Online trading
What it means to place your own orders — and what to get right before you start.
Online trading means buying and selling securities yourself, through a broker’s website or app, without an adviser in between. You decide what, when and how much. That freedom is the point — and it is also why a plan matters.
What you need to start
- A securities account with an online broker.
- Money you will not need in the short term.
- A plan: what you want to achieve, over what period, and how big a loss you can live with.
Order types in plain words
Market orderBuys or sells right away at the next available price.
Limit orderBuys only at or below, or sells only at or above, the price you set.
Stop orderTurns into a market order once a price you set is reached — often used to limit losses.
Stop-limit orderTurns into a limit order once the stop price is reached.
Common mistakes
- Trading too often — costs add up and decisions get rushed.
- Putting too much into a single position.
- Buying after a big rise because everyone is talking about it.
- Having no exit plan for when a trade goes wrong.
Every investment carries risk. Prices can fall, and you may get back less than you invested.