If you are ready to go from simply saving to investing, you are probably hoping to make some more money. That’s with good reason. I’m sure you’d rather make more than the half a percent you’re earning in your savings account. Even as high as online savings accounts are, it’s still not as high as you could be earning through investments in stock.

When you are ready to invest, you need to first choose an investment. There are so many different ways to invest, but the most common are stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and real estate. Next, you will need to find out where to buy your investments. This is different depending on what you buy. You can buy bonds at your local bank, but if you want to buy stocks, you need a brokerage firm.

Online brokerage firms are great for beginner investors and seasoned investors alike. You can place trades online at home as well as see the performance right on your own computer. Not too long ago, you had to call your broker when you wanted to buy or sell. Now that you can do it online, it has gotten a lot easier.

I have been using the online brokerage firm Sharebuilder.com. It’s been over 2 years that I have been with them and I couldn’t be happier. For a buy and hold investor, you can’t beat $4 for each automatic investment. You could even buy mutual funds with them if you’d rather.

When you are ready to sign up for Sharebuilder and start investing, just visit the link at the end of this article to sign up. It’s easy to create an account and get started.

The sign up process is pretty simple. Just fill out a few forms and either fax or mail copies of ID and verification. This is for added security. This is your money we’re talking about. They make sure you’re safe!

If you are worried about your security, rest assure with Sharebuilder. They have recently been bought by ING Direct a very reputable bank. They require a secure login and password and also require more verification before each trade and transfer. While you’re in the site, you will see a padlock in the address bar or bottom right corner of your browser. This signifies your security with the site.

Once you have signed up and have everything verified, you are read to start investing. You can buy stocks on the third Tuesday of the month or opt to trade stocks more frequently for a little more cost. You can even set up an automatic investment plan so that you are investing on a regular basis. Waste no time, start investing now!