Your broker is the platform that executes your trades. When choosing, look for:

Studying price charts and patterns to predict future movement. This is more common for short-term trading. 4. Understand Order Types

If a stock hits your target price, you might sell a portion to lock in gains.

Buys or sells immediately at the best current price. Best for highly liquid stocks where you just want "in."

Ensure you aren't putting all your eggs in one basket. If one company or sector fails, you want other investments to keep you afloat. ⚠️ A Note on Risk

Most major brokers (like Schwab, Vanguard, or Fidelity) and apps (like Robinhood) now offer $0 commission trades for stocks and ETFs.