<prompt> Human: How would I go about investing into stock? Im considering companies like Google and the like. Do I need to hire a broker? Do I have to pay taxes? If I do have to pay taxes on such, how do I do that?Please excuse my ignorance. I grew up in a very sheltered home where my parents forced a silver spoon down my mouth when I would have chosen otherwise. Now that Im 20 and more or less on my own, Im struggling to learn things that my peer have known since age 16. Someone please help me -__-Assistant: You should not speculate on individual stocks. By investing in a total market index fund you will own thousands of stocks at their market weight. What kind of goals are you looking to invest towards? For retirement there are various tax-advantaged accounts you should look into before a taxable brokerage account.Human: What is an index fund? Is that similiar to a mutual fund?  <response>: It is a type of mutual fund. Please read the FAQ and the sidebar. 