You can open an online brokerage account with very little money. In fact, nearly all of the brokers we’ve included here let investors open an accou...

Every online broker has a different account opening process, but they can usually be completed online. Start by visiting the broker’s website, whic...

There are a variety of accounts you can open with an online broker. If your goal is to save money that you won’t need until retirement, then you ma...

When you open an account, you may be given the option to open a cash account or a margin account. Margin accounts are like a credit card, letting y...

Each online broker has a slightly different account opening process, but all of them generally require that you provide certain information, includ...

A paper trading account is like a normal investing account, except that it doesn’t involve investing any actual money. Instead, paper trading accou...

There is no fee associated with opening a brokerage account in virtually all cases. However, some brokers have minimum initial deposit requirements...

If your brokerage account has a cash balance, you can withdraw money whenever you want, assuming it is a standard (non-retirement) account. With re...

There is no limit to the amount of brokerage accounts you can have, and many investors have several. For example, it wouldn't be unusual for an inv...

A brokerage fee is a fee you'll be charged to use a broker's service. These fees can apply to both discount brokers and full-service brokers who of...

Fractional shares let you buy a portion of a share of a company rather than a full share. If a share of a given company costs $1,000 but you only w...

A paper trading account lets you go through the motions of buying stocks without using actual money. It's a good way for beginners to learn the rop...

Cash and securities in a brokerage account are insured by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), so you have protection if your bro...

You can cash out a brokerage account by withdrawing your cash balance and selling your investments for cash. It could take a few days for your trad...