Things You'll Need:
- An internet connection
- An online brokerage account
- Cash for investing
-
Step 1
Set up an online stock trading account. There are plenty of companies to choose from, many of which offer low trading fees and low minimum balances. Sharebuilder , Scottrade , Zecco , E-Trade and TD Ameritrade are all solid companies. See also the resource section of this article for a link to an article detailing online trading accounts.
-
Step 2
Fund your online stock trading account with cash to be used to invest in online stocks. The cash will go into your money market account, the account where all purchases of stocks online come from. This is also the place where any proceeds from stock sales will go.
-
Step 3
Research stocks. Stocks are merely a way to have part ownership in a company. So, you'll want to do your homework on investment in any company. This is a crucially important part of the process. If you're going to invest in stocks online by yourself, you need to be educated. Learn how to read stock quotes and financial statements. This will help you be a better investor.
-
Step 4
Once your research is completed, purchase stock online using your trading account. It is at this point that you will incur some sort of trading fee. For example, Sharebuilder will charge you $4 for this transaction (or $10 if it's a real-time trade). You have now invested in online stocks.
