how to open an online brokerage account. Now, the Internet today makes it very, very easy

to purchase stocks and open an online brokerage account. It's one of the main benefits of

the Internet. Let me take you through a few steps that can make this process of opening

up account at an online brokerage firm easier for you. Step one is to decide what your individual

financial needs are and how much information about stocks do you need. At an online firm

they're not going to provide much service to you, but they are going to have all that

service that you can pull from their website, such as research, and the research is is very

good at the online services today. They have many companies that provide that research,

and when you open up an account you get access to it for free. Two, decide which online broker

is best for your basic needs. You can visit a variety of different websites that can rank

these brokerage firms for you. Four great firms today are TD Ameritrade, E-Trade, Charles

Schwabb, and Scott Trade. They're inexpensive, they're SIPC insured, and they carry a wide

range of securities, and they're very simple. They have fast websites that can make it very

easy for you to purchase and sell securities. Three, is decide how much money that you want

to put inside of your new account. Again, that all depends on your needs and how much

money you have so that's an individualized question. Four, is to complete an account

application at that brokerage firm. Most of this can be done online, but again, most of

the firms require that you fill out an application and at least mail it in so they have a hard

copy with your original signature on it. Any information provided here is for general informational

purposes only and should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personalized

investment advice. Any investments or strategies mentioned here may not be suitable for everyone.

My name is Phillip Beningoso, and I'm an investment professional.