<prompt> Human: For starters, I know very little if anything about buyingtrading stocks so any tips or insights are welcome. I was thinking about opening an account with something like E-Trade or Fidelity and purchasing stock. Is there a standard minimum as far as a good starting point with how much money I would need?  <response>: I would recommend against investing in individual stocks unless you have the knowledge and willingness to read the financial reports and understand what is happening. Otherwise, you will inevitably lose money and not know why.If you agree with a companys ideals and values, support them as a customer. It will be a lot more valuable than blindly supporting them as an investor. 