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E*Trade online.
Establish a brokerage account. Since most online brokers pretty much offer the same service, you should shop around to find the broker with the lowest per trade price. However, these companies often merge in tough economic times, so in the big picture, it really doesn't matter whose name is on top of the website, as long as the company offers a low per trade price. - 2
Most brokerage firms have an online presence.
Stock your brokerage account with cash. Depending on what broker you use, you may have to deposit a minimum amount in order to open a brokerage account. You can either send checks via snail mail, or better yet, harness the power of the Web and link your bank account to your brokerage account, and transfer the money with a few keystrokes and mouse clicks. - 3
Investing without researching is just wasting money.
Research your stocks. You should already know about doing your homework before investing. Decide what stocks you want, at what price you want to buy, and what price you want to sell, if they go up. - 4
Online trading is putting these guys out of a job.
Decide how you're going to buy your stocks. If you're buying mainstream stocks, such as those sold on the major exchanges, then it's simply a matter of looking up the symbol and learning what exchange they're on. For more obscure exchanges and stocks, you may have to call an actual broker. - 5
Name your price here.
Define how much you want to buy your stocks for. A market order will get you the stock at its price when you hit the "submit order" button in your browser. A limit order allows you to "set your price" -- so when the stock hits that number, your purchase automatically goes through. Limit orders can be valid for one day (known as a "day order") or "good until cancelled." Which method you choose is based on your financial savvy, market conditions and the companies you plan on investing in. - 6
Keep current on market conditions.
Stay up to date on your stocks, as market conditions are in a constant state of flux.
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