There are many types of brokerage services available. Even the average investor will use a broker to handle his stock market transactions. Some brokers will even give advice about which stocks to buy and sell based on their market trend research.

Obviously these tips are not free. In fact, full service brokers will charge the highest commission rate in the industry. Your choice of broker should depend upon your knowledge of the stock market and how regularly you trade.

Going to "discount brokers" will help you save on commission fees while still using a brokerage. The commission rates are so low because these brokers do not offer advice or analysis. Using a discount broker is perfect for investors that like to make their own trading decisions.

The cheapest brokerages will be online companies. Some of these operate exclusively online, so it helps them offer you lower rates. Some full-service and discount brokers even offer discounts for placing orders online. The process is the same, regardless of which broker you choose. The first step is opening an account. You need to be familiar with all the fine print and understand all the fees involved.

Typically, you are required to maintain a certain account balance, which varies from broker to broker. Some brokers charge when your account balance falls below the minimum. Others charge an annual maintenance fee regardless of the balance.

There are two types of brokerage accounts, and the one you choose depends upon your goals. "Cash accounts" offer no credit. So when you purchase stock, you are paying the full amount of the stock price. On the other hand, the "margin account" allows you to buy stock "on margin.