Matt is a Certified Financial Planner® and investment advisor based in Columbia, South Carolina. He writes personal finance and investment advice for The Ascent and its parent company The Motley Fool, with more than 4,500 published articles and a 2017 SABEW Best in Business award. Matt writes a weekly investment column ("Ask a Fool") that is syndicated in USA Today, and his work has been regularly featured on CNBC, Fox Business, MSN Money, and many other major outlets. He’s a graduate of the University of South Carolina and Nova Southeastern University, and holds a graduate certificate in financial planning from Florida State University.
When you are choosing an online stock broker you have to think about your immediate needs as an investor. Are you a beginner? Maybe you need a broker that has great educational material about the stock market. Do you only have a small amount of money you can put aside to invest? Some online brokers allow for small minimum deposits which can be a great option for those with limited funds. Are you always on the go and in need of a robust mobile platform? Some online brokers have incredible mobile apps delivering nearly all the features that their desktop counterparts do.
Over the long run, value stocks outperform growth, so look for stocks trading at relatively cheap valuations based on price-to-earnings ratio (P/E), price-to-sales ratio (P/S), and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF). It is vital not to chase opportunities, but rather wait for them because patience always pays. Solid fundamentals and a large moat (barrier to entry) are also vital for long-term sustained success. Also, use technical analysis and charting to better help pinpoint both the entry and exit points for the stock under consideration—both for a target profit area and a stop loss.
Lightspeed is a brokerage with a focus on active and experienced traders. Lightspeed charges $0 per trade and $0.60 cents per contract with a $1 minimum per trade. Tiered pricing starts at 500+ contracts per month. Depending on your volume, discounted rates range from $0.20 cents at 100,000+ contracts per month to $0.50 cents at 500 to 2,000 contracts per month.
One of the first decisions you’ll have to make is deciding what you want to trade. Every market is different, bringing with them their own benefits and drawbacks. You need at least $25,000 to start investing in the stock market for example, whereas the forex market requires the least amount of capital. You could start day trading with just $500 in your account.
An essential beginners tip is to practice with a demo account first. They are usually funded with simulated money and they’ll offer you a safe space to make mistakes and develop your strategies. They are also a fantastic place to get familiar with platforms, market conditions, and technical analysis. They’re free and easy to use. What have you got to lose?
RKSV Securities: SEBI Registration No. INZ000185137 | NSE Member Code: 13942 | BSE Clrg Code: 6155 | CDSL: IN-DP-CDSL- 00282534 | NSDL: IN-DP-NSDL-11496819 | CDSL: IN-DP-CDSL- 00283831 | NSDL: IN-DP-NSDL-11497282 | RKSV Commodities MCX Member Code: 46510 | SEBI Regn. No. INZ000015837 | RKSV Securities CIN number : U74900DL2009PTC189166 | RKSV Commodities CIN number: U74110DL2012PTC236371 | Compliance officer: Mr. Hiren Thakkar. Tel no: (022) 24229920. Email: compliance@rksv.in | Registered Address: RKSV, 807 New Delhi House, New Delhi 110001. Corporate Office: Sunshine Tower, 30th Floor, Senapati Bapat Marg, Dadar (W), Mumbai - 400 013. For any complaints, email at complaints@upstox.com and complaints.mcx@upstox.com | To lodge your complaints using SEBI SCORE, click here |Please ensure you carefully read the Risk Disclosure Document as prescribed by SEBI. Read More