How to Find the Cheapest Online Stock Trading Sites

Run an online search to find the cheapest online stock trading sites that are available, using a search engine. You will probably find many advertisements during your search that will point to some of the lowest cost providers that are available. Some may even offer a special block of free trades for signing up with them.
Read reviews of various discount online brokers posted by financial websites and blogs. Understand that some of the reviewers may be financially compensated for the review or paid based on any affiliate link provided within the review. Regardless of the intent of the author, these reviews often contain some quality information that you can use to help you make a your selection of the cheapest online stock trading site that fits your needs.
Look for comparisons of the cheapest online stock trading sites that are included on reputable financial websites. You may be able to find a breakdown comparison between similar online discount brokers that lists specific costs and included tools. Consider all factors when making your decision between seemingly equivalent online brokers.
Open up an account with the minimal initial required amount of money and test out online discount brokers on your list of potential sites. One of the best opportunities to learn and educate yourself is through personal experience. You can find the cheapest online stock trading site that is the best fit for you by testing out several sites and staying with the account that you like the most. Once you have decided on one or two sites, you can close out your other accounts and transfer your funds into the one that you picked as the best.

How to Buy Paper Stock Certificates

Determine which company you want to purchase. You can purchase paper certificates from some companies for a substantial fee (usually around $50 to $75, as of January 2010). This is in addition to the market value of the stock.
Contact your broker. Ask them if they have access to paper stock certificates. If you are already paying brokerage fees, they might provide a discount. If your broker is large enough, they might also sell actual certificates. The part of the brokerage or bank that does this is called Custody Operations.
Contact RealStockCertificates.com. This company specializes in stock certificates. They have stocks that are over 100+ years old, as well as an online database where you can view stock certificates and the current selling price.
Visit OneShare.com. Oneshare allows you to purchase framed shares of stock to keep for yourself or give as gifts. The price of the frame stock certificate will depend on the actual price of the stock. For instance, Cheesecake Factory (NYSE: CAKE) might be trading for $20, however, the fee may differ with the inclusion of a frame, matte, and anything you want engraved on the certificate.

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.