Signing up
Signing up with the main online stockbrokers is fairly simple. The forms are straightforward and take no more than ten minutes to fill out.
There are no trick, or difficult questions. You will however be asked to make a minimum deposit to your share trading account.
Usually, this will be around £100, but you can deposit as much as you like above that figure. You can do that using your debit card, or if you choose, by cheque.
You can if you like also transfer over shares you hold with other brokers. You'll still have to do some paperwork when your stockbrokers posts out the forms for you to sign.
You may also be asked for further personal information such as bank statements or a utility bill.
Be warned - your sharedealing account won't be fully functioning until you have completed all of the paperwork.
Surprisingly, given it only takes 10 minutes to fill out the online forms, it can take up to a week before it is fully functioning.