how do i start online trading?

i want to start some online stock trading, i have particular open market stocks in mind and i know that i can start with a relatively low amount, but what service should i use and what things should or shouldnt i do?

Public Comments

1. Check out Sharbuilder dot com

2. I have used scottrade and am very happy with them. For $7 a trade this really can't be beat. Every time I have called them for help I found the customer service was very very decent. You will need only $500 to open an account. Execution times on trades is very good as well.

3. first you need to open an online account first. most of them charge 4dollar to 15 dollar commision fee. Personally, I think Sogotrade is best among all online brokerages. You can get a lot of free trades: about 100 free trades with 500 minimum deposits. It has very good customer services, it also has live help, and you can chat with representatives about any question. After that, only 3 dollar for each trade, pretty sweet when compared with other online brokerages.
Referral code: 453934

4. Open an account at a brokerage firm such as Scottrade.
NO account maintenance or inactivity fees.( Make sure you sign up for ONLINE account confirmations and statements).
Free real-time stock quotes and charts.
Free real-time Dow Jones news.
'Free "GainsKeeper' software for cost basis accounting.
Excellent research sources.
Excellent trading platforms (very user friendly).
Excellent customer service (over 350 Branch offices nationwide).
$500.00 minimum to open an account.
$7.00 online trading commission for stock over $1.00 a share.

For comparison purposes:

Sharebuilder's real-time online commission is $9.95.
T.D. Ameritrade's online trading commission is $9.99.
E-Trade's standard online trading commission is $12.99.