One of the children here says to practice. Practice what, ignorance? Like a child?
One of the best football coaches in history says "Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect."
Another guy here says "first you have to decide which company." Really? Based on what? Ignorance seems to pervade the investment community. Be wary of vague, baseless opinion. You're on the right track, asking for specifics. Are you going to analyze a company based on fundamentals or technical analysis, for example?
Another guy here says "Don't do it." But I don't think you know the difference in "trading" and investing. You just need to define your terms. Forget "trading" for now. It takes a long time and a lot of resources and a lot of work and testing and experience to gain a feel for the markets. Anyone can buy a stock today and be an "investor" for the long haul. A "trader" better have a good entry, with a stop set and probably a target. He will have a specific trigger that has been tested. Although he does NOT know what the market will do (he isn't psychic), he does know the probability of success of his method, strategy and system, and a measured, exact, specific risk, measured through rigorous testing over long time periods through both up and down markets. Trading is a vocation. Investing is a pastime.
First, you must learn something about what you're trying to do. This question is asked several times an hour here. You are not the first beginner. Just type "books investing" or "how to invest" in the Search Answers box above and you'll get lots of answers. Learn how to use Google and do research.
Define financial terms at Investopedia and Wiki so you understand what others are saying and don't end up going in the wrong direction with the children and the sheep.
It will literally take years to become a trader. Learn investing first. It is about becoming consistent and preservation of capital. If you still want to learn about trading, develop a trade plan with good trading strategy, determine your risk level and time frame, and learn to use good money management techniques. Test your plan on a simulator to become consistent, or revise the plan. You will get "practice" along the way. Learn everything you can about risk; nobody thinks about volatility. Concentrate on risk first, not mythological profits you have no potential to make other than through luck and guessing; not a good plan.
If you are really interested in trading and developing a trade plan, read the book "Rules of the Trade," by David Nassar.
Five Minute Investing: How To Evaluate A Trading Strategy
http://www.investopedia.com/university/f...
The Cardinal Sin Of Beginning Investing -- And How To Avoid It
http://www.investopedia.com/stock-analys...
Answered similar questions here:
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index...
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When you open a brokerage account, you will have access to all of the resources and help forums everyone else has. Download a free trial from any major brokerage firm. You won't have to fund the account for months or years.
Broker Reviews
http://www.brokerswiki.com/
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If you want to start online trading, first you have to decide which company has the perfect fit for you and what you need out of a firm. If you a night investor, you want 24/7 assistance and if your dealing regularly, you want reduced business charges. Make sure the company that you select to go with, you can develop with.
Binary trading is notoriously risky but if you follow a special method I've learned you can earn good money at almost no risk. This is the site I use: ( http://forexsignal.kyma.info ) I definitely recommend subscribing to this site in particular. I was a bit weary of binary trading from all the bad hype they receive but this site is pretty legit. This course explain everything you need to start a very profitable trading activity. Remember never invest 100% of your capital into any one security and never have 100% of your capital invested and a good understanding of the rules
You do research on online brokers - select one you like and send them a check after you've filled out the application form. Online brokers have different rules about the minimum opening amount so check.
Once your account is FUNDED i.e. has money in it - you can buy a stock. To buy stocks you need to find out the STOCK SYMBOL for the company that you want to invest in. It will be three or four letters long. AAPL for Apple, FB for Facebook, EBAY for, yes, Ebay, F for Ford, BA for Boeing etc.
The most common quantity to buy is a hundred shares. You can buy smaller quantities but the broker is going to charge you $7 or more for each completed order so buying ten shares or less is not realistic.
Make sure you have enough money in the account for the trade you want. A hundred share of Facebook is going to cost a little over $6000.00.
Then read, read, and read as much investing articles that you can. Find out what other people think are good stocks and stocks to avoid. Do NOT go and buy stocks just because you've heard of Home Depot, McDonald's, or Disney. You can make money on these stocks but every other small investor had the same idea. Get to understand the P/E ratio (Stock Price divided by Annual Earnings) and see how it can reflect the relative value of the company vs. its competitors and the market in general.
Look for stocks that pay dividends i.e. send you a small dividend check every three months. (Actually the money will be added to your brokerage account..)
Open demo account with questrade for instance and practice and practice and practice and when you feel that you are ready put money down .
You look online for stock trading outfits, say Ameritrade. You fill out the forms, you send them money to stock your account. You trade stocks.
Try not to lose your shirt too fast. I hope you realize that the market is in for a major haircut.
Please, being very specific where and how do I start trading stocks online? I'm talking all the way back to the grindstone. What is the first thing I need to do?
I have no idea how or where to even start.
