Set up a virtual portfolio with $10,000
- Start the Paper Challenge
- Understand how the simulator prices trades
- Write your portfolio rules before trading
How the challenge works
The Paper Challenge gives you $10,000 of simulated cash. You can buy and sell stocks and ETFs in VEXA’s market list at the latest available closing price. Every trade is checked on the server: you cannot spend cash you do not have or sell shares you do not own.
Your result is compared with SPY, an S&P 500 fund, measured from the same start date with the same adjusted prices.
What is realistic and what is not
Prices are real end-of-day closes, not live quotes, and are adjusted for splits and dividends. The game charges no commissions, spreads or taxes, which flatters results compared with real investing. You cannot short, borrow or trade options.
Treat it as practice for decision-making, not as evidence that a strategy works.
Rules first
Before your first trade, write your rules in the journal: maximum size for any one holding, minimum number of holdings, how much (if any) stays in broad index funds, and how often you will review.
Key terms
- Paper trading
- Simulated trading with virtual money to practise without financial risk.
- Benchmark
- A standard, such as the S&P 500, used to judge performance.
- Adjusted price
- A historical price corrected for splits and dividends so returns are comparable over time.
Start the $10,000 Paper Challenge and write your portfolio rules as your first journal entry.
Write your three portfolio rules in the journal before making any trade.
Key takeaways
- $10,000 of virtual cash, real end-of-day prices, server-checked trades.
- No costs or taxes: results are flattered.
- Compare with SPY from the same day.
- Write rules before trading.