5 steps to make your first investment

The Plynk app makes it easy to get started with investing. Here’s all you have to do to make your first trade.

1.  Pick your investment

The app’s Discover page offers several ways to help you find what you’re looking for. You can browse categories, view top-rated stocks, use the search bar, or try Plynk Explore if you’re curious about investment ideas.

2.  Check the price

Once you’ve chosen a stock or fund you’d like to buy, open the page for it and review the price. You’ll see the current price per share listed near the top of the page, as well as its percent change that day (up or down).

The prices of stocks and ETFs fluctuate throughout the day as they’re bought and sold. But once your trade goes through, you lock in that price, even if it goes up or down afterward.

Mutual funds, on the other hand, trade once per day when the stock market closes, and the final price is calculated. So whether you place your trade at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m., you receive the price when it's calculated at the end of the day (around 4 p.m.).

3.  Choose your order type

After clicking the “Buy now” button, you have a choice between placing a market order or a limit order. A market order lets you buy the security at the current price. With a limit order you set a price you’d like to pay and see if that price becomes available.

Read more: Market orders vs limit orders

4.  Select the amount to buy

You have the option of entering the number of shares you want to purchase, or a specific dollar amount to invest (fractional shares). With limit orders you also pick the price you’re willing to pay and how long to keep the order open for.

Read more: Invest with as little as $1 with fractional shares

5.  Review and confirm your trade

Make sure everything looks good on the “Review order” page, then swipe to confirm and you’re all set. Voilà, you’re investing! Give yourself a pat on the back.

Keep in mind: The stock market is generally open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. If you buy an investment outside of those hours, the Plynk app will wait until the market opens next. In this case, the price could be slightly different than it was when you placed your order.

Next steps to consider

Make a deposit or recurring deposits to your brokerage account, then go to the Discover page and get started!

Not quite ready to buy? Try setting up a watchlist of stocks and funds that interest you.