About Behind the Chart and Our Editorial Standards

Why this site exists

Most investing content online is built to get you to act: buy this, sell that, subscribe here. Behind the Chart is built to help you understand. Every price chart is the end of a story, an earnings report, a rate decision, a dividend raised or cut. We explain those stories in plain English so you can make your own decisions.

Editorial standards

• Primary sources first. We rely on regulators and official sources: the SEC and Investor.gov, FINRA, the IRS, the Federal Reserve, the Options Clearing Corporation and the Options Industry Council. Sources are listed on every guide.
• No stock picks. We don't recommend securities, publish price targets or run model portfolios.
• No paid coverage. No company pays to be mentioned. Company names appear only as generic examples.
• Numbers you can check. Formulas are shown, and our calculators show their math.
• Dated facts. Figures that change, like tax thresholds, are labeled with the year and reviewed at least annually.
• Corrections. If we get something wrong, we fix it and note the change. Tell us at [email protected].

Who it's for

Long-term investors, new investors, students and anyone who has watched a stock jump or fall and wondered why. You don't need to trade to benefit from understanding.

Behind the Chart is a DreamsStreet publication.