Disclaimer: Lean Investments is a financial education and entertainment website. None of the content below should be misconstrued as investment advice or a recommendation. The author holds none of the positions mentioned below.
Buying gifts for the stock trader and investor in your life can be challenging. When asked what he or she most wants for the holidays, the honest answer is probably “more money to trade or invest.” However, there are many thoughtful gifts available that will enhance a trader’s life that he or she may not think to buy for themselves.
Below are a variety of gift ideas for the stock market enthusiast in your life ranging from big ticket items that will take their trading to the next level to thoughtful books that can help them refine their strategies to simple items to help relaxation after a long day trading and researching new ideas.
All of the items below are available through Amazon, in case you tend to be last minute shopper and need something delivered quickly. This site may make a small commission on any of the items recommended below which helps pay for the costs and bring you new ideas.
Books
The best traders and investors spend a lot of time reading and researching. Below are some classic books that will enhance their knowledge of financial markets and trading history.
- Market Wizards: Interviews with Top Traders – Despite being published in 1989, this classic book on trading has timeless lessons on the psychology, emotional discipline and counterintuitive lessons pulled from interviews by Jack Schwager with some of the greatest traders of all time. Many of the traders in this book started out with very small sums that turned into tens of millions of dollars. The book features expert traders from across financial markets ranging from stocks, bonds, commodities, futures and more. This is one of the most inspiring books you can possibly buy for the aspiring trader in your life who is contemplating making trading something more serious than a hobby. It’s also an incredible history lesson featuring stories from traders in the trenches throughout the 1960s – 1980s, including some who still appear regularly on CNBC today, such as Paul Tudor Jones.
- Unknown Market Wizards: The Best Traders You’ve Never Heard Of – For a more contemporary set of interviews with traders who are making a killing on Wall Street today, Jack Schwager recently released Unknown Market Wizards, the latest installment in his fabled series of interview books with top performing traders. Featuring interviews with traders who turned as little as $2,500 into $50 million, Unknown Market Wizards profiles traders who use diverse strategies and incorporate social media signals into their trading. This book makes a perfect gift for someone who read the original entries in the series or a perfect pair with the original Market Wizards book listed above.
- Liar’s Poker // The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine // Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt – Michael Lewis is one of the best contemporary chroniclers of Wall Street. He has three excellent books that will appeal to even those just casually interested in the financial markets. Liar’s Poker, published in 1989, tells the tale of Lewis’ brief stint working on Wall Street and has become an all-time classic of the genre. The Big Short: Inside The Doomsday Machine tells the tale of the visionary and gutsy traders including Steve Eisman who anticipated the financial crash of 2008 and was subsequently made into one of the best Wall Street movies ever. Finally, Flash Boys takes a deep dive into the world of high-frequency trading that became increasingly relevant after the financial crisis in the early 2010s. All three will appeal to both stock market geeks and those with a passing interest in finance and economics who enjoy a compelling narrative.
Computer and Related Gifts
Traders spend a huge amount of time in front of a screen. Below are some ideas to enhance their experiences.
- Samsung 49 Inch Curved Gaming Monitor – If you don’t have much knowledge of trading, you may not not understand how important a high quality and large monitor is for the profession. Traders need to assess a high number of variables and constantly changing data when at work. One solution is a multi-monitor setup. Another solution is to get a large, curved monitor such as this Samsung model, which allows traders to seamlessly keep multiple windows up in one place without having to constantly switch or minimize windows. This means a trader can easily keep his or her stock screener software up, while also view his broker window as well as a newsfeed, all in one place. This would be a good gift for a serious trader who has graduated from using Robinhood for his or her trading needs. While nominally considered a “gaming monitor,” this particular Samsung model consistently tops the list of detailed reviews that recommend “the best monitors for traders” and can still be a centerpiece for a multi monitor setup if your trader wants to go down that path, eventually.
- KABCON Quality Tablet Stand – For a much more economical solution to view multiple sources of information at once consider an ergonomic tablet stand that allows your stock trader to easily transform an iPad or other tablet into a second screen to sit aside the computer. This way, the tablet can be used for research while the main computer monitor is utilized for actual trading. There are also many different trading specific apps for the iPad that may make having it as a second screen ideal for the trader or investor in your life.
- LIFELONG Lap Desk – Lap desks have transformed our lives and productivity as traders, so we thought you would want to know about them, too. The Lifelong Lap Desk model is even better than a typical lap desk as it can also be made into a bed tray stand or can be placed on a hard surface to support a standing desk setup. Now wherever your trader goes, he or she can work productively whether on vacation, on the train or simply in different parts of your home that lack traditional desk space. This versatile item also has room to hold a cell phone, small notebook, pens and includes a cup holder. Now your trader can operate efficiently and stay productive no matter where they are!
Relaxation Gift Ideas
Sleep, relaxation and a distraction free environment are crucial for long-term trading success. Below are a couple of ideas to help.
- Marpac Yogasleep Dohm Noise Machine – If your trader works in a city apartment, has young children or otherwise is faced with noisy distractions, a quality noise machine can make all the difference to their productivity, while also doubling as a sleep aid. The problem with most noise machine apps and many low quality noise machines is that they rely on artificial sound recordings that play on a loop. This type of noise can actually end up being more distracting than the actual source noise! By contrast, the Dohm model line uses a real fan to generate more pure white noise, but still offering a variety of settings to customize to get the sound just right. Billed as the original noise machine dating back to 1962, the Dohm model proves that you don’t need to mess with a timeless design.
- GUNNAR blue light glasses – A reality of being an active trader means many hours in front of a computer screen, especially at night researching ideas for the next day’s market action. The problem is that blue light emitted from such screens can disrupt circadian rhythms and lead to interrupted or low quality sleep. The blue light glasses offered by GUNNAR offers a solution for this situation. Just put them on in the evening and these glasses will block out the majority of harmful blue light and UV that can lead to tired and eventually damaged eyes, as well as potentially improving sleep. Unlike cheaper models, the GUNNAr series is ergonomically designed for long-term use, exactly what the dedicated trader in your life needs for those long nights of studying chart patterns and stock quotes.
We hope this gift guide for the stock trader in your life was useful. Don’t forget to order these items ASAP as this holiday season seems particularly challenging with keeping popular items in stock.