Things You'll Need:
- Personal computer Internet access
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Step 1
Log on to the internet and search for stockbrokers and banks offering stock brokerage services. Note their fees and commissions, speed of execution and minimum deposit requirements. Contact your local banks and credit unions to see if they offer brokerage services. Open a stock trading account with the broker of your choice.
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Step 2
Fund your trading account. Contact your stockbroker to confirm how they want you to add funds to your account. Most stockbrokers accept funding through bank-to-bank transfers, money orders, wire transfers and personal checks.
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Step 3
Research stocks issued by companies involved in wholesale and retail trade. Visit the New York Stock Exchange Euronext (NYSE), the NASDAQ market and American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and look at the fundamentals of stocks issued by trading companies. Note their current earnings per share (EPS), annual earnings for the past five years, return on investment (ROI) for five years, management, bid and ask, and number of shares outstanding.
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Step 4
Use free charting websites like Stock Charts (see Resources below) to read their charts and determine the stage of the cycle the stocks are in. Confirm whether the stocks are moving up, sideways or down. Look at information about their earnings releases. Write down the trading or ticker symbols of promising stocks.
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Step 5
Log onto your stockbroker's trading platform and execute your trades. Enter the ticker symbol of the stock you are buying, the number of shares, type of trade and any instructions you have for your stockbroker. Select "Day" in the type of trade if you want to buy the stock immediately or "Limit" if you want to enter a specific price for the stock. Click "Ok." In the next window, confirm your trade and click "Buy." Your stockbroker will execute your order.
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Step 6
Monitor your stocks daily and sell either to lock in your profit when your stock is up or cut short your loss if they go down in value.
