How do I know which brokerage firm to trust?
817793
You can't trust any.  Brokers want you to trade as much as possible.  You want to invest, which means that, other things being equal, you want to trade as little as possible.  There is an inherent conflict of interest here which you need to be aware of.
86540
You need to check with the Division of Corporations in the state that the company is located. If this is a broker, they should be registered with either the NASD(www.nasd.com) or the CFTC (www.cftc.gov/cftc/cftchome.htm). These also can be checked online. \n\nAt either the aforementioned sites, you are able to check if there have been any complaints filed and the charges in the complaints, as well as, the individual brokers.\n\nIf you feel that there is possibility of fraud, you should notify either of the agencies indicted above, immediately.
52448
First, ask if he/she is a certified financial advisor.  Also, you want one that is fee only, and doesn't receive commisions on the product he endorses.  You want an unbiased opionion of the invests he/she is suggesting.
667918
I would suggest to pick one of them and then compare with other brokers services,fees and other stuff!!!\nu can go to www.ameritrade.com or www.etrade.com or just google it and find the manes.....it's what i did!!!\nGood luck!
444447
I'd try to tackle this a couple of ways.  First I would go to yahoo finace and see if they are a listed company.  Assuming you've found a listed company I would type in their ticker.  See what kind of news they have and then see if they have institutional holdings!!!  You can do that on yahoo finace or you can go to nasdaq.com and type in the ticker.  there you can click on institional holdings and they will actaully tell you the top 5 or so funds that hold that equity.  If they are funds you've heard of I'd feel pretty good about the company.  some examples GGB, PCU, PRB just to name a few in latin america.\n\nGood luck
918044
Check their respective websites and look up their platforms.  That will give you a wealth of information.
787763
One place is through your broker.  But they'll usually only have the IPO's in which they're helping underwrite.\n\nFor example, Fidelity has an alert that you can opt-in to that'll tell you of their IPOs as they come up and you can click on it to learn about the company and how to invest in it if you're interested.\n\nGood luck!
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
234090
if you got a description, any broker should be able to tell you the cusip
965471
Usually there's no minimum, but some companies do charge you a fee if you're inactive.\n\nJust so you know, there are a lot of good brokererages depending on what you like and how you trade.\n\nBarron's Online has a great article on brokerages that they publish each year. (I'll try to find you the link for the March 6,2006 article)\n\nFor basic stuff, E*Trade, Ameritrade, and Scottrade are sufficient. For more complex trades, I'd recommend Optionsxpress, ThinkorSwim, or interactivebrokers. \n\nBased on what you put in your question, I'd recommend one of the first three, or maybe Optionxpress, but all are very good. Cheapest probably is scottrade (of the larger online firms). Yes there are cheaper like interactivebrokers, but you'll have to get used to their software based platform (which is doable). They're only about $1/contract on options!\n\nBrokerages like Fidelity are horrible for anyone with any decent experience. \n\nSo, decide what's important to you as a trader and compare the brokers! You can use the article, or go to each website as they all seem to have comparison charts! \n\nIf you have any questions, let me know.\n\nHope that helps!
156404
One source for all types of trade partners is Alibaba.com.  You can register as a buyer and a seller.  Another site that may be helpful is www.globalsources.com\n\nNOTE HOWEVER:  Buyer Beware!  There could be a lot of brokers trolling sites like this for a percentage on both sides of the fence.  There are also a number of dubious deals.  Check everything before you agree to a transaction and make sure it meets your needs.
987257
Contact the MSE at mse@mse.ru or bai@mse.ru and ask them what American Stock Brokerage firms are members of their exchange. You will probably be able to buy only through those members.
768166
One place is through your broker. But they'll usually only have the IPO's in which they're helping underwrite.\n\nFor example, Fidelity has an alert that you can opt-in to that'll tell you of their IPOs as they come up and you can click on it to learn about the company and how to invest in it if you're interested.  For their IPO's you usually need $100K in a semiactive acct, or just $500K in assets deposited with them.\n\nGood luck!
774034
Unless you have a lot of money to invest, a million plus, an on line broker is perhaps the best.  The other brokers do not wish to be bothered with you in general.  There are exceptions but they are exceptions.  \n\nAmong the on line brokers, there are basic brokers which allow you to trade stocks at minimal cost.  TDAmeritrade and Scottrade and TradeKing are among those with fees ranging from $6.00 to 10.00 per trade.  Then there are the ones that offer somewhat greater services for somewhat higher costs.  Schawb and Fidelity and ETrade fall into that category.  They offer more research material and somewhat better customer service in general for a somewhat higher commission in general.  Fidelity for example has about a $25.00 commision per trade for small accounts but offers a wealth of research material.
470681
By referral is the best.  If not, set up appointments and interview them and ask about their investment strategies and ethical standings.\n\nBut before any of this, read Investment for Dummies to bring yourself up to speed on investments.  You have to know the minimum before investing.
422619
As far as I know, you can only buy stocks from a broker.  If you're a beginner investor and want to invest in stocks while lessening your risk, start out by investing in stock mutual funds.  Some of those you can buy direct from the mutual fund company.  Fidelity has a large array of funds you can choose from.
884875
I started my investing with Edward Jones. They are lucrative and they have strict requirements before even considering someone for employment.  I have long since moved onto my own (and have done very well at it too) for first timers go ahead and pay the fees to invest in the long run its worth it.