Re: Newb Question - Buying a stock 101
I've never used Zecco, but Scottrade is good. A brokerage account is like a bank account, except with more options about what you can do with the money you deposit. There are no fees for depositing or withdrawing. Scottrade will send you a checkbook to let you draw on your account.
Basically, you fill out the forms on their website, and mail in those with a check. In a couple weeks, your account will be set up and you can start. Trading is simple, you just log in, click trading, click Buy, and decide what price to offer on the stock you want. After the trade goes through, Scottrade will subtract the cost of the trade plus $7 from your balance, and you'll see the stock in your portfolio.
Various other brokerages may charge some hidden fees (like $100 if you ever want to transfer your account to a different brokerage). I like Scottrade because they're very good about keeping customer costs low.
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