In the past, an investor had to deal with a broker who placed a buy or sell order. Today, orders are placed directly by the investor online.
Opening an online account is simple and easy. First, a person must complete the application, provide the necessary identity information, and wait for approval.
Start researching a stock by reading about it in one of the many investing books available to the public regarding learning how to research and select stocks.
The next step is to decide on an amount to invest. If you have a lump sum, it makes sense (and reduces risk) by not investing it all in one trade.
The last step is to select an order type. The two basic order types are a market order and a limit order. There are more order types, but beginners will mainly use these two.