The site should also be simple to navigate, with quotes accessible from the trading screen, along with charts and news. Customer service is important, too. Online brokers are known for their dealings in stocks. For novice traders, the brokerage sites offer informative tutorials and articles, as well as investment simulation games, interactive tools, and a basics section. Users can view their account histories by date and category, as well as trade stocks, bonds, options, and mutual funds, customize the homepage, and receive e-mail alerts when their stocks are on the move.
Users can join discussion groups, sign up for free e-mail or a charge card, and read the news.
Once a user has chosen a broker, it's time to open an account. Most brokers let users do this online, with a receipt of deposit. Alternatively, users can request that an application be sent to them in the mail. For those brokers that don't allow immediate trading, users might wait up to six weeks before their accounts become active. Relying on unfounded tips from friends or discussion forums isn't a smart way to invest.