share. It sounds small — until you do the maths.

Example A — expensive broker: A $10,000 account, 20% position size = $2,000 per trade. At 1% commission: $2,000 × 1% = $20 per trade. 100 trades × $20 = $2,000/year — 20% of your account, before a single trade wins.

Example B — low-cost broker ($1 minimum per trade): Same account, same 20% position size = $2,000 per trade. At $0.005/share on a $2,000 position at $50/share = 40 shares → 40 × $0.005 = $0.20 → floor kicks in → you pay $1 per trade. 100 trades × $1 = $100/year — just 1% of your account.

⚠️ Note: the $1 minimum matters most on small positions. A $500 trade at IBKR still costs $1 — that's 0.2%. Size your positions correctly and the minimum becomes irrelevant.

This is why we display a maximum commission threshold on every strategy. If your broker charges more than that threshold, the strategy's edge is greatly diminished. Use the calculator below with the real minimum fee to see your true annual cost.

Commission Impact Calculator

🏆 Recommended brokers

📋 How to open your account — step by step

1. Choose your brokerUse our quiz on the Brokers page to get a personalised recommendation based on your capital, trading frequency, and location. Takes 60 seconds.
2. Go to their website and click "Open account"Always go directly to the broker's official website. Use the buttons on our Brokers page to ensure you reach the right place.
3. Fill in your personal detailsName, address, date of birth, tax identification number. Standard forms — takes about 15 minutes.
4. Verify your identityYou'll need to upload a passport or national ID plus proof of address (utility bill or bank statement). The broker reviews this within 24–48 hours.
5. Deposit your starting capitalBank transfer is the most reliable method. Allow 1–3 business days for funds to arrive. Start with only what you can afford to lose.
6. Subscribe to your first strategyCome back here and subscribe to the strategy that matches your capital. You'll be notified as soon as a new trade is published to the journal.