I want to buy and sell shares - advice please

[chris79]

Where is the best place to buy and sell online?

Preferably somewhere which doesn't require you to go through a 3 month security process which involves mailing them your birth certificate, passport, 20 utility bills, etc.

Thanks!

[Bob Dalek]

Use BetFair. Their security is f--king top class. That's playing the Markets like betting on horses, not buying selling shares... plenty do it.

[bellymonster]

I think pretty much all dealing sites have to go through the excessive indentification processes these days, anti-fraud laws 'n' that.

I have used Barclays for quite a few years and they are pretty efficient but might not be the cheapest. They do provide you with quite good research tools but nothing that can't be found at the like of Advfn and DigitalLook for free.

If you are new to dabbling in shares, my advice would be to do your research. Start reading investors chronicle every week, and check out the above sites I mentioned before parting with any dosh (I speak from experience of loosing a fair wedge in the past, although since I started to research I do a whole lot better).

Also bear in mind it might take a while to make money, don't expect to be in profit on the first day.

[AtW]

Just goto casino - you will have better chance of winning.

[rootsnall]

Hargreaves Lansdown are OK.

[Moscow Mule]

Where is the best place to buy and sell online?

Preferably somewhere which doesn't require you to go through a 3 month security process which involves mailing them your birth certificate, passport, 20 utility bills, etc.

Thanks!

Unless you have huge reserves of capital, retail buying & selling of shares is a mugs game. You are far better off placing spread bets on the shares you favour.

[DieScum]

Unless you have huge reserves of capital, retail buying & selling of shares is a mugs game. You are far better off placing spread bets on the shares you favour.

Why? Transaction costs and no CGT on spread bets?

Thing with spread betting is the danger of leverage and I think I read somewhere that the majority of spread betting punters lose money, down to leveraging, whereas investing in equities over the long term has historically brought a return of 7%.

[Incognito]

I use hoodless brennan, but you still have to pass money laundering regs. As someone else said, this isn't get rich quick.

If you're looking at spreadbetting then I think people use IG, although tradefair has started up as well which is run by the same people at betfair. I don't know much about spreadbetting though, just that the gains can be huge just like the risk. Other people on here will be better placed to answer.

[Alf W]

Buying and selling shares is an easy way to make a small fortune.

[sasguru]

Just goto casino - you will have better chance of winning.

Or work for a dot com company not knowing a speculative bubble when you see one, eh?