How does a college student buy stock for the first time?

Question

okay i'm a junior in college and im interested in stocks. my friend did an online stock where he could buy cheap stock and watch it online with his laptop. i would like to do something like that. i dont have mucho money to invest but if there are stocks that are like a few bucks id like to get into that.

so where are the best places to get into stocks besides going to a broker? what stocks should i go into with the small money i have?

Answer 1

As long as you are 18 years of age you can open a brokerage firm.

All major brokerage firms provide their customers on-line brokerage services for opening an account, trading, and other services.

Before you invest in any security, the first investment you should make is in yourself, and the best investment you can make is by educating yourself.

Start your education by learning why you should invest and the importance of being able to make your own decisions or how the pro’s make theirs.

Here is some reading material that can get you started in the right direction, The first book you should read is Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

Then try some of these

What Works on Wall Street by James O'Shaunessey

Beating the Street by Peter Lynch

One Up on Wall Street by Peter Lynch

The Warren Buffett Way by Robert Hagstrom

How to Make Money in Stocks” and 24 Essential Lessons for Investment Success both by  William O’Neil

Get into the habit of making daily visits to some websites like MSN Money and Yahoo Finance.  (http://moneycentral.msn.com/home.asp http://finance.yahoo.com/ )

While at MSN following the strategy lab analysts to get a feel for what the pros are doing and why.  This site has some basic information for beginners. If any site offers free information, take it.

Other website that can provide instructions and help with procedures and terminology are

Investopedia - http://www.investopedia.com/  Stock Charts - http://stockcharts.com/

http://www.investorshub.com/  http://www.1source4stocks.com/

Answer 2

I recommend an online brokerage firm that has good beginner qualitys {like tutorials or an easy to understand set up}, i use zecco, better then schwab, etrade, etc. they are the only ones with free stock trades, no minumums..all the others will charge you fees for trading, but compare and see for yourself. Good luck and happy investing!

http://friends.zecco.com/r/a7a2877caab81...

Answer 3

e trade would be a good way for you to start.. you dont need a broker

Answer 4

if you dont have much money to invest, you can try overnight income stocks.

Answer 5

You could buy stocks directly from a company through a dividend reinvestment program (DRIP), but I would recommend just going through an online discount broker.  If you don't have that much money, then you will have to open an account with a brokerage that does not have minimum deposit requirements.  I currently use Firstrade ( http://www.firstrade.com/ ) and they do not have minimums so you can invest with as little as you want.  Plus, they are cheaper than most big name brokers such as Etrade, Scottrade, Ameritrade, and Schwab.  Their website is very easy to use too.

Cheaper stocks tend to be more volatile.  If you don't have that much money, that does mean you can't buy expensive stocks.  Just buy fewer shares and you'll be fine.  I wouldn't recommend cheap stocks for beginners.