John McDowell

John McDowell

Trading Educator & Content Contributor

John McDowell is the Lead Content Strategist at TradingSim. His journey into day trading began in 2016 after conversations with a retired hedge fund manager. John is passionate about teaching and educating traders, curating content that helps others succeed in the stock market.

john@tradingsim.com

4 min read

What Is a Block Trade? [Updated July 2026]

Key Takeaways

  • A block trade is an order of more than 10,000 shares or more than $200,000 in value, by NYSE and NASDAQ definitions.
  • Block trades...
What Is a Block Trade? [Updated July 2026]

8 min read

Stock Halts and Circuit Breaker Halts Explained [Updated July 2026]

Key Takeaways

  • A stock halt is a temporary suspension of trading in a stock, used by exchanges to curb extreme volatility and stabilize the market.
  • ...
Stock Halts and Circuit Breaker Halts Explained [Updated July 2026]

10 min read

Ethereum Proof of Work and Proof of Stake Explained [Updated July 2026]

What is proof of work in crypto?

The Proof of Work consensus mechanism is the most widely used consensus algorithm in cryptocurrency today. This...

Ethereum Proof of Work and Proof of Stake Explained [Updated July 2026]
penny stocks

11 min read

Penny Stocks Explained for Beginners [Updated June 2026]

What are Penny Stocks?

Penny stocks refer to small companies that usually trade at low prices in the stock market, from a few pennies to $5 per...

Penny Stocks Explained for Beginners [Updated June 2026]

4 min read

What Is Alpha in Trading? [Updated June 2026]

Key Takeaways

  • Alpha measures the excess return a trader, strategy, or portfolio earns above (or below) a benchmark such as the S&P 500. (As of June...
What Is Alpha in Trading? [Updated June 2026]

12 min read

The Best Small Account Strategy for Exponential Gains [Updated June 2026]

The best small account strategy for exponential growth. Sounds promising doesn’t it? Most of us are in this same boat, wanting to grow what little...

The Best Small Account Strategy for Exponential Gains [Updated June 2026]