How to Start Buying Stocks

I thought i would post this for any readers thinking about investing in the stock market but not sure where to start.  There are a few ways to go about it.  You could go and talk to a local investment specialist.  Going this route will give you personalized advice but it is one of the more costly ways to start.  There are many online brokers with excellent information for beginners at a much more affordable price.  Etrade is good, they have reasonable fees and good charts and company information.  My personal favorite is sharebuilder.  At sharebuilder there are no minimums on the purchases and no minimum starting account balance.  So you could literally start with just a few dollars.  Scotttrade is another popular one with great charts and stats.  Some of these sites run ads on this blog if it is something that you may be interested in.  Whichever way you decide to start, don't be afraid to dive in.  It's really not that difficult.  The only advice that holds true to almost any stock is to look at the profit margin and make sure the company is profitable.  Sure there are some stocks that will go up when the company isn't turning a profit but those are more risky and better left to experienced traders.