Hi,

The original link is broken now. I think these two should cover it though:

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/private-investors/find-a-broker/selecting/broker.htm

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/private-investors/find-a-broker/locate-a-broker-search.html

Cheers,

Martin

Hoodless brennan are about the cheapest you can find.

Their initial setting up on the money laundering front is pretty over zealous though, so beware that there may be some leadtime before you are ready to win or lose money.

The link above to the London Stock Exchange will help you to find a broker that suits you. You should expect to pay around £10 commission plus stamp duty at 0.5% on a purchase as an "execution only" customer. Most brokers use nominee accounts these days. There shouldn't be a fee to hold the shares in one of these but you don't get a certificate. If you find a broker who sends out a certificate, that document is then yours to look after and there will only be a charge if you lose it and need it replacing.

Hi There,

I am keen to buy some shares, can you recomend a website I can do this through? I am not going to trade on a regular basis and I am going to be making a decent sized investment - over £1,000

Besides the cost of doing the deal do I need to pay a custodial or annual fee for them holding the shares and what shoulf I expect to pay?

Regards

Rooster

It's normal to buy through a broker and pay the commission. An "execution only" service wont come with advice (beyond, perhaps, a newsletter each month) and will usually be less expensive. Some services are online, others use phones, some banks let you buy over the counter but there will still be commission. The commission covers the paperwork and other services (and a profit, of course).

It's possible for me to sell you some shares that I have without there being any commission but there would be no guarantee that I wouldn't blow the money on a night out and keep the shares. There is such a guarantee if you use a broker who is a member of the London Stock Exchange. The only practical way to buy shares without comission is to have something like a self-select ISA where you are allowed to choose your own shares and some providers may not charge commission for this (but they still charge annual fees).

If you shop around, you should be able to find a broker with commission that's under £10 per trade.

Perfect that answers my question. Thanks so much.

Is there any option where i can buy shares without having to pay any commission? Might be a stupid question but was wondering if there is any place i can buy shares without any broker? Like i would do any online shopping? I mean just login to a website and buy what i want instead of going through a broker and pay commision? If the broker gives advice on what to buy and what not to buy then it makes sense to pay the commision if not then why does one have to pay the stocks? is it due to the paper work that is done by the broker?

Thanks in advance. Your inputs are really very clear and helpful.

Yes. You can buy one share if you wish. The commission on buying is around £10 (it depends on the broker) however many shares you buy. Although there is no lower limit, many people don't consider ir efficient to buy less than about £500 - £1000 worth with each trade.

If you buy, for example, ten shares at £1, then you'll have to pay about £20 including the commission plus a few pence stamp duty. If the shares doubled in value, you would still not make a profit because, to sell, you would have to pay another £10 or so commission. But, as long as you are happy with that, there's nothing stopping you buying 10 shares. Some people will buy 1 share in a company just to get an invite and a vote at a shareholders' meeting.

Hi,

Many thanks indeed. Your inputs and details is very much appreciated.

Since i am new to stock market and shares i have few more questions. Is there any limitations on the minimum number of stocks a person can buy? I am interested in buying around 10 shares initially and see my luck and if things are working fine slowly increase the number of shares i can buy. Could you give some inputs on this? can i buy 10 shares initially?

The first step is to choose and register with a broker. If buying UK stocks, you should choose one that is a member of the London Stock Exchange. Some brokers offer online trading, others charge more and give advice.

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/en-gb/pricesnews/education/resources/broker/

It's worth having a browse around other parts of that site.

Once you've registered, you just follow the broker's system. If it's an online service, you just log in to the site, get a quote and click in the right place to buy or sell.

A little advice for a new investor:

• Before using real money, try just pretending. Pick your share and follow the price to see if, had you bought, you would have made a profit or loss.

• Take all recommendations with a pinch of salt and make up your own mind. Ignore any hot tips for companies that you've never heard of before and, particularly, avoid anything that is being recommended solely on the basis that the price is a few pence rather than a few pounds "so it must be better value". Recommendations from a newsagent's shelf are generally better and cost a lot less than subscription "tip sheets".

• If you want to let someone else make the decisions, choose from unit trusts and investment trusts. Many other forms of equity investment have higher charges and complicated terms.

• If you get an unexpected phone call from someone with a "not to be missed" investment offer, either hang up or ignore their questions and ask for details of their name, their company's name, address and so on and you can be sure that they will then hang up.

• Don't be rushed into anything. There are opportunities today but no more and no less than the opportunities that there will be tomorrow.

Hi

i am new to stocks and shares and a novice in this field. Anyways i wanted to buy some stocks online and wnated to know how to do that? Can anybody guide me on how to buy stocks online in a simple way?

Thanks