Buy just ONE SHARE of stock online??

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Welcome to Charles Schwab. A Schwab investment professional will be with you shortly. You are number 2 in the queue. Thank you for holding. 

Welcome, my name is Chris. How may I help you today?

Gene: Can I buy a share of stock without the need to pre-fund the account? I just want to buy a single share of stock.

Chris: ‪Hi Gene, I'm happy to help. ‬The account does not have to be funded immediately. What kind of account are you considering opening? ‬

Gene: I just want to buy one share of stock in something

Chris: ‪Great, stock can be bought in many types of accounts such as regular brokerage accounts, IRAs, etc.‬

Gene: I am not concerned about an account. I just want to know if I can buy a single share of stock easily, for just the cost of the stock plus a small transaction fee. I would also like to know what would the transaction fee cost to buy one share of stock - let's say the stock is about $20 for the cost of the share.

Chris: ‪Regular online equity trades are $8.95 if you place a trade with a broker there is an additional $25 fee. ‬

Gene: I'm not interested in trading, just investing. I want to buy a single share of stock, with a value of about $20. Will it cost me $8.95 to buy that single share of stock? Can I buy it just by filling out a form? Can I buy it NOW?

Chris: ‪In order to buy stock you have to place a trade in an account. Your first step is to open an account. ‬The minimum amount to open a brokerage account is $1,000 or you may start with $0 when you enroll for $100 minimum monthly electronic deposits. 

Gene: Sounds like a lot of work and I have to give you $1,000 to buy a single share of stock?

Chris: ‪That's the minimum investment. ‬

Gene: Hmmm. If someone went on Amazon and they required him or her to give them $1,000 before they bought anything, I don't think they would sell much. Why do I have to do that with stocks?
(Long Pause)

Gene: Are you still there Chris?

Gene: Are you still there Chris?

Chris: ‪I'm still here. ‬

Chris: ‪That's our account minimum. Anything else I can help with? ‬

Gene: Is it okay if I use this chat in my PR campaign for MediaShares, and also QwikShares, our subsidiary company with a new methodology for buying single shares online, without the need to open and pre-fund a brokerage account?

Gene: Are you still there Chris?

Gene: Hmmn. I guess you hung up.