: Using Vanguard's Stock Screener , the investor researches companies by sector or metrics like dividend yield.
: They enter the ticker symbol and choose an order type : Market Order : Buys immediately at the current price.
: The investor ensures they have a Vanguard Brokerage Account . If they only had an old mutual-fund-only account, they would need to upgrade it to enable brokerage "trading permissions".
: They are relieved to find that online trades for U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs are commission-free ($0) for most retail customers.