How to Open a Stock Trading Account (3 Steps)

Set aside funds for trading. You have to fund an account at a brokerage in order to purchase stocks, so it is important to decide how much cash you have available for trading.
Consider the services you need and the costs involved. Brokerage firms fall into three general categories. Online brokers specialize in providing web-based trading tools with a minimum of personal interaction between a client and a broker, and are the least expensive means of trading stocks. Full service firms establish a client-broker relationship, providing someone you can contact for advice or to initiate trades; most full-service firms also provide online trading. Broker-mediated trades at a full service firm charge a commission based on the size of the trade. Discount brokerages also offer personal service, but generally charge smaller fees than a full service broker. It pays to do your homework. Sites such as Motley Fool and Yahoo! Finance offer extensive guidance on considerations for choosing a broker, comparing the dozens of brokerage firms in each major category.
Apply for an account at your selected broker. You can apply online at most firms by clicking 'Open an account,' 'Apply for an account' or a similarly worded link on the company's web page. You have to provide your name and identification information along with your Social Security number and details of your bank accounts. You also need to fund a new account electronically or by sending a check in order to begin trading.

How to Find Stock Prices (5 Steps)

Peruse the Wall Street Journal, or WSJ.com (subscription required), the Financial Times, Barron's or the financial section of your local newspaper for closing stock prices of most listed stocks. If your investment horizon is long-term and your portfolio contains financially sound, high quality shares, real-time stock quotes of your holdings throughout the day may not be necessary to making buy and sell decisions. I
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Check stock price information through the trading day if you plan to buy or sell a company based on fundamental or technical information. Obtain this information by going online. Google Finance, MSN Money, DailyFinance from AOL and others offer free real-time price information about most exchange listed shares. Yahoo Finance offers streaming real-time information for a small monthly charge. MarketWatch consolidates news from a variety of market resources for busy investors. Streaming services for your mobile also provide access to real-time price information.Broker-dealers may provide real-time stock price information free of charge as a customer.
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Get quotes directly from the exchange floor throughout the trading day. NASDAQ offers a free stock market ticker to provide constant stock price updates as they occur on the trading floor. The New York Stock Exchange Euronext offers many free tools including charts of individual stocks and market indices during the trading day. Some market index information may be delayed up to 20 minutes, according to the NYSE.
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Check the Investor or Investor Relations page of each company's shares in your portfolio to stay advised of price and relevant information that impacts share value. Not all companies maintain a real-time price. If you are concerned about intra-day price movements, you should also use real-time stock price quotations.
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Watch CNN's cable television broadcast to obtain real-time ticker information about stock prices and market indices, as well as interviews with marketplace personalities. Many stock traders keep CNN on throughout the day to learn about news events that drive market moves while at home or in the office.
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How to Claim a Charitable Donation of Stock (10 Steps)

Request a copy of the organization's letter from the IRS, stating its tax-exempt status as well as its status for receiving charitable contributions. This is necessary if you intend to claim a deduction based on your donation of stock or other securities to that organization.
Call the IRS toll-free at (877) 829-5500 to verify whether the organization is a charitable entity that can receive your donation of stock or other securities that you intend to claim.
Obtain and examine IRS Publication 78, available at IRS.gov (see Resources below). It lists eligible organizations that are qualified to receive any donations you intend to claim.



Give the IRS the proper name of the issuer for the stock that you are donating.
Indicate whether the stock you are donating represents securities that are commonly traded on the stock exchange or by other over-the-counter means.
Offer specific information on the type of securities you are donating.
Provide the date of your donation. This will vary and is dependent on whether you are signing the donated securities over or making an electronic transfer through your broker.



Indicate your intention to itemize your deductions on IRS Form 1040, under the section 'Tax and Credits.'
Use Schedule A to itemize your claim of a charitable donation of stock in the Gifts to Charity section.
Select Form 8283 to claim your deduction for a non-cash charitable contribution, as indicated on Schedule A.