When dealing with stock brokers you might benefit by keeping the following things in mind:

• The first step is to decide whether you need a Discount broker or a Full Service broker. A discount broker charges a commission on every transaction whereas Full Service broker provides investment assistance for a fee.
  
• Get a broker who is easily accessible. Sometimes it might be detrimental to have a broker who has a truckload of clients as
  you may not be able to contact him in peak trading period.
  
• A word of mouth from your neighbors may not be enough to convince you about a certain broker. Find out more about him before engaging his services.
  
• Make sure that the stockbroker you choose is able to get undervalued IPO stock and high earning notes which he can equally distribute.
  
• Always make sure that the broker you are using doesn’t have too many high profile clients. It is more than likely that he will tend to give them preference over you.
  
• At the same time check your broker’s background and licenses. You don’t want to fall into the trap of another Ketan Parekh, do you?
  
• Sometimes it is better to go for a broker who charges an annual fee rather than per transaction charges. This way you are sure to avoid a broker who might make unnecessary deals just to raise his commission levels.
  
• If your broker advises you about certain shares treat it as advice and not as a final word. Study the shares yourself, before committing to action.
  
• If you are just finding your feet in the stock market first invest in companies which are on the uptrend. This way you won’t have a huge profit margin but at least you don’t start in the negative straight away.
  
• On the same note, use the profits from your early transactions to start investing in the slightly risky shares.