Level 1: FoundationInteractive
Setting Up Your Trading Infrastructure
15 min readUpdated Mar 2026
Quick Check
The most essential tool for a swing trader is:
Commission costs matter most when:
The most essential tool for a swing trader is:
Commission costs matter most when:
Modern swing trading requires a laptop, a broker, and a charting tool. No expensive software or multiple monitors needed.
Start with a cash account (trade with deposited money only). Consider margin only after building a consistent track record.
TradingView is the standard for retail traders. Browser-based, free tier available, thousands of indicators, watchlists with price alerts.
Pricing
Start free. Upgrade to Plus ($15/month) when you need more indicators per chart or more alerts. Premium is unnecessary for swing trading.
is simulated trading with virtual money. It bridges learning and going live.
The Paper Trading Trap
Paper trading eliminates the emotional component. Do not assume paper profitability means live profitability. The transition to real money is a separate challenge (covered in Level 8).
Log every paper trade with entry reasoning, strategy tags, stop-loss and target levels, and track performance across 40+ metrics. When you go live, your journal is already set up.
Start Journaling FreeKey Takeaways
Try This
Set up TradingView (free tier) and a paper trading account. Create a watchlist with 10 stocks and 2 ETFs. Save a layout with daily candles, 20/50-day moving averages, and volume.
Disclaimer
This educational content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Trading involves risk of loss. You should consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Swingfolio is a trade journaling tool, not a financial advisory service.