How to Sell My Stock Certificate Online

Open an account with a discount online broker if you don't already have one. You can use a full-service broker or the company's transfer agent if they offer online services. However, you will probably pay higher brokerage commissions or transaction fees than discount brokers charge.
Fill out the transfer of ownership form on the back of each stock certificate. Call the customer service number for your broker to make sure you enter their name and other information as required. If you don't already have the broker's mailing address, this is a good time to ask for that as well.
Send the stock certificates to the broker by certified mail with the U.S. Postal Service. Because stock certificates may be of considerable value, they should be insured when you mail them.
Wait a few days to allow time for delivery and processing of your stock certificates. You'll see them credited to your account online. All you have to do then is place a sell order with the broker.
Keep complete records of the transaction. At tax time you'll need them to report any capital gains or losses.

How to Buy Stock Online in Canada

Determine whether you wish to buy stocks through a stand-alone investment account or through your current financial institution. Some of the larger Canadian banks, such as the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), allow customers to invest a portion of their savings account in stocks. On the other hand, stand-alone investment accounts typically offer more features for investors and allow individuals to customize their investing strategy using a variety of investment-specific tools. Thus, stand-alone investment accounts are generally a better choice for investors.
Research the Canadian options for an online stockbroker or investment manager. Trading stocks online offers significant savings over a traditional stockbroker by offering individual investors lower fees for buying and selling. Canada has fewer options when it comes to online stockbrokers. For example, some of the biggest U.S. online stockbrokers (such as ShareBuilder) are not available in Canada. Three of the larger online stockbrokers available to Canadians include the Royal Bank of Canada's Direct Investing service (rbcdirectinvesting.com), ING Canada (ingcanada.com) and Questrade (questrade.com).
Evaluate each online stockbroker. Request detailed information on their pricing plans to find which broker charges the least amount for your investment lifestyle. Not all brokers are alike. Don't choose a broker just because it has what looks like a cheaper plan compared to its competitors. Some of the cheapest plans may require you to invest a certain amount of money each month, thus costing more than a more expensive plan that does not force you to buy a certain amount of stocks.
Register with the online stockbroker of your choice. You will need to provide personal financial information, such as your Social Insurance Number (SIN). You will also need to connect your investment account with a payment option, such as a credit card or a bank account.
Consult another stockbroker before buying stocks, and read books that deal with buying stocks for the first time. The stock market offers great potential to make money, but individuals can also lose money if they don't know what they're doing and invest in a poorly performing stock. Do as much research as you can before buying stocks for the first time. Many online stockbrokers provide guides and can help you select the right stocks for the level of risk you are willing to take. Typically, the higher the risk level, the more money you can lose (and earn).
Keep track of your stock market earnings from buying and selling stocks. Each year, you will have to pay taxes to the federal government of Canada on any capital gains you have made in your investments. Read the Canada Revenue Agency's guide to capital gains (see Resources).

How to Buy Stock Without a Broker

Find an online trading company. There are many online trading companies that allow you to set up and trade stocks online. You may be familiar with some of these companies and new ones are popping up over time. Some of the companies you can look into include E-Trade, TD Ameritrade and Charles Schwab. Whichever companies you look into, you should research them completely. Be sure to find out what the fees are for setting up and maintaining the account, as well as the per trade fee charged.
Set up and fund your account. Once you have researched each company and make a decision on which company you want to trade online, it is time to set up and fund your trading account. Each website will have step-by-step instructions on what you need to do to set up your account. Once the account is set up, you will need to either mail in a check or transfer money into the account to fund your online trading account. Funding an online trading account is placing the money in the account that you will use to make trades.
Research the stocks you want to invest in. Most of these online trading sites also provide research material so you can educate yourself on the stocks and bonds you may be interested in buying. You should do a lot of research on any stock before you decide to invest your money in the stock. These sites also help you to understand finance and trading terminology that you may be familiar with. It is important that you make informed and educated decisions to help reduce the risk of loss of your money.
Process the buy or sell trade. Once you decide to buy a stock, you will need to process the order. Every site is slightly differently, but each site usually has line-by-line buy 'forms' that you need to complete and submit in order to process the trade. This is true whether you are buying or selling a stock.

How to Begin Stock Market Trading (3 Steps)

Select an online brokerage company. There are many online stock brokers to choose from (three of the biggest are included in the links below). Be sure to compare the fees and minimum account requirements of each in making your selection.
Set up and fund your account. Most online brokerage houses will have your new account up and running in a matter of minutes. You will need to transfer funds from a checking or savings account to start investing; many brokerages can do this via ACH or EFT transfers.
Start researching the market. There are a host of resources to learn about stock trading. Start by reading the resources that your online broker gives you on their website, then branch out and do some research on your own.

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 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 Buy a Share of Apple Stock

Call your brokerage firm or log into your online brokerage account. Keep in mind that investing with a broker can be more expensive than performing the stock purchase on your own via an online account.
Search for the Apple, Inc. ticker (APPL) to see the most recent quote.
Calculate the number of shares you can afford to purchase and include the transactions fees that your brokerage firm will assess to complete the transaction.
Determine your brokerage account balance that can be applied to a stock purchase. If you do have the funds to cover the purchase price of the shares you want to buy, transfer the funds into your account. Follow your account's instructions for completing a fund transfer. Remember that funds may not always be available immediately.
Execute a stock purchase. To purchase using an online brokerage account, enter the ticker symbol of Apple, Inc. (APPL) and the number of shares you want to purchase.
Print out the stock purchase receipt for online accounts or have your broker send you confirmation of the purchase. Keep purchase confirmations with your financial records.