ETRADE is one of the pioneers of online investing. With a combination of powerful research tools, low commissions and a user-friendly interface, it's easy to sell stocks on ETRADE. If you don't want to use E*TRADE's online platform, you can always call and speak with a representative to execute your sell order.
Research Your Investment
Gordon Gekko from the movie "Wall Street" remarked, "Don't get emotional about stock. It clouds the judgment." Although it's human nature to be emotionally affected when stock prices go up and down, basing your buy and sell decisions on hard facts is a better investment strategy.
If you think you want to sell a stock, do some research as to whether or not that's a good idea. There's a lot of information about stocks on the E*TRADE site itself. Typically, you'll want to sell a stock if business conditions are about to sour. Of course, you might also just want to lock in a profit or get rid of a losing position.
Verify Your Share Total
Check your E*TRADE account to verify that you have the amount of shares you think you do. Some investors forget that they bought a stock more than once, resulting in more shares in the account. Others may not have noticed that their stock split, meaning they received additional shares from the company.
Choose Your Platform
E*TRADE offers mobile, web and phone options for trading. If you enter your own trade on the mobile or web platforms, you'll pay $6.95 for stock trades. If you make at least 30 trades every quarter, that fee drops to $4.95. For broker-assisted trades made over the phone, you'll pay an additional $25 on top of the regular commission.
Select an Order Type
If you want your sell order to execute at the next available price, select a market order. If you want to sell a stock at a specific price, enter a limit order so that your trade won't execute unless you can get your limit price or better. A stop order turns into a market order once your stock hits the specified stop price. A fourth type of order, a stop-limit order, becomes a limit order once your stop price is reached.
Execute Your Order
If the stock you own is already in your ETRADE account, scroll to the stock you want to sell and click "Trade." On the order execution page, enter the type of order you want and then click "Sell." The process is the same whether you are on the mobile app or the ETRADE webpage. If you're entering the order over the phone, give the broker your instructions.
References
- E*TRADE: Pricing and Rates
- Investor.gov: Investor Bulletin: Stop, Stop-Limit, and Trailing Stop Orders
- E*TRADE: Potentially Protect a Stock Position Against a Market Drop
- FINRA: Corporate Actions by Public Companies – What You Should Know
- Yarn: Don't Get Emotional About Stock. It Clouds the Judgment.
Writer Bio
John Csiszar served as a financial adviser for over 18 years, both for a global wirehouse and at his own investment advisory firm, earning a Certified Financial Planner designation along the way. He now works as a writing and editing contractor for private clients, with thousands of online articles to his credit, along with five educational books written for young adults.