How do I get into buying/investing in the STOCK market online?

[Mike T]

Like to here from investors.

I've never done this before. Is it possible to buy, sell, watch, research and manage all my stock on the Internet?

I'm not a big newspaper person. I want to do everything from my computer.

How do I start? What is the best website for this?

[betahedger]

Yahoo finance has all that you need.

[numquat]

First: Are you experienced in the stock market ?
If you want to do your own analysis on the stock, know where to look for info and NOT accept recomendations from a broker, your bets bet is to open an account with Ameritrade or Scottrade ( which is where I have my investments ) - They will buy and sell what ever you wish them to do and charge from $7.00 to $ 9.00 for a buy or a sell -

[quantumrift]

Don't trade stocks directly.

http://www.fidelity.com is a great site.

[michael_alca23]

well you have it backwars, its research, watch, buy, manage...

When you are a "Investor" according to Bejamin Graham (The Father of Security Analysis); you are buying something and holding it for the long term letting it appreciate in value.

I agree with that, and to take it to another level, there is no selling investing, only managing.

Once you have done your research, you need to watch the stock, the industry, and the market itself. Then you buy when the time is right, then you manage by having a diversified portfolio, if a stock hits the price you were expecting and then the term "sell" would be used after futher research(that determine the stock no longer has growth potential or supportive fundamentals). But as an investor you will not just sell, you sell then you buy another stock that has the values you look for, hence why I call it Manage...

Nowadays there are a lot of sites online to buy stocks, all you have to do is open an account, send money from your checking account and buy stocks. Keep in mind the three main difference in the different brokers online is the:

1. Commision
2. Customer Service
3. Hidden Fees

My personal favorite which I reccomend to people who do not have a lot of capital is sharebuilder.com.

Sharebuilder has a system where you can buy stocks every tuesday at a commision of $4 a stock.
If you sign up to the premium plan with them it becomes about $2.00 a trade. $12/ a month with 6 free trades and each trade after that is $2.00. so $2.00 a trade.
They have another package for the more productive investor.

But like I said if you really are a "Investor" you will buy and hold, and buy and hold.

Keep in mind selling cost money too.

[Don]

Well, you have so many options availabel to you. I will give you one that I think would be beneficial. Look at them all closely and decide on one that you are comfortable with.

I like to recommend DRIP Plans. I have had mine for 22 years and it has been the best long-term investment I have ever made.

They are seldom recommended by brokers due to the low rate of commissions received. However, these
reinvestment plans can be very powerful long-term investments. Studies have shown that DRIP's are one of
the best strategies on Wall Street.

They are inexpensive and easy to start. New investors to the stock market should definitely consider a DRIP Plan.

Companies like Toyota, Royal Canadian Bank, Sony, Bank of America, General Electric and many other Blue Chip
Stocks can be purchased through your DRIP Plan, with as little as 1 share in most cases.

These long-term plans are great for beginners as well as veterans. Check them out.

Best of Luck

[CFPwunaB]

YahooFinance is the best place to start and probably finish too. I use Scottrade to make my trades, and I have no complaints.

[A Nobody]

There are websites that serve as tutorials for novice investors as well as information for the more experienced. Such sites are Smart Money.com; Winning Investing.com; Zacks.com;

There are other sites such as MSN. Money, Yahoo Finance, Investors Hub, that provide access to various investment products as well as access to several experienced advisors, Reading their posting provide a wealth of free information that serves all types of investors whether they be novices, such as yourself, or experienced professionals.

Most major brokerage firms provide platforms for most of your trading and investment needs. You can view the site, and see what appeals to you Scottrade; E-Trade; Zecco; are popular broker/dealers that have reasonable fees

[Alex]

Yes, this is possible to research and manage all the stock stuff.

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 tutorial below will also be useful for you.
http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Invest-...&id=815276


I use SogoTrade.
They offer cheap stock trading at $1.50 - $3.00.

Some of the features this brokerage offers:
1. $1.50 - $3.00 Online Equity Trades
2. Fast Order Execution
3. Excellent Customer Service
4. Scheduled Investments and Fractional Shares
5. 3 Great Trading Platforms: SogoTrade, SogoElite, Laser
6. Enhanced Online Security and SIPC Protection
7. Powerful Trading Technology
8. No Account Inactivity or Account Maintenance Fees
9. Free Dividend Reinvestments Service
10. Complementary Stock News and Stock Charts


Do some research and you will find the best broker.

I hope it helps.