There are many services online and custodians that that can facilitate stock trades.
Anybody can buy shares of a publicly traded company, but it must be done through a brokerage firm or a custodian. Brokers and brokerage firms act as middle men between the buyer and the seller.
Some brokerage houses such as E-Trade, Ameritrade, or Charles Schwab offer low-cost services online to anyone with a checking account, and offer no personal advice. Other brokerage firms focus on the human element, offering investment advice and making additional money through long-term client relationships and the commissions and fees that result from portfolio management.
This is where client-facing investment advisors work, many of them independent contractors with the brokerage services of their choice. Keep in mind that either way, whether with a personal advisor or an online service, you will be charged a commission/brokerage fee for each trade in addition to the price of the stock shares you are purchasing.
After you purchased a stock, it is kept in your digital portfolio.
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