Investing with Sharebuilder-Part I

Before you begin any investment plan, you need to do some research. Sharebuilder, and other online investment firms offer over 7000 individual stocks, mutual funds and ETF's (Exchange-traded Funds). You must take time to learn more about the companies in which you want to invest before spending any of your hard-earned cash.

Visit Sharebuilder.com and browse the site to learn about their products, services and fees. If you wish to join, click on the Open an Account link at the top of the page. You'll then need to choose an Account type (Individual, Joint, Traditional IRA, Rollover IRA, Roth IRA, Education Savings Account or Custodial Account). You can also apply for Options Trading or Margin Borrowing (a feature for more experienced investors). When you have made your selections, click Next.

On the next page, you'll need to indicate whether you already have a Sharebuilder account. Assuming that you do not, choose NO, and complete the personal information fields, including name, address, email address and telephone number. Again, click Next.

Create a username, password and supply your mother's maiden name for security and identification purposes, if you should lose your username or password at a later date. Continue by clicking Next. Answer the questions about employment status, affiliations, and IRS W-9 compliance, then click Next.

Make certain to read the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, in their entirety. You then must indicate acceptance of Sharebuilder's policies before your account will be opened. Click Open Account to complete the application process.

Now, continue on to Investing with Sharebuilder-Part II