How do you go about purchasing stocks?  Do you have to go through a broker?
603802
For beginner, you better of with brokers.  Scottrade required only $500 to open an online brokerage account.
188749
Everyone is different and as a result, different people look at different things before they purchase a stock.\n\nI suggest you get a book or five on stock market investing and start learning as much as you can if you want to become good at it.\n\nAnd by the way, companies that cater to people who invest in the stock market by selling them up-to-date information and analysis charge hefty fees for their services, so I wouldn't plan on doing this without a nice, big nest egg to begin with and a good job to back yourself up when things go against you and you lose some money.
500949
I would suggest you open an account with an online broker like Ameritrade or Scottrade.  I suggest you go to your local library and see if they have the Value Line Investment Survey.  If they do, an new issue comes out weekly.  Value Line rates stocks based on timeliness (what are they expected to do over the next year), safety (the level of risk for the stock) and technical.  I use it to do my own research on stocks.  \n\nI found that I had to be an investor rather than a trader.  The difference to me is that I don't have the nerve to day trade.   By investing I don't get so caught up in the day to day of the market and I focus on the companies that I have stock in or am thinking about buying.\n\nIt works for me
383838
Yes, Scottrade and Ameritrade are probably the best brokers online for you to open an account with.  Be sure to verify that there aren't extra fees for accounts under a certain dollar amount, because if they charge you $25 per month like some brokers do, it won't take long for you to lose all your money in fees.  I think Ameritrade recently eliminated the account minimums, but I'm not entirely sure about that.\n\nI'd also suggest Sharebuilder as a good tool if you're looking to buy in to a few good companies and just hold the shares. \n\nBest of luck to you, and kudos for starting so soon.
287660
You would send money or some sort of equity to the online company. They would hold it like a bank.  You get on line and log in with a password to gain access to your account where you can instruct the brokerage firm to buy or sell the stocks you instruct them to.
599493
With brokerage fees so low, why do you care?\n\nYou want a "discount" broker, or online broker, rather than a "full service" broker, which gives advice. A broker is the last person you want to ask for advice. You just need a licensed broker to do a transaction for you.\n\nOr, you might try selling the shares back to the company direct.
1017513
You can open a share builder account. I can't tell you which stocks to buy, that would make me your broker.\n\nYou can also learn to trade options, which can also make you alot of money in a short amount of time.
1184905
there are two ways that may help you. scott trade which for the minimun amount to open charges just 7.00 a trade if your buying and selling. this way you get real time live trades and information with no brokers. there is also what is known by few as drips. you buy the stock right from the company itself. if you search drips in the net you will come up with a list of many companies selling their stock some require as little as 50 to 100.00 to open a direct stock account with them and that price includes as much stock as you can get depending on its price. you can put so much in each month if you want and you'll get the shares to that amount. each company is differant on how much you start with and how long you have to keep the stock before selling it. its usually 60 to 90 days with some. good hunting!
327666
Simply open an account with a broker - I recommend an internet broker such as E*Trade.  They are cheaper but do not offer any advice - you have to decide when to buy or sell.  \n\nThere are 2 types of brokerage accounts - cash and margin.  In a cash account you must pay for stock purchased within 5 days of your purchase.  This is the only approach for a beginner.  \n\nDO NOT TAKE DELIVERY OF YOU SHARES - leave them with your broker - they are safe there and if you have them and loose them they transact like cash and there is no insurance against theft etc. Also when your broker holds the shares you can make an immediate sale without sending the shares back to the broker via registered mail. \n\nAfter you build up your account (amount depends upon the broker and your holdings) you will be able to switch to a margin account.  In this type of account you buy stock on the strength of the stock you hold with the broker (buying on margin).  In other words, if you have 100% equity in say $100,00 in stock, the broker will extend credit of maybe $150,000 and you can buy additional stock up to that amount with no additional cash.  \n\nHOWEVER there are MAJOR pitfalls to buying stock on margin. 1) the broker will charge you interest on the amount you owe and MORE IMPORTANTLY if your holdings begin to slide in the market the broker will sell as many of your holdings as necessary to cover the credit (margin) the broker extended to you - this is referred to as a margin call.  A margin call is done by the broker WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION and depending upon the volatility of the market can happen within hours.. \n\nMnay, many, many people have lost everything by over extending their margin buying and then loosing everything via a margin call.  I recommend you only use a margin account to cover your purchases while your check for your purchases in enroute to the broker.
556359
From a registered stock broker \nOnline. In India, many banks ofer you trading services to the extent of the balnce in your account.\n\nConsult a financil advisor when you buy shares, cross check whether the co. is worth inveting into or not
129369
You need to open an account with any of online broker.\nI recommended Scottrade, it is good for small individual investor like myself.  Low commission, no extra charge for limit order, and no inactivity fees.\n\nhttp://scottrade.com/
24744
First you need to own it.  If you physically have stock certificates that you want to sell, you first need to set up an account with a brokerage.  For example I use WWW.AMERITRADE.COM.  Once you have the account set up you will need to mail the certificate to them.  Once the account is set up give them a call and they can walk you though it.
103855
in order to trade stocks you need a broker.  I suggest http://www.tdwaterhouse.com after that you can buy and sell stocks.
17606
Assuming you live in the US investing in the share (stock) market is as simple as:\n1. Opening a brokerage account with one of the brokerage firms such as Wells Fargo, TD WaterHouse, Ameriprise with a deposit of say $1000 and start buying and selling shares online.\n2. Initially you could buy shares upto your deposit amount\n3. As you build assets you will be eligible to borrow against your assets and buy stocks on margin even if you don't have cash in the account. This is a risky strategy and should be employed by experienced investors
242583
I know that you'd prefer not to go with a broker, as you intend to let ti sit for a few years, but it really is your best bet to go with a discount broker.  Scottrade will let you purchase unlimited shares of the stock for $7 and charges no monthly fees, even if you never make another trade again.  With no monthly fees, there really is no reason not to use a broker.  ShareBuilder offers the same thing for $4, but only if you sign up for their automatic Tuesday investments.\n\nBoth of these options are acutally cheaper than buying the stock directly from the company's share transfer agent.
945976
Just call a broker and ask to open an account
515092
Schwab is a brokerage firm; they provide accounts through which you can buy stocks, bonds, and other investments.\n\nMy preferred method is to buy mutual funds directly from the mutual fund companies, such as Vanguard.