How to place your first stock order on Fidelity
To buy stock on Fidelity, log into your account, search for the stock by ticker symbol or company name, choose how many shares you want, pick your order type (usually market or limit), and submit. The whole process takes about two minutes once you have money in your account. Your order goes to the market during trading hours — typically 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time on weekdays — and fills when a seller agrees to your price.
Before you can buy anything, you need a funded Fidelity brokerage account. If you have not opened one yet, you will need to provide your Social Security number, verify your identity, and link a bank account or transfer money in. Once cash sits in your account, you are ready to trade.
Key Takeaways
- You must have cash in your Fidelity account before you can buy stock; transfers from your bank take one to three business days to settle.
- Market orders buy at the current price and fill almost instantly during trading hours; limit orders let you set a maximum price but may not fill if the stock never drops that low.
- Stock trades settle two business days after you place them, meaning you own the shares but cannot sell them until settlement is complete.
- Fidelity charges no commission on stock trades, but you pay the bid-ask spread — the difference between what buyers and sellers are willing to pay.
- You can place orders during market hours (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday) or submit them after hours; after-hours orders execute the next trading day.
Setting up your account with money to invest
Open a Fidelity brokerage account by going to fidelity.com, clicking "Open an account," and choosing the account type that fits your situation — most individual investors use a standard taxable brokerage account. You will answer questions about your employment, income, and investment experience. Fidelity does not require a minimum deposit to open the account, but you cannot buy stock until you have money in it.
Transfer money from your bank by linking your checking or savings account to Fidelity. Log in, go to "Accounts & Trade," select "Transfer Funds," and choose "Bank Transfer." Fidelity will ask for your bank's routing number and your account number. The transfer usually takes one to three business days to show up in your Fidelity account. If you are in a hurry, you can deposit by check or wire transfer, though wire transfers cost money and checks take longer.
Finding and selecting the stock you want to buy
Log into your Fidelity account and click "Trade" or "Invest" in the top menu. In the search box, type the stock's ticker symbol (like AAPL for Apple or MSFT for Microsoft) or the company name. Fidelity will show you the stock price, the day's change, and a chart of recent performance. Click on the stock name to open its detail page.
On the stock detail page, you will see the current bid price (what buyers will pay) and the ask price (what sellers want). The difference between them is the spread — that is the cost you pay when you buy. You will also see volume (how many shares traded today) and other information. If the volume is very low, your order may take longer to fill or may not fill at all. Once you have found the stock you want, click "Buy" or the order button to move to the next step.
Choosing your order type and quantity
Fidelity will ask you how many shares you want to buy. Enter the number — you do not have to buy whole shares if you have a small amount of money, since Fidelity lets you buy fractional shares. Then choose your order type. A market order buys at the best available price right now and fills almost instantly during market hours. A limit order lets you set the highest price you will pay; the order sits in the market until someone sells at that price or lower, or until the market closes.
For most people, a market order is simpler and faster. Use a limit order if you want to make sure you do not pay more than a certain amount — for example, if a stock is at $50 and you set a limit of $49, your order will only fill if the price drops to $49 or below. If it never does, your order expires at the end of the day (or at the end of your chosen time frame if you set a longer duration).
Reviewing and submitting your order
Before you submit, Fidelity shows you a summary: the stock name and ticker, the number of shares, the order type, and an estimate of what it will cost. Check that everything is correct. The estimate includes the bid-ask spread but not any other fees — Fidelity does not charge commission on stock trades. Click "Submit Order" or "Place Order" to send it to the market.
If you place the order during market hours (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday), it goes to the market right away. If you place it after hours or on a weekend, Fidelity holds it and sends it to the market when trading opens the next day. You will see a confirmation number on your screen and in your email. Save this number in case you need to cancel or check on the order later.
Understanding settlement and when you own the shares
When your order fills, you own the shares immediately — but they do not fully settle for two business days. During this time, you can see the shares in your account and watch their value change, but you cannot sell them until settlement is complete. This two-day settlement period is standard across all U.S. stock brokers and is set by federal regulation.
If you try to sell shares before they settle, Fidelity will warn you and may block the trade to prevent a "good-faith violation." If you do this repeatedly, Fidelity may restrict your account. Once settlement is complete, the shares are fully yours and you can sell them whenever you want during market hours.
Tracking your order and making changes
Log into your Fidelity account and go to "Accounts & Trade" or "Portfolio" to see all your open orders and filled trades. You will see the order status (pending, filled, or cancelled), the price you paid, the number of shares, and the total cost. If your order has not filled yet and you want to cancel it, click on the order and select "Cancel." You can only cancel orders that have not filled; once an order fills, it is done.
If you want to change the price on a limit order that has not filled, you can cancel it and place a new one with a different price. Fidelity does not let you edit an order in place — you have to cancel and resubmit. Keep in mind that if you cancel and resubmit, your new order goes to the back of the queue, so it may take longer to fill.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a market order and a limit order?
A market order buys at the current best price and fills almost instantly. A limit order sets a maximum price you will pay and only fills if the stock reaches that price or lower. Market orders are faster but you do not control the exact price; limit orders give you control but may not fill at all.
Can I buy stock after the market closes?
Yes, you can place an order after hours, but it will not execute until the market opens the next trading day. After-hours trading does happen on Fidelity, but it is only for certain stocks and has wider bid-ask spreads. For most investors, placing an order during regular market hours is simpler and cheaper.
Do I need a minimum amount of money to buy stock on Fidelity?
Fidelity has no minimum to open an account or to buy stock. You can buy fractional shares, so even $10 or $50 will let you own a piece of a stock. However, very small trades may cost more in relative terms because the bid-ask spread is a fixed amount, not a percentage.
What happens if my order does not fill?
If you placed a limit order and the stock never reached your price, the order expires at the end of the trading day (or whenever you set it to expire). You can place a new order at a different price, or switch to a market order to buy at the current price. If you placed a market order and it did not fill, contact Fidelity — this is rare but can happen with very low-volume stocks.
Can I buy stock on weekends?
You can place an order on the weekend, but it will not execute until the market opens on Monday morning. The U.S. stock market is closed on weekends and holidays. If you want to trade on a specific day, place your order during market hours that day.