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 Redeem Stock Certificates (5 Steps)

Identify the stock certificates you wish to redeem. If they are the only stocks in your possession, this will be an easy task. However, if you only wish to redeem specific stock certificates, it will be necessary to compile a list of the certificates you wish to sell, along with identifying characteristics, such as ID numbers, issue dates and other information that your broker can use to initiate the transaction.
Notify your broker that you have stock certificates you wish to redeem for cash. Your broker can assess the current status of the stock and advise you on any options you may have that will help you earn the most return from the sale.
Determine the minimum price that you are willing to accept for the stock certificates. While your desire is to sell them at the current market price, that is not always a possibility. There is the chance that the demand for the shares will not be particularly high. When this is the case, you may have to sell the certificates at a discounted price in order to attract potential buyers.
Finalize the details of the transaction. Once a buyer has been found and the purchase price agreed upon, authorize your broker to accept the offer and begin processing the transaction. Generally, it is possible to complete the transaction in one trading day, unless the purchase is made late in the day. When that is the case, it may be the following business day before the transaction is fully completed.
Designate the mode of payment. A quick and secure method is to have the payment for the stock certificates electronically transferred into the bank account of your choice. The seller can either forward the payment to your broker, who then arranges the transfer or send it directly upon receiving the hard copy or electronic copy of the stock certificates that were purchased.

How to Make a Killing in The Stock Market

Choose a brokerage firm that charges the lowest brokerage commissions you can find. Keeping your costs low is an essential part of investing and making money in the stock market.
Compare the costs associated with mutual funds and choose the lowest cost providers you can find. Index funds can provide a low cost alternative to actively managed funds, which allows you to keep more of your money in the stock market.
Research the available options at your employer, including any employee stock purchase plans the firm has in place. Stock purchase plans can be an effective way to make a killing in the stock market since they carry a number of built-in advantages. For instance, the typical employee stock purchase plan allows you to buy stock at a 5 to 15 percent discount, which gives you an immediate return on your money.
Invest as much as you can into your company 401k plan and use the lowest cost and highest performing mutual funds you can find. Review the prospectus for each mutual fund in the 401k and look for funds that performed well in both up and down markets. Invest at least enough in your 401k to get the full company match from the firm you work for.
Set up an automatic investment plan into a quality index mutual fund. Transfer money directly from your bank account to the mutual fund company each month. This helps you accumulate wealth in the stock market by allowing you to accumulate more shares when the stock market is down and fewer when it is up. This process is known as dollar cost averaging, and it can help build long-term wealth in the stock market.
Put more money into your stock market investments when the market experiences its inevitable declines. Buying low and selling high is at the heart of stock market investing. The stock market should be a long-term investment, not a short-term trading vehicle.