It has happened; a company has reached a value of $1 trillion.  That company is, Apple.

On August 2, 2018, Apple became the first company in history to be worth $1 trillion.

While this is calculated by taking the total shares available and multiplying it by the price per share, this does not mean Apple makes $1 trillion per year, and it does not mean that Apple has $1 trillion worth of assets on its balance sheet.

Rather, the market believes the future earnings of Apple discounted into today’s dollars are worth a trillion dollars.

Does this mean you should or should not buy Apple stock?

No, it does not.

On August 1, 2018, before Apple hit $1 trillion, the stock was only a few percentage points lower.  On August 2, 2018, the stock was a few percentage points higher.  Relatively speaking, what matters is how much the stock increases from now into the future, and while being the first $1 trillion company will go into the history books, it doesn’t mean you should or should not buy Apple.

In this article, we will discuss not whether to buy apple, but how to buy Apple stock.

Apple Company Details

Apple historical chart and current price

How to buy Apple Stock

Anyone can purchase shares of Apple.  There is no net worth qualifier; you don’t need to make a certain amount of money, you don’t have to live in a certain neighborhood.

This is what is great about investing in the United States – anyone can access the stock market.

The main decision you have when buying Apple stock is choosing the company to help you gain access to the market so you can purchase the stock.

You have a few category options when it comes to purchasing Apple.

You can utilize a robo-advisor app that charges no fees, you can take the old-school route and buy individual shares, or you can use an online broker.

Below, we will touch on these option so you can decide for yourself how to buy stock in Apple.

Buy Apple Stock through M1 Finance

Our first option is to purchase stock using a robo-advisor app called, M1 Finance.

M1 Finance is a robo-advisor that charges no fee and no commission to purchase stock.

If you’re wondering how they can do this, you can read my M1 FINANCE REVIEW

With M1 Finance you can buy fractions of shares.  So you can purchase 1/3 rd a share of Apple, or 10 ½ shares of Apple etc.  It’s a great app in my opinion, and it also offers an online portal to work on your investments, so you do not have to only use an app on your phone.

The company also offers rebalancing, so if you have more than one stock or ETF, and one grows more than another, you can easily rebalance the shares so they are equal.  For example, if you own 2 shares of Apple at $200 and 1 share of Chipotle at $400, you own $400 worth of each company.  If, over the next year, Apple gains more than Chipotle and ends up being $450 per share and Chipotle stays at $400, you can rebalance with the click of a button.

Below is a screenshot.

If you want to go the more modern route to buy Apple stock, M1 Finance can be a great fit.

INVEST FOR FREE WITH M1 FINANCE

Placing an order with M1 Finance

M1 Finance purchases stock during one single trading window.  Unlike with an online broker such as TD Ameritrade, M1 Finance only has one category of purchasing stock (you will see below that TD Ameritrade has more than one).

All you will need to do is type in the symbol for Apple- AAPL- the share amount, and then purchase the stock.

Buy Apple through Computershare

There are two ways one can purchase stock: in your name, or in street name.

What’s street name?

If you buy stock with a company like TD Ameritrade, then TD Ameritrade holds your stock, and the shares are in the name of TD Ameritrade.

If you purchase the shares directly, you can buy them in your personal name.

Computershare allows you to buy shares in your name, instead of street name.

While some like their name on the stock, it can cost more money to go this route, and be a bit more difficult.

If you are interested in buying Apple stock with Computershare, you can click here to go to Computershare.

Buy Apple Stock through TD Ameritrade

You likely heard of TD Ameritrade before, or, perhaps you’ve heard of their banking arm, TD Bank.

TD Ameritrade has been around for some time, and recently acquired Scottrade.

It’s a traditional online broker, which allows you access to their technology and investment research platforms.  A stock trade will cost $6.95, which is reasonable.  So, if you purchase Apple stock, the cost to make the trade will be $6.95.

TD Ameritrade supports traditional IRA accounts, Roth IRA accounts, taxable brokerage accounts, and other types of retirement accounts.

One great thing I like about TD Ameritrade is the lack of an account minimum.  If Apple stock is $200 per share and you only want 1 share, you can buy one share.  Other brokers have minimums as high as $5,000.

To read more about TD Ameritrade, you can read my in-depth review here: TD AMERITRADE REVIEW

Placing an order with TD Ameritrade

If TD Ameritrade is the company you choose to buy Apple stock, you will need to decide the trade type.

You will select the number of shares you want to purchase, and the order type you want TD Ameritrade to execute.

After you do this, you will see two different trade options: market order, or limit order (you will also see a stop and a stop limit, just focus on the market order or the limit order).

Below are descriptions of the types of orders.

• Market order – TD Ameritrade will purchase Apple stock at whatever the market price is during market hours.
• Limit order – The limit order will allow you to specify the maximum price you are willing to pay for the stock; TD Ameritrade will not purchase the stock for a price higher than the one you set.

If you wish to buy Apple at any price during the day while it is trading, use a market order.

If you want to secure a price you believe is too high to purchase the stock, use a limit order so TD Ameritrade won’t purchase the stock for more than the price you want.

About Apple

The following description of Apple is from Morningstar:

Apple designs a wide variety of consumer electronic devices, including smartphones (iPhone), tablets (iPad), PCs (Mac), smartwatches (Watch), and TV boxes (Apple TV), among others. The iPhone makes up the majority of Apple’s total revenue. In addition, Apple offers its customers a variety of services such as Apple Music, iCloud, AppleCare and Apple Pay, among others. Apple’s products run internally developed software and semiconductors, and the firm is well known for its integration of hardware, software and services. Apple’s products are distributed online as well as through company-owned stores and third-party retailers. The company generates about 40% of its revenue from the Americas, with the remainder earned internationally.

Apple competitors

Some of the competitors of Apples include (but are not limited to) the companies below:

Alphabet (Google)

Hewlett-Packard

Conclusion – How to buy Apple Stock

Understanding how to buy stock in Apple is easy.  The most important decision is what company you will use to access the stock market.  You have the option of a modern robo-advisor like M1 Finance, an old-school route like Computershare, or a traditional online broker like TD Ameritrade.

Whatever you decide, remember that investing is important and a lifelong route to help you build wealth.  Buy quality companies and hold them for long periods of time and you should do well.

Now, I’d like to hear from you.

Are you planning on buying stock in Apple?  If so, why?

Disclaimer: These are the ideas and opinions of the author.  The author is not responsible for the actions of those who read the posts on this blog.  Each individual reader has a unique situation and unique needs.  This blog is not intended to solve those unique situations of the readers.  This blog is not liable for decisions made by the readers of this blog.

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