Ready to start your investment journey? This guide walks you through the process of buying your first stock or ETF on CUSP, from research to execution.
Before you begin
Before making your first investment, ensure:
Your account is fully verified
You have sufficient funds in your account
You've considered your investment goals and risk tolerance
Step-by-step guide to buying your first investment
1. Search for a stock or ETF
Open the CUSP app and tap the search icon
Type in the company name or ticker symbol.
Browse through the search results.
Tap on a result to view detailed information.
2. Research the investment
Before investing, review the key information:
Current price and recent performance
Company overview or ETF holdings
Key financial metrics
Analyst ratings
Recent news about the company or fund.
3. Tap the Trade" and then the "Buy" button
Once you've decided to invest, initiate the purchase:
Tap the "Trade"
This will open the order entry screen
Tap ''Buy'' and confirm the amount
4. Select your order type
Choose the type of order that best suits your investment strategy:
Market Order: Buy immediately at the current market price
Limit Order: Set a specific price - buy at that price or better
Stop Order: Buy when the price rises to your specified trigger level
Stop Limit Order: Triggers at one price, then places a limit order at another
Trailing Stop Order: Automatically adjusts based on price movements
For your first investment, a market order is often the simplest option as it executes immediately at the current market price.
Note: If you place an order when the US markets are closed, your order will be queued and executed when the market reopens. You can always review and modify queued orders before execution.
5. Enter your investment amount or quantity
(only available for market oder)
If you choose ''Market Order'' option you can invest in two ways:
By amount: Enter how much money you want to invest (e.g., $100)
By quantity: Specify how many shares you want to buy (e.g., 5 shares)
CUSP supports fractional shares, allowing you to invest with any amount. For example, if you want to invest $100 in a stock that costs $300 per share, you'll own 0.33 shares of that company.
6. Review order details
Before confirming, review all order details:
Investment name and ticker
Order type selected
Amount or quantity
Estimated cost
Order validity period.
7. Submit your order
Once you're satisfied with the details:
Slide to confirm
Wait for the confirmation message
8. Track your order and investment
After submission:
Your order will appear in the "Pending" section until executed
Once completed, the investment will appear under the ''Completed'' section
You can monitor its performance on the Portfolio page
