With investment education more widely available than ever, it can be difficult to know where and how to get knowledge. On top of that, it can be difficult to know how much one should be spending to acquire new knowledge about the markets and the economy as a whole. Naturally, the inclination is to want to get information for free. After all, we have an endless amount of history at our fingertips, why pay for it? But the reality is that, while there are certainly some great free educational resources out there, many of them are useless or, worse, filled with bad information. The last thing you need while trying to strengthen your stock knowledge is getting rotten info—that's a great way to set yourself back, and to lose money. I’ve collected some essential resources for people interested in investing that want to learn more, or people who are already established but want to fine-tune their craft. Free: investor.gov If you want to invest in the American markets, you might as well go to the source. This government-funded site is there to help you get a hold of the ins and outs of the markets, trading and the rules and regulations that you might not know about. investopedia.com Very much a one stop shop, Investopedia is designed to do it all. From articles to breaking news, this is a good look at the day to day. But what I really like about Investopedia is the entry level info they offer. They have some remarkably good guides and webinars which break down even complex concepts into digestible morsels. Cheap: Chaikin Analytics As part of the newly formed Score Priority Store, Chaikin Analytics is an analyst’s dream. From comprehensive newsletters to daily quick bites to deep-dive analyses to so much more, this expert-driven site is worth every single penny. At $25 a month, it really saves any serious investor time by putting all the must-have info in one place. Not to mention it makes for an easy start to a comprehensive trading ecosystem, putting all of your trading musts in one place. wsj.com The Wall Street Journal is a revered name—and for good reason. A tip top journalism hub combined with astute market observations and long-form analyses, if you’re looking for a conventional newspapers’ take on the markets, there’s really nowhere else to go. I prefer it to peers like CNBC exactly because of its subscriber’s fee. The decreased emphasis on clickbait makes it easy to find good work on every page. There are, of course, many other options. Many extend beyond “cheap” into dangerous levels of “steep.” Because of the information that’s so readily accessible, I don’t recommend paying for something pricy unless you’re ready to go full time.