Beginners Tips: Stock investments using brokerage firms and online trading
Keeping your money under the mattress could be a good option if you just want to save it paying average 3% inflation fee every year, but making your money work for you with profit is better, isn’t it? You can make your money work by stocks investments. Before you can start trading stocks you need to open a trading account.
You can open an account with a brokerage firm or on-line in the Internet. If you choose the first option you are advised to follow the next steps. Contact some brokerage firms located in your area and talk to duty broker, new accounts broker. Write down the main details of the conversations. In this conversation you need to ask how to open a trading-only or cash account. Ask about the minimum deposit you need to have. Find out about the features offered with the account. Ask them about the account fees along with broker commissions. Inquire if the firm provides any on-line service. Make sure that you clearly understand the commissions and other costs. After you have gathered information you should choose top three firms. Call these brokerage firms and arrange appointments with them at their offices during working hours. When visiting the offices try to notice and analyze their ability to present research materials for their customers. There also should be a customer terminal and a cashier station where one could process deposits and checks. After everything is done you have to choose which firm provides the best services with the best price. Before signing the documents, you should take them at home and read all terms and conditions carefully. You don’t have to sing anything before you understand everything and have all your questions answered. You need to understand all restrictions and features of your account as well as other critical information. You need to have the copies all the documents you are going to sign.
You can also open an account on-line. On-line stocks investments are becoming more and more popular every year. However, remember that it won’t help you in making decisions. You will have to decide yourself what to buy and sell, when and where. Online brokers don’t give you advice about the market situation. All they do is giving you an ability to invest. Compare the pricing policies of several companies. Some of them charge you up to 10 percent of the profit you make! Find out the best terms of service. Sometimes they can also charge for each transaction. After that you will need to find an on-line stock account where you can observe real-time information with stock quotes. Choosing a stock account, be informed about the features going with it. Some accounts allow using credits cards others don’t. Fill in the application on-line. Sometimes it can be required to send a hard copy to the broker. After your account is set up you will need to deposit some money to it to start trading.
Before you go ahead you must understand the way stock market operates and what it is about. You should understand what the different styles of trading are. At last, you have to find out why so many people have lost their money in the stock markets. If you know the reason you can avoid the same mistakes. You also need to know if a risk which is associated with stock trading is something what you can afford.
The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.
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Expert Advice, Stock Investment Basics3 Oct 2008 |