If you want to add something more to your dashboard, click the “+” in the lower lefthand corner to explore the different gadgets they have.Going down again you can see your own watch list.Right below that on the lefthand side – you can actually watch a news channel, including CNBC, live.If you click the article, it will open in a new pop-up box. You can type in the ticker symbol and it will give you the top news items for that stock at this time. Right below that, you can research any stocks you may be interested in to see news.On the top left hand side – you can see in orange the buying power you have.Once you open your account, you will be taken to the dashboard shown below: So make sure you are in the paper trading account. Remember, the real version will look the same, too. Chose the “paper trading” side on your platform. To get started, let’s show you how to use the paper trading account. You can easily switch back and forth from your real and paper trading accounts. Once you have downloaded the platform onto your computer, you can chose between a real account or your practice trading account with the “toggle button”. It will ask you to login or create your account. If you are going to be using the paper trading version (this is for practice trading only), be sure to open that version. Once you open an account with them, you want to download the “thinkorswim” application right onto your desktop.

On the lefthand side, you will be able to select the “thinkorswim” platform. If you do NOT have an account yet, click the “Tools & Platforms” option in the menu. The first thing that you are going to do is go to If you have an account, enter your information in the upper right-hand corner and click the green button “Sign In”. Whether you are a new trader who is just getting started or an experienced trader, I am going to give you a step by step tutorial of how to use the “Think or Swim” platform inside of TD Ameritrade. One of the most common questions asked is – “How do I set up a paper trade account?”

Td ameritrade thinkorswim tutorials