Today we have computers that do just about everything for you. There is no need for paper anymore, so we can now save the trees if people would just try and adapt. There are still some people who prefer to have a piece of paper for everything. This is not very eco friendly and costs everyone money and resources. If you choose to use your computer and keep everything electronic, then you can make your life easier, while saving money and the environment.

You wont have to worry about losing certificates, putting them in the safe, or delaying transactions. All you have to do is open a brokerage account, just like you would a bank account. You can even have a live agent place trades for you if you like. Some accounts will charge more for a transaction if you choose to use a broker to place trades for you. The cost is very minimal today, so you don’t have to worry about shopping around to see who is cheaper. You can spend your time on investing and learning.

You can also take advantage of convenient record keeping online. All you have to do is go online and see your statements 24 hours, 7 days a week. You can even print them out when you need to. Most of the firms will have your account balance sheets, which show how much you own of what and when you bought it.

Most brokerage firms also have insurance that is backed up by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, also known as SIPC. This usually covers up to $500,00 in securities and $100,000 in cash protection. You don’t have to worry about the firm going bankrupt, you are covered.

You can also have one account and have fewer things to worry about at night. You can hold a variety of investments in one account. You can hold stocks, bonds, options, and some mutual funds in the account. You will have to check with the broker for specifics on this, but most are no problem. Also, when it comes tax time, you can just go online and print out what ever your accountant will need. Some brokerage firms have a year end account statement that will have everything on it. If that doesn’t work you for, you can always request paper copies each month or just print out what you accountant needs. Doing business electronically is so easy and there’s nothing to worry about, all the records are stored in the brokerages database.