How to Open a Stock Portfolio
If you are interested in investing in the stock market, you can start by opening an investment account, also known as a broker account. This account is home to your stock portfolio, which is the collection of stocks you've chosen to invest in. Usually you can open a broker account with any amount of money, and there is no setup fee.
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Instructions
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Open an investment account with an online broker, such as E*Trade or ShareBuilder (see Resources). Your Social Security number, date of birth and address will be required on the account application.
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Fund your broker account with your checking account. Use your bank's checking account number and routing number to link the two accounts. The money you deposit in the broker account will be used to buy stock shares.
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Select stocks to invest in to build your portfolio. If you're not sure what companies to invest in, you can use the research tools on the broker's website to help you choose stocks.
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Go to the trading section of your online broker account. For each company you want to buy stock in, enter the stock symbol and the quantity of shares. Preview the order and then initiate the buy.
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Tips & Warnings
Brokers do charge a commission when you buy stock. The commission fee ranges from $3 to $19.99, depending on the broker.
