Question:

How do i buy my first stock ?

by  |  earlier

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i really want to buy some stock in a company i like i dont know how though

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6 ANSWERS


  1. one advice dont open account with tdameritrade

    best is zecco. they r cheap and easy and u get 10 free trades.

    but u would need a program from tdameritrade to help u buy stocks and for that u need an account with them.

    i opened with tdameritrade but i opened with zecco later. so i can use it.


  2. You will have to buy your stock through a broker at an investment firm. Most financial planning companies have people licensed to sell the stock you want.

    Otherwise, you can try e*trade or another on-line stock trader.

    All of these will cost you a small fee or commission.

  3. You cannot trade or invest in stocks unless you open an account with a stock broker. Since investing in stocks has been much facilitated by the advent of computers and internet, you can easily register your account online with any stock brokerage firm. Before you open an account, you must find out the minimum amount you have to deposit with your broker irrespective of the type of account you opt for from the website of your brokerage firm. Each broker has his own minimum account limit, which may range from $500 to $10,000.

    The guiding principle before accepting the minimum amount deposit should be your budget and also the facilities and services that the brokerage offers for a particular level of minimum amount deposit. A comparison-shopping in this respect would prove highly beneficial in long term trading. While it may be true that the less minimum deposit you pay, the less you get in form of services as well, there are some brokerage firms that deliver much more value than the minimum deposit they demand.

    A good brokerage firm may demand a minimum deposit for example $ 2,500 but may deliver much more value in terms of lower commissions, as low as $1.50 to $ 3.00 per equity trade, free dividend reinvestment plans and a large number of free trades spread over a long time. They may not even charge you any thing if your account becomes inactive for some time. If you are beginner in stock investing, these benefits can prove to be of immense value in form of risk free investments and savings.

    The next step is to choose an account. You can choose an:

    1.Individual Account

    2.Joint Account

    1.Individual Account

    As the name suggests, an individual account is an investment account that is opened for one person. You must have reached the age of majority, i.e., you should be 18 years old or above in your state of residence. The age of majority entitles you to full legal rights as an adult. Besides, you must also be a US citizen or a resident alien with a valid social security number. A resident alien is a person who is a non-US citizen but legally resides in the US and also pays the taxes.

    2. Joint Account

    A joint account is an investment account that is opened for two or more people with the proviso that both people who open accounts should have reached the age of majority in their state of residence. Joint account can either be set up as Joint Tenants with Rights of Survivorship-JTWROS- --or as Joint Tenants in Common-JTIC.

    Opening both kinds of accounts is an easy process. It takes about five minutes to open an account on line. All you need to do is to select the account type you want to open and fill in your personal information.

    You also have to read and confirm the subscriber agreements, which include the 'account agreement', 'customer acknowledgment of risk' and 'day trading risk disclosure statement'.

    Besides these you are also required to comply with the exchange rules. So you have to read, understand and comply with both the New York Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange data subscriber agreements. You should read the agreement as you scroll it down to the bottom. Read both the sections of the agreement and check both the boxes before you move on.

    The next step is to choose your user ID and password. You also have to provide your email id for correspondence. You also need to select one of the four secret questions and provide answer to them. This information is needed to assist you to get your password in case you forget about it.

    You have also to provide your personal information including your name, date of birth, residential address, marital status, employment, number of dependents, phone numbers, mother's maiden name, social security number and country of citizenship. You have also to provide your financial information including your employer's name, annual income, net worth and liquid net worth.

    The answer to these and a few other simple questions completes the account opening process and you are ready to start investing in stocks and shares immediately thereafter.

    The articles below will also be useful for you.

    http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Invest-...

    http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Buy-Sto...

  4. Easiest way is probably to set up an account with an online broker like TD Ameritrade.  

  5. For many individuals, the biggest obstacle that prevents them from getting started investing is a lack of money. "I don't have thousands of dollars to open a brokerage account. How can I invest in the stock market?" The answer is quite simple: invest in stocks through dividend reinvestment plans -- also known as DRIPs (or DRPs). Using DRIPs, anyone can build a portfolio of common stocks with no or low commissions or fees.

  6. Before you jump in to the stock market and start investing, you need to do some learning. There are many great investing books and online tutorials out there. My personal favorite web resource is Investopedia ( http://www.investopedia.com/ ). It's a great website to learn about stocks and investing in general.

    When you are ready to buy your first stock, you will need a brokerage account. I would recommend an online discount broker because they are cheaper than full-service ones and everything can be conveniently done online. I currently use Firstrade ( http://www.firstrade.com/ ) and I am very satisfied with them. They are cheaper than big name brokers such as Etrade, Scottrade, Ameritrade, and Schwab. Their website is very easy to use, making them perfect for beginners. I would definitely recommend you to check them out.

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