As this may be the first time you invest in the stock market, let’s start from the very beginning.
To buy shares of a company, you need what’s called a broker — a financial platform that connects you to the stock markets. Think of a broker as your gateway: it’s the place where you open an account, deposit money, and place buy or sell orders.
You can compare it to opening a bank account, but instead of saving money, you use it to invest.
Once your account is open and verified, you’ll be able to buy shares of companies just like you buy anything online — by selecting the stock, entering how many shares you want, and confirming your order.
There are many brokers in the market, but not all of them offer the same security, costs, or access to international markets.
For Antitrust Investor, we prioritize global brokers that are well-regulated, transparent, and cost-efficient — so you can invest safely and easily, even with a small amount of capital.
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers LLC (IB) is the largest online brokerage in the United States. It is regulated by several top-tier financial authorities worldwide, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Because it holds multiple international licenses and is publicly listed on the NASDAQ (ticker: IBKR), Interactive Brokers is widely considered a very safe and reputable broker.
Over the years, IB has received numerous awards such as “Best Online Broker” from Barron’s, one of the most respected investment magazines in the world.
Main Advantages
✅ Reliability
Interactive Brokers has been offering brokerage services for more than 40 years and is now the largest online broker in the U.S. by trading volume, executing close to one million trades per day.
🏆 Public Recognition
In 2020, IB was named “Best Online Broker” by Barron’s for the tenth consecutive year. It has received many similar awards from other financial publications, reinforcing its strong reputation.
💸 Low Fees
IB is known for its low and transparent commissions. Combined with high-quality trade execution, this helps investors minimize costs and maximize returns.
🌍 Global Access
You can open an account from almost any country in the world.
IB offers direct access to 135 markets in 33 countries, trading in 23 different currencies.
📈 Wide Range of Products
You can invest in stocks, ETFs, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and CFDs — all from a single platform.
🧾 Virtual Account (“Paper Trading”)
Before using real money, you can open a virtual account to practice placing buy and sell orders in a simulated environment.
This feature is ideal for beginners who want to get familiar with the platform without risking real funds.
💰 No Minimum Deposit (for cash accounts)
In the past, IB required a $10,000 minimum to open an account. That requirement was removed in 2021.
Only margin accounts (which involve borrowing to invest) still require a minimum balance — but these are not necessary for most investors following a dividend or event-driven strategy.
🚫 No Maintenance Fees
Until 2021, IB charged small monthly “inactivity” fees on accounts under $100,000. These have now been completely eliminated, making the platform more accessible for investors starting with a smaller amount of capital.
For full details on IB’s commission structure and account types, you can check their official information here.
Potential Drawbacks
⚙️ Complex Interface
The account opening process can feel a bit complicated for beginners, and the trading platform may seem overwhelming at first.
☎️ Customer Service
While generally helpful, IB’s customer support can be slow or inconsistent, especially compared to brokers focused on retail investors.
Our View
Interactive Brokers is an excellent option for serious investors who value safety, global access, and low fees. In fact, it’s the broker we personally use at Antitrust Investor for our own investments.
However, if you are completely new to investing, you might prefer to start with a simpler platform first. Once you gain a bit of experience and confidence, switching to IB will give you far more flexibility and long-term advantages.
MyInvestor
MyInvestor is a Spanish neobank and investment platform backed by Andbank España, one of the country’s oldest private banks. It’s supervised by the Bank of Spain, the CNMV (Spain’s securities regulator), and the Deposit Guarantee Fund (FGD) — which means your cash is protected up to €100,000 per holder, just like in a regular bank account.
Main Advantages
✅ Simple and Intuitive
MyInvestor’s interface is clean, modern, and very easy to use — perfect for beginners who want to avoid the complexity of traditional trading platforms.
🏦 Security and Regulation
Being a fully licensed entity under Spanish and EU banking law, your money and investments are well protected.
This level of regulatory oversight makes MyInvestor a trustworthy option for first-time investors.
💰 No Minimum Deposit
You can start investing with any amount, even €1.
This flexibility makes it ideal if you’re still learning and prefer to begin with a small sum.
💸 Low and Transparent Fees
Buying and holding ETFs or stocks through MyInvestor involves low transaction fees and no custody or inactivity fees — meaning you can keep your portfolio as long as you want without being charged.
🌍 Access to Index Funds and ETFs
MyInvestor gives you access to low-cost global index funds (such as Amundi, Vanguard, or iShares) and ETFs, which are excellent tools for long-term investing.
🧾 Fractional Shares
You can buy fractions of shares in large companies, so you don’t need €3,000 to own part of Alphabet or Amazon — you can start with just a few euros.
Potential Drawbacks
⚙️ Limited Market Access
While perfect for European and U.S. ETFs or funds, MyInvestor doesn’t provide direct access to all global stock exchanges.
It’s designed for investors who prefer simplicity and don’t need complex instruments like options or futures.
📱 No Advanced Trading Tools
You won’t find technical charts or complex order types here — the platform focuses on long-term investors, not active traders.
Our View
MyInvestor is ideal for beginners who want a safe, easy, and regulated way to start investing — especially if you live in Spain or Europe.
It allows you to build good habits, get familiar with market dynamics, and start growing your capital gradually.
Later, if you wish to expand globally or use more sophisticated tools, you can move to Interactive Brokers without losing what you’ve learned.
Trade Republic
Trade Republic Bank GmbH is a German-based broker and one of Europe’s most popular mobile investing platforms. It’s regulated by BaFin (Germany’s financial authority) and the Bundesbank, offering the same deposit protection (up to €100,000) as traditional banks.
Trade Republic is designed for the new generation of investors — everything happens through a simple, well-designed mobile app, where you can invest in stocks, ETFs, and even savings plans in just a few taps.
Main Advantages
📱 Mobile and User-Friendly
Trade Republic is one of the most intuitive brokers in Europe. You can open an account, verify your ID, and start investing — all from your phone — in less than 10 minutes.
💶 Low Fees
Each trade costs just €1 in fees, and there are no maintenance or custody fees.
This is one of the lowest-cost models in Europe.
💰 Fractional Investing
Like MyInvestor, Trade Republic allows you to buy fractions of shares, meaning you can start investing with small amounts.
📊 Savings Plans (ETF or Stock Plans)
A unique feature: you can set up automated investment plans (Sparpläne) — for example, investing €25 every month into an ETF or company.
This is a great way to build your portfolio gradually without needing to time the market.
🌍 Regulated and Protected
Your funds are protected under the German deposit scheme, and the platform is highly transparent about how orders are executed.
Potential Drawbacks
⚙️ Limited Product Range
Trade Republic is focused on stocks and ETFs only — no mutual funds, bonds, or derivatives.
That’s not a problem for most beginners, but advanced investors may outgrow it.
💻 App-Based Only
There’s no desktop trading platform. Everything runs on the mobile app — simple but not suitable for everyone.
Our View
Trade Republic is one of the best options for first-time investors in Europe who want a quick, modern, and low-cost experience.
It’s especially useful if you want to invest automatically every month through savings plans.
Once you understand how the market works, you can easily complement it with Interactive Brokers for more advanced opportunities — especially those related to regulatory events we analyze at Antitrust Investor.
HOW TO PLACE YOUR FIRST ORDER
If this is your first time buying a stock, congratulations — this is the real start of your journey as an investor.
The process is easier than it looks. Every broker has its own design, but the logic is always the same:
- Choose the company (or ETF) you want to invest in.
- Enter the ticker — a short code that identifies the company.
- Decide how much money you want to invest.
- Choose the type of order.
- Confirm the trade.
Let’s go step by step.
1. Finding the Stock or ETF
Each company listed on the stock exchange has a unique symbol called a ticker.
For example:
- AAPL → Apple
- MSFT → Microsoft
- CVSG.L → CVS Group (London Stock Exchange)
- VUSA → Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (a popular index fund)
When you log in to your broker, there’s always a search bar.
Just type the company name or ticker — you’ll immediately see its current price, daily change, and a button to “Buy” or “Trade.”
🟣 On MyInvestor: simply type “Vanguard” or the name of the ETF/fund.
🟢 On Trade Republic: use the magnifying glass icon and type the company’s name or ticker.
⚪ On Interactive Brokers: use the “Search” box at the top left of the screen or mobile app.
2. Entering the Amount
You can usually choose between:
- Number of shares, or
- Amount of money you want to invest.
If a share costs €100 and you want to invest €50, some brokers (like MyInvestor and Trade Republic) allow you to buy fractional shares — meaning you’ll own 0.5 shares.
Interactive Brokers also supports fractional investing for most U.S. and European stocks.
💡 Tip: Start small. Even €25 or €50 is enough to learn how the process works.
3. Choosing the Order Type
There are two main types of orders:
- Market Order → Buys the stock immediately at the current market price.
(Best for beginners.) - Limit Order → You set the maximum price you’re willing to pay.
The order will only execute if the stock reaches that price.
(Useful when prices move quickly.)
Example:
If Apple’s stock is trading at $190 and you place a market order, it will execute instantly near that price.
If you place a limit order at $185, it will only execute if Apple drops to $185 or below.
🟣 MyInvestor: choose “Compra” → “A mercado” (market) or “Limitada” (limit).
🟢 Trade Republic: tap “Buy” → choose between Market or Limit.
⚪ Interactive Brokers: select the order type in the order ticket (usually defaults to “MKT” for market).
4. Reviewing and Confirming
Before confirming, your broker will show a summary:
- Company name
- Ticker symbol
- Number of shares or amount
- Estimated total cost (including commission)
Review everything carefully and tap Confirm / Buy.
You’ll receive an on-screen confirmation immediately, and in most brokers, you can see the position in your Portfolio tab within seconds.
5. Monitoring Your Investment
Once you own shares, you can follow their evolution:
- Price changes
- Percentage gain or loss
- Dividends (if applicable)
All brokers have a Portfolio or Positions section showing these details in real time.
💡 Tip: Don’t check the price every hour. Focus on understanding why you invested — whether it’s because of solid fundamentals, a regulatory event, or long-term growth potential. That’s what matters.
6. (Optional) Selling Later
To sell, the process is the same — but click Sell instead of Buy.
You can sell all your shares or just a portion.
The cash from the sale will usually appear in your account balance instantly or within one business day.
Place Your First Order: 5 Simple Steps
Follow this quick visual guide to make your first investment. The flow is almost identical on MyInvestor, Trade Republic, and Interactive Brokers.
Find the stock/ETF
Use the search bar. Type the name (e.g., “Apple”) or the ticker (e.g., AAPL).
Select amount
Choose shares or enter an amount (fractional shares allowed on MyInvestor / Trade Republic / IB for many stocks).
Pick order type
Market = instant at current price. Limit = only at your chosen price.
Review
Check ticker, quantity/amount, and total (incl. fees). Edit if needed.
Confirm & done
Tap Buy. Your position appears in Portfolio within seconds.
Market Order (Beginner-friendly)
Executes immediately at the current price.
Best when the price is stable and you want speed.
Example: Apple at $190 → you buy near $190.
Limit Order (Price control)
Executes only at your chosen price or better.
Useful if the price is volatile or you have a target.
Example: Set limit at $185 → order fills at ≤ $185.
TUTORIALS
How to open an account in Interactive Brokers (Spanish)
How to open an account in Interactive Brokers (English)
