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 Start a Stock Market Business

Do a little study. You need to understand the business from a beginner's point of view. Look for books, publications etc meant for starters. The Internet is a big source from where you can start. Understand the market, the business and related terminologies. Sail from easy to hard topics.
Decide on the amount of investment. Stock market is a volatile one. There are profits vs. losses, risks vs. opportunities. In this backdrop you must be able to do the appropriate apportionment of the savings into stock investment.
Decide on the type of investment. Basing on the local or national market, understand whether you want to invest in shares, mutual funds, commodities or other types of stocks.
Choose a broker for you. There are hundreds of broker houses and all of them don't perform in the same way and give you the same benefits. Talk to agents of different brokers and make a comparative analysis before choosing one. Things like commission rate, margins etc. will be helpful in choosing a broker.
Open an account with the chosen broker. This will be needed for ordering buying/selling of stocks. Submit all the necessary documents required to open the account. Keep money receipt, copy of account opening form and any other contractual papers in safe custody.
Deposit your apportioned cash to the broker account and obtain a money receipt/acknowledgement. Opt for an online transaction system if available.
Analyze the market for some days. Read enough news, follow the market trends and talk to your closest friends and relatives before you place your first buy order.
Start buying and selling of chosen stocks. Keep your buy/sell orders noted and confirm them after the orders are executed. Maintain an online/offline portfolio of all your stocks. As a starter, remember the golden rule of 'buying at low, selling at high'.
Keep a close observation on your stocks in your portfolio. Constantly monitor company information like performance, newer ventures, AGM/EGM, dividends etc. Make a habit of watching/reading financial TV programs, news, online articles, websites etc.

How to Make Money Daytrading the Stock Market

Look up the price chart for the stock. Visually, volatility is shown by the sharp up and down angles on a stock price chart. The sharper the angles, the higher the volatility. You can look this up on your favorite investment research site such as Google Finance, Yahoo! Finance, or MSN Money; you can call the Investor Relations Department for the company to request a price chart; you can go to to the company's website to check for investor presentations; or, you can contact your stock broker. As a day trader you are primarily concerned with daily price charts.
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Obtain the beta for the company. Beta is a measure of volatility and can be used in the same way as the price chart is used -- to find companies with highly volatile stock pricing. You can also obtain the beta for the company from investment research websites, the company website, company Investor Relations or your stock broker. The further the beta is away from 0, the more volatile the stock.
Select three highly-volatile stocks in terms of beta as well as their price charts. Beta can help to find the stocks, but the price charts allow you to study stock patters.
Track these stocks over one month. Look for daily patterns in the price chart. Patterns may emerge in early morning trading hours or after market news. See if you can predict the price movements before they occur.
Make buy or sell decisions based on daily highs and lows in the stock. Since you've been tracking the stock over the past month, you know the natural support (bottom) and resistance (top) levels of the price chart. Buy the stock when it hits a bottom and sell the stock when it hits a top.

How to Deposit Stock Certificates Into a Brokerage Account

Endorse and date the stock certificate. Turn your stock certificate over and sign it exactly as the name appears on the front. The account you are depositing into must have the same name. If it is written to a single person and the account is a joint account there may be additional steps. Place the date near your signature.
Write the name of the broker on the back where it states 'constitute and appoint
__ Attorney.' This is where you put the name of the bank you are depositing it into, such as USAA or Ameritrade. This ensures that if it gets lost someone else will not be able to deposit it.
Write your brokerage account number under your signature. This will make sure it is deposited into the right account. This number should be located on your most recent statement.
Make a copy of both sides of the certificate and mail the original certificate to the address of the brokerage company. Choosing a certified mail option, will give you peace of mind that your package arrived safely. Watch your account statements to make sure the certificate has been deposited, and that the number of shares is correct.

How to Set Up a Stock Trading Account (3 Steps)

Select an online brokerage to set up your new stock trading account. Some examples include E-Trade, Zecco, Sharebuilder and TradeKing. Kiplinger has an online tool to help you decide which broker is best for you. It's a good way to learn about the different brokers if you are unsure of which one to use.
Create an account with your preferred online brokerage by picking a user name and password. Your financial and personal details are also required. Be prepared to give your date of birth, Social Security number, bank account details, your address and citizenship information. U.S. brokerages restrict new accounts to U.S. citizens only.
Wait for approval of the account. Typically, stock trading account applications are approved within 24 hours if set up on a weekday. Some brokers require the account holder to verify his identity over the phone before the account will be approved. Once the account is approved, it can be an additional two to four days before the account is funded from your bank account. You cannot buy stocks until the account is funded.

How to Buy Stock as Gifts For Children (4 Steps)

Decide how to invest in or buy the shares of stock you are planning to give. The easiest and most financial efficient way to buy stocks for children as gifts is through Dividend Reinvestment Plans, or DRIPs. Many companies accept direct investments from anyone who wants to invest. This means that you can invest without going through a broker and without paying high fees and commission. Once you buy the first share for the child, anyone can continue adding to the account by buying more shares. The dividends earned by the shares of stock can be automatically reinvested to buy more.
Decide how to invest in the DRIP. Contact the individual companies via their Investor Relations department and ask if you can purchase shares of stock directly. Alternately, use a DRIP service company, which requires the child's Social Security number and the creation of a custodial account.
Choose a company in which to invest, which often means buying stocks with which you are familiar. Remember a child has a long-term horizon for investing. Buy shares in companies that offer growth over the long-term. Typically, growth companies don't pay dividends, or pay only a minimal amount. Income stocks pay dividends, but may not experience as much growth.
Buy the share of stock as a gift for your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. If you decide to buy directly from a company, you will receive a statement from the company representing the purchase. If you buy from a DRIP service company, you'll receive a statement with the purchased shares held in the custodial account.

How to Invest in Vietnam's Stock Market (5 Steps)

Know the market. Vietnam is still a communist country, and its foray into a traditional stock market is fairly recent. The Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange is the country's primary stock exchange, and it is the only way for foreigners to directly access shares in Vietnamese stocks. Foreigners cannot own more than 49% of any Vietnamese stock.
Find a broker. This is the tricky part. If you're not able to travel to Vietnam to purchase your desired shares directly from the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange, you have to find a broker that has access to the market. Few American brokers have access to Vietnam's stock market, and the ones that do will charge investors heavy fees for the privilege of investing there. Another option to consider is opening an account with a Vietnamese brokerage firm, but keep in mind they are not as well-capitalized as their American peers, and there is little or no protection for American investors in these accounts in the event of a brokerage failure or political unrest.
Prior to buying shares directly off the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange, foreign investors need to file a registration form, an applicant information sheet and a background check for criminal activity with Vietnamese regulators.Notaries both in the investor's home country and the Vietnamese embassy must review the documents.
If you open an account with a Vietnamese custodian broker, the broker will request that you fund the account with the currency of your home country, not Vietnam's local currency. For example, American investors must fund their accounts with American dollars.
You can place stock orders in person at the exchange in Ho Chi Minh City, at a custodian broker's office or via phone, fax or online.

How to Buy Stock Shares Online

Go to the website of several online brokers to research which one is the best for you. Compare commission prices, minimum amount of funds needed to open and maintain an account and other fees, such as account inactivity fees. If you need help picking an online broker, many financial magazines publish guides to the best brokers. For example, Barron's has an annual ranking of the best online brokerages. In recent years Fidelity, Muriel Siebert and Scottrade have ranked well.
Open a brokerage account.
Fund your account. You can send the brokerage a check or you can transfer money directly from your bank account into your brokerage account. You can also set up automatic recurring investments. You will receive an email confirmation once the funds have been applied to your account.
Place trades. Log in to the brokerage website and place a trade. After you confirm the trade, the brokerage will send the trade to the stock exchange, execute the trade and send you a confirmation.
Track your Investments. Most online brokerages allow you to actively track your investments in real time. Log in to your brokerage account to see the current prices of your stocks, your profit and losses and your account balances.

How to Make Your First Stock Market Investment

Start researching before you even think of making your first stock market investment. Buying and selling stocks, bonds, options and other securities is not a game. Once you lose your money, it is gone and there are no guarantees of ever getting it back. As a beginning investor, you need to educate yourself as much as possible before that first trade is ever placed. If you are looking for assistance, considering purchasing a book or research investments online as a place to get started.
Sign up for a low-cost online discount broker if you don't already have one. To make any kind of stock market investment, you must complete your transaction through a broker. You can choose to sign up for a traditional brokerage account; however, it will be much cheaper trading online. If you are concerned about placing your own trades, make sure you pick a broker that offers assistance in buying and selling securities.
Set aside a portion of your savings to be allocated to your investment portfolio. Be sure to start out small, especially when making your first stock market investment. Remember that this is not play money you are dealing with. It is your real hard-earned savings that you want to try and leverage to make money, not lose it. Also be sure that you don't already have this money allocated to cover your monthly payments. This account should be treated as expendable.
Decide on what types of securities you are interested in trading. There are numerous types of stock market investments that can be placed, other than stocks. Mutual funds, ETFs and stock options are just a few of the other investment choices. The most popular investment option is investing in stocks. Remember to make sure you research all types of investment styles you are interested in before investing.
Continue to research different securities as you get closer to making your first stock market investment. This is a step that you should keep doing, even after you make your first investment purchase. Stocks and other investments move up and down based on market conditions, as well as the overall health of the company. If you have made a sound investment purchase, you still need to monitor the security to ensure it continues to grow overtime.

How to Buy Canadian Bank Stock (3 Steps)

Do your research. While most large Canadian banks are strong, many have different strengths in different markets and in different parts of the country. Consider whether the bank is focused entirely on Canada or has an international reach. Determine if the stock is traded on the American Market, either as common shares or as an American Depository Receipt,(ADR). Only you and your broker can determine which bank's stock meets your investment objectives.
Buy the bank's stock on an American Market. Buying a Canadian Bank's stock using its American listing ensures that the American dollar is being used and prevents financial complications arising from foreign ownership. Determine if the stock is common stock or an ADR. While ADRs trade like regular stock, they may have different rights and responsibilities than common stock. To buy the stock, call your broker or use your brokerage's online stock trading website. Relay to your brokerage the stock's ticker, the amount of shares you wish to purchase, and any additional market instructions, such as a specific share price or the time of day to purchase the equity. Await your broker's confirmation to ensure the trade is complete.
Buy the stock on a Canadian Market. Buying a Canadian Bank's stock on the Canadian Market may allow you to take advantage of currency fluctuations. If your brokerage allows for trading on Canadian markets, provide the ticker symbol, as it is listed on the foreign exchange, the amount of shares you wish to purchase, and any trading instructions. Await confirmation from your broker to ensure the trade succeeded.

How to Buy, Sell or Hold Southwest Airlines Stock

Open a stock brokerage account and fund it with the amount of money you want to invest in Southwest Airline stock. You can do this in an existing account if you already have one.
Look up the current share price for Southwest Airlines. The stock symbol for the company is 'LUV'. You can find stock quotes at websites like Yahoo or Google Finance or your online stock broker account will have a place to look up stock quotes.
Determine how many shares of LUV you would like to buy and place the order with your stock broker, by phone or online. The broker will hold the shares until you are ready to sell.
Set a target price where you would like to sell the stock for a profit. It could take several weeks to a few years to hit the price, depending on how much you want to make and the performance of LUV stock.
Monitor the news from Southwest Airlines. Place an order with your broker to sell the stock if it reaches your target price or company developments change your opinion of Southwest Airline's future prospects.