How do you buy stocks?

Question

How do you buy stocks through the internet?

Answer 1

To trade over the internet, you'll need an online broker. There are a lot of good brokerages depending on what you like and how you trade.

Barron's has a great article on brokerages that they publish each year. (Latest one was in March 6, 2006). Kiplinger does one too.

Here’s the link to the Barron’s article.
http://webreprints.djreprints.com/1550280182488.html

Here’s the link to the Kiplinger’s July 2006 article which isn’t bad either.
http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/2006/07/brokers.html


For basic stuff, E*Trade, Ameritrade, and Scottrade are sufficient. For more complex trades, I'd recommend Optionsxpress, ThinkorSwim, or interactivebrokers.

Based on what you put in your question, I'd recommend one of the first three, but all are very good. Cheapest probably is scottrade (of the larger online firms). Yes there are cheaper like interactivebrokers, but you'll have to get used to their software based platform (which is doable). They're only about $1/contract on options!

Brokerages like Fidelity are horrible for anyone with any decent experience.

So, decide what's important to you as a trader and compare the brokers! You can use the article, or go to each website as they all seem to have comparison charts!

And if there are particular things that you want to mention as being most important to you (such as executions, cust svc, cheapest trade, flexibility on allowing you to do certain types of trades, stop and stop limit orders, contingent orders, great graphing, what if scenarios, training, etc), I'll be glad to help discuss this with you too!

If you have any questions, let me know.

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

You have to establish an account through a stock trader. Scot Trade is one, once your account is establish you need to fund your account. Just send a Check, Money order to the office with the account number on it.

When you buy stock, the instruction is on the web-page, the balance due has to be in within 48 hours. This will give your check or money order time to clear so that the SEC rules can be met. The company will carry a balance on buys and sells, but all monies have to be in the hand of the trader company by clearance (the company will tell you when clearance is).

Answer 3

You have to join with a brokerage trading firm. Its easy! Check out a few of my favorites.
www.Sharebuilder.com
www.Tradingdirect.com
www.E-trade.com
www.Scottrade.com

Once you join, all you have to do is fund the account, much like a bank account, and make withdraws to purchase stocks.
Good luck!

Answer 4

sign up with ameritrade.com or something like it. There are many. you can start trading right away. It works just like a bank account. you even get checks to write.

Tradeking.com and lowtrades.com only charge 4.95 per trade. Im with lowtrades.com.

Answer 5

Open a brokerage account at Zecco.

Answer 6

sign up with something like www.tradeking.com or www.tdameritrade.com or www.scotttrade.com