Your first ten minutes

You can read stock reports, the wire and the calendar without an account. The steps below are what make the product yours.

1. 01

   Open a stock you know well

   Use the search box (Cmd+K or Ctrl+K on a keyboard) and open a company you already follow. Check the report against what you know. If our numbers disagree with a filing, tell us: see Corrections.

2. 02

   Sign in with Google

   Sign-in is Google only. We receive your name, email address and profile picture from Google and nothing else. There is no password to set. See Security.

3. 03

   Add what you own

   In the Track it panel of the stock report, add the stock as a holding if you own it or to your watchlist if you are only following it. For a holding, enter the number of shares and your average cost. The sizes stay on your account and are what the briefing uses to work out your day. Tracking is unlimited; Free covers 3 stocks in full. See Adding holdings.

4. 04

   Read today's briefing

   Open Briefing. With names on your account it switches from the market view to yours. Start with Needs you. See How to read a briefing.

5. 05

   Set one price alert

   Price alerts arrive by email. On a stock report, set an alert above or below a price. It fires when a fetched price is past the level. Free keeps 5 price alerts; alerts on our levels, earnings and call changes are Pro. See Alerts.

6. 06

   Start one agent

   Open Agents and start Morning check. Before it starts you see what it would have reported over the last four weeks. See Triggers.

7. 07

   Ask one question

   Open Ask and ask something you would otherwise have looked up, such as when a company reports next. Check that each figure in the answer names its source.

What to do on day two#

1. 1.Read the briefing again and mark each item Got it or Keep watching. What is left under Needs you is your open list.
2. 2.Open the practice account if you want to try an idea with paper money first.
3. 3.Pick one investor on Follow and read how their record is measured before you trust the number.