How to Invest in Stocks
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Investing in stocks has been done by users to trade in the short-term and to invest for a longer period as well. However, many users may not be familiar with the steps required to start their investing journey.
In this guide, we show you how to begin investing in stocks and review some popular brokers that allow you to begin trading in the equity markets.
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Customer service
Classification
Mobile App
Fixed commissions per operation
Account Fee
Rating
- Buy shares and ETFs with 0% commission
- Social and copy trading network
- Invest and trade crypto with low fees
68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider.
Account Info
Fees per operation
How to Invest in Stocks – Quick Steps
If you only wish for us to provide quick instructions on how to invest in stocks, then we show you how to do so in the steps below.
- Create Your Account — Start by creating a trading account on your chosen platform and complete the sign-up process.
- Verify Your ID — Next, verify your ID by providing your driver’s license, passport, or ID.
- Deposit Funds — Deposit funds that you will use as your initial investment through one of the numerous supported payment methods.
- Invest in Palantir Stock — Finally, search for the stocks you wish to purchase on your platform’s search bar and insert the amount you wish to trade with and confirm your transaction.
Below, you will find the detailed process that you can follow in order to invest in stocks.
Step 1 – Choose a Stock Broker
Users may need to pick a suitable broker to begin investing in the stock market. In the sections below, we review some of the popular brokers you can do this with.
1. eToro
The first on our list is eToro, a trading platform available in over 140 countries and servicing more than 26 million traders. eToro offers access to over 2,400 global markets and lets you purchase shares at zero commission. The platform does charge spreads, but they are very low and quite affordable.
eToro offers a wide range of services too, including automated trading, where you can set up specific parameters and allow the software to do the trading for you, as well as social trading. Another feature it offers is copy-trading, or the ability to find a professional trader who trades stocks you are interested in and then copy their moves.
eToro is also heavily regulated by some of the biggest regulatory bodies in the world, such as CySEC, the FCA, ASIC, and more. Plus, other than stocks, it also offers a variety of other assets, including cryptocurrencies, if you wish to diversify your portfolio even further.
eToro fees:
| Fee | Amount |
| Stock trading fee | Free |
| Forex trading fee | Spread, 2.1 pips for GBP/USD |
| Crypto trading fee | Spread, 0.75% for Bitcoin |
| Inactivity fee | $10 a month after one year |
| Withdrawal fee | $5 |
Your capital is at risk. Other fees apply. For more information, visit etoro.com/trading/fees.
2. Libertex
Next on the list, we have Libertex — another popular brokerage service that deals in CFDs. This platform also offers industry-leading quotes, and a wide range of assets, offering some of the popular stocks to invest in. If you don’t know how to buy stocks, the platform also has plenty of educational materials that you can use, although it is very simple as it is.
Libertexalso supports MT4, for those who prefer taking this route for their trading. Its minimum deposit is only $100, while the minimum investment is only one-tenth of that, sitting at $10, and making this heavily-regulated platform extremely affordable.
Libertex fees:
| Fee | Amount |
| Stock trading fee | Commission. 0.034% for Amazon. |
| Forex trading fee | Commission. 0.008% for GBP/USD. |
| Crypto trading fee | Commission. 1.23% for Bitcoin. |
| Inactivity fee | $5 a month after 180 days |
| Withdrawal fee | Free |
Sponsored Ad. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
4. Skilling
Nearing the end of the list, we have Skilling — a Cyprus-based online broker licensed by CySEC and the FSC. The platform charges zero commission and is compatible with MT4 and Ctrader, it features CFDs on stocks, crypto, indices, energies, metals, and more, and offers many research tools.
The platform has a minimum investment of only $100. You can practice your trading for as long as you want on its stock trading demo account, and once you are ready, you can even engage in trading with leverage. In total, this platform features more than 800 financial instruments, and it also has copy-trading.
Skilling fees:
| Fee | Amount |
| Stock trading fee | o% Commission on Skilling's Trader Account |
| Forex trading fee | Variable spreads starting from 0.7% |
| Crypto trading fee | Spread. 0.20% for Bitcoin. |
| Inactivity fee | €10 per month after one year |
| Withdrawal fee | Free |
Sponsored Ad. Your capital is at risk when trading CFDs with this provider.
5. AvaTrade
Finally, we have AvaTrade, which is another popular platform for trading stock at zero commission, but also has high leverage trading options. Out of all the platforms mentioned here, AvaTrade offers the highest leverage for retail accounts — x400.
Leverage for stocks is still pretty low, however, only sitting at x10. However, there are plenty of stocks available, plus the platform is simple to use. It is compatible with other trading platforms to make experts feel welcome and in a familiar environment. Its spreads are low and is heavily regulated as well.
Avatrade fees:
| Fee | Amount |
| CFD trading fee | Variable spread |
| Forex trading fee | Spread. 0.9 pips for EUR/USD |
| Crypto trading fee | Commission. 0.25% (over-market) for Bitcoin/USD |
| Inactivity fee | $50 per quarter after three months of inactivity |
| Withdrawal fee | Free |
Sponsored Ad. 71% of retail CFD accounts lose money with this provider.
How to Invest in Stocks - Brokers Comparison
| Trading Platform Fees |
Stock trading fees |
Forex trading fees |
Overnight fees |
| eToro | Free | Variable spread | Overnight fees for CFDs. No overnight fees for non-leveraged stocks, ETFs, and crypto. |
| Libertex | 0%-0.46% commission | Commission | Yes. Taken at end of each trading day at 9 pm GMT as interest, which may be positive or negative. For CFDs, the overnight fee is triple when holding from Friday to Monday. |
| Skilling | 0% Commission | Variable spread starting from 0.7 pips | Yes. Applies to all instruments. |
| Avatrade | Variable Spread | Spread. 0.9 pips for EUR/USD | Yes. Charged on positions that remain open at 22:00 GMT. Applies to all instruments. |
Step 2 – Research on Stocks Investing
You may also choose to research the stocks themselves, and find out which ones to invest in. Therefore, we will be talking a little more about stocks and their fundamentals in the sections below.
What is a Stock?
Let’s start from the beginning and answer what a stock is in the first place. A stock, sometimes also known as equity, is a security that represents a fraction of the corporation. By purchasing the stock and owning it, a trader also becomes a partial owner of the company whose stock they purchased.
This entitles the trader who bought the stock to a proportion of the company’s assets, as well as profits equal to the worth of the stock. Units of stock are called shares, and they are purchased on stock exchanges or brokerage platforms, or via private sales.
Stocks Fundamentals
While the stock market is not nearly as volatile as the crypto industry, there is always a possibility of some firms outperforming many others due to some positive development. Of course, the opposite is also true, and the companies’ stock value might start dropping in case of negative developments.
This is why fundamental analysis is crucial for mid-term and long-term stock trading, although not so much for daily traders, scalpers, and others who tend to purchase and sell in a very short time in hopes of earning low profits, but doing it daily, or perhaps even multiple times per day.
What Are Dividends in Stocks?
Some companies wish to reward their stockholders for keeping the shares in their possession. This helps create a positive image for the firms, as it shows that shareholders believe in the company. Meanwhile, shareholders get to earn passive income and receive some extra cash simply in exchange for holding on to the shares.
Not all companies do this, of course, so traders need to check whether or not the firm whose shares they are interested in pay dividends.
Step 3: Open Account & Invest in Stocks
Now that you know the platforms that let users purchase stocks, you can analyse the information and make a decision on whether or not you wish to invest in the industry.
Should you choose to do so, you may want to pick a suitable brokerage that will cater to your investing needs. In the sections below, we will show you how to begin trading with the chosen broker of your choice.
Step 1: Open Your Trading Account
Head over to the homepage of your chosen broker and begin the account set-up process. You will be required to fill in your personal details - including your full name, email address and mobile number. Create a username and password for the platform to continue.
Step 2: Verify Your Identity
Most popular brokers are regulated - which is why users may be required to verify their accounts. To do this, simply upload proof of ID (a copy of your driver's license or passport) and proof of address (a copy of a bank statement or utility bill). Once these documents have been uploaded, your broker should verify them in a couple of minutes.
Step 3: Deposit funds
The next step is to deposit funds into your trading account. Most brokers may support 1 or more of the following payment methods:
- Credit card
- Debit card
- Bank transfer
- e-wallet
Choose your preferred payment option and deposit the funds into your account.
Step 4: Invest in Stocks
Once your account has been funded, proceed to search for any stocks you wish to purchase by searching on your platform's search bar. Fill in the amount you want to credit into the trade, and confirm your transaction.
Conclusion
Stock trading is one way to invest your funds for the short-term and even long-term. Users who are looking to enter the stock market may want to conduct their own information and research on the available stocks as well as platforms to choose from.
FAQs
What is a stock?
Can I invest in stocks outside the US?
How can I earn dividends from a stock?
Ali Raza
