Do I need to be an Australian resident to sign up for a share trading account?

This depends on the share trading platform you select. Some are only open to Australian residents while others accept customers from all over the world.

How can I buy shares online in Australia?

Check out our step-by-step guide to buying shares online for all the information you need to get started.

Can I place trades over the phone?

Yes, many online share brokers also offer a phone trading service.

Do I need to open a share trading account to buy shares?

Not necessarily. You can buy shares in a float (also known as an initial public offering or IPO) by filling out an application form in the prospectus and paying by cheque, while it's also possible to purchase shares through a managed fund. You may even be able to purchase shares in the company you work for as part of an employee share scheme.

Do I need to buy shares through a broker?

Not necessarily. As per the above question, you can also buy shares through an IPO, managed fund or employee share scheme.

Can I open a joint share trading account?

Yes, many platforms will allow you to open a joint account.

Do the Big Four banks all have their own share trading platforms?

Yes. These are CommSec , ANZ Share Investing, nabtrade and Westpac Online Investing .

How much do you need to invest to earn $1,000 a month?

You can earn returns from dividend stocks, though these are only paid out twice yearly. The current average dividend yield of ASX200 stocks is around 3.5%. To earn $1,000 per month in dividends, you would need to have about $1,030000 invested, though this would depend on the stocks.