
Summary
- A Direct Stock Purchase Plan (DSPP) is a way for individuals to buy stocks directly from a company rather than through a brokerage.
- Through a DSPP, an investor can eliminate any brokerage fees associated with the purchase.
- In a DSPP, the price of each share isn’t equivalent to the market price, but rather an average price over a period of time.
Full Answer
What companies offer direct stock purchase plans?
Aug 25, 2021 · A direct stock purchase plan (DSPP) is a program that enables individual investors to purchase a company's stock directly from that company without the intervention of a broker.
How to invest using direct stock purchase plans?
Aug 02, 2021 · A direct stock purchase plan (DSPP) is a plan that allows investors to purchase stock in a company without a broker and get it directly from the company instead. The benefits include that there are oftentimes no brokerage fees. Meanwhile, discounts to the share prices may be available for larger purchases.
What companies offer direct investment plans?
Nov 23, 2021 · A direct stock purchase plan (DSPP) is a program that allows individual investors to buy shares of stock directly from the company. While not offered by all publicly traded firms, direct purchase plans are available at some of the biggest and most recognized companies in the U.S., including Campbell Soup, Walmart, Coca-Cola, Intel, and Starbucks.
What companies sell Direct stocks?
Direct Stock Plans — Some companies allow you to purchase or sell stock directly from them eliminating the need to use or pay commissions to a broker. But you may have to pay a fee for using the plan's services. Make sure to read the company’s disclosure …

How do direct stock purchase plans work?
How a Direct Stock Purchase Plan (DSPP) Works. A DSPP allows individual investors to establish an account in which to make deposits for the purpose of purchasing shares directly from a given company. The investor makes a monthly deposit (usually by ACH) and the company applies that amount toward purchasing shares.
Is Direct stock purchase a good idea?
Good for long-term investing: Direct stock purchase plans can be good investment vehicles for the long term, especially for investors who use dollar-cost averaging through a regular schedule of stock purchases.Nov 23, 2021
What is Amazon direct stock purchase plan?
Yes, Amazon employees can participate in Amazon's Direct Stock Purchase Plan (DSPP). A DSPP allows employees to purchase shares (including fractional shares) of company stock via payroll deduction and without paying a brokerage commission (although there may be fees to sell shares).
What is a direct stock plan?
A direct stock purchase plan (DSPP) is an investment plan that allows individuals to purchase stock in a company directly from the company or through their transfer agent.
How can I invest in $100 stock?
Our 6 best ways to invest $100 starting todayStart an emergency fund.Use a micro-investing app or robo-advisor.Invest in a stock index mutual fund or exchange-traded fund.Use fractional shares to buy stocks.Put it in your 401(k).Open an IRA.Apr 7, 2022
How do beginners buy stocks?
The easiest way to buy stocks is through an online stockbroker. After opening and funding your account, you can buy stocks through the broker's website in a matter of minutes. Other options include using a full-service stockbroker, or buying stock directly from the company.
What is most likely to happen after buying stock?
What is MOST likely to happen once someone purchases stock? The stockholder is guaranteed to receive dividends quarterly from the company.
How much did Amazon stock cost in 2000?
Investors who stuck with Amazon through the roller coaster ride of the dot-com bubble around 2000 would have been handsomely rewarded for their patience. The stock soared from a split-adjusted IPO price of $1.50 per share to $106.69 per share on Dec.Nov 24, 2019
Can I buy shares directly from Amazon?
How to buy or invest in Amazon shares. You can buy Amazon shares from zero commission with us. You can do this by either investing in the shares directly or by derivatives trading.May 5, 2021
How do I sell my stock purchase plan?
You can sell your ESPP plan stock immediately to lock in your profit from the discount. If you hold the company stock for at least a year and sell it for more than two years after the offering date, you pay lower taxes.
What companies offer direct stock purchase plan?
Examples of companies that offer direct stock purchase plans are Walmart, Starbucks, and Coca-Cola. Similar to the brokerage model, investors initiate the direct stock purchase by transferring money from their checking or savings accounts, and the money is used to purchase shares.
Can you buy stocks without a broker?
Do you need a broker? The short answer is no—you don't need a living, advice-giving, fee-charging broker (although you shouldn't rule them out). You do, however, need a brokerage—the online storefront where you purchase stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and other investments.Dec 21, 2021
Why are DSPPs so sweet?
DSPPs were seen as a pretty sweet deal in the early days of internet investing because you still had to pay significant trading or management fees to full-service brokers if you wanted to buy stock. However, as online investing has become cheaper over time, some of the original positive factors of DSPPs have faded.
What is a DSPP?
A direct stock purchase plan (DSPP) allows investors to purchase shares directly from the company. DSPPs require very little money to get started. Some DSPPs have no fees, but most have small fees. These programs present long-term investors with a simple and automatic way to acquire shares over time.
How does a DSPP work?
How a Direct Stock Purchase Plan (DSPP) Works. A DSPP allows individual investors to establish an account in which to make deposits for the purpose of purchasing shares directly from a given company. The investor makes a monthly deposit (usually by ACH) and the company applies that amount toward purchasing shares.
Who is Gordon Scott?
Gordon Scott has been an active investor and technical analyst of securities, futures, forex, and penny stocks for 20+ years. He is a member of the Investopedia Financial Review Board and the co-author of Investing to Win. Gordon is a Chartered Market Technician (CMT). He is also a member of ASTD, ISPI, STC, and MTA.
Is a DSPP worthwhile?
As much as DSPPs can benefit investors, they also can be worthwhile to the company that offers them. DSPPs may bring in new investors who otherwise might not have been able to invest in the company. Moreover, a DSPP can provide a company with the ability to raise additional funds at a reduced cost.
What are the drawbacks of DSPP?
One drawback of a DSPP is that the shares are rather illiquid —it is difficult to re-sell one's shares without using a broker. As a result, these plans generally function best for investors with a long-term investment strategy.
Does DSPP have fees?
Although a DSPP’s associated fees are low, it is rare that a plan would have no fees at all. Many charge initial setup fees, and some charge for each purchase transaction, as well as sales fees.
Why is it important to diversify your portfolio?
Portfolio diversification is desirable because it helps to spread out the degree of risk— that’s because, if one stock’s value decreases, others may rise to balance out that portfolio . Some investors, for example, have a portfolio with 40 to 50 different stocks to provide diversification.
What is a DSPP?
What Is a Direct Stock Purchase Plan (DSPP)? A direct stock purchase plan (DSPP) is a plan that allows investors to purchase stock in a company without a broker. There are no brokerage fees and discounts may be available for larger purchases. So how does it compare to stocks bought through a broker?
Is stock trading online?
Nowadays, nearly all stock trading is handled online, which has made the process less expensive and more hands-on for the typical investor—at least compared to the days when people needed to walk into a stockbroker’s office to place an order.
What happens if a company doesn't do well?
Investors are really buying a piece of a company, becoming a partial owner of that company. Then, when that company does well, investors can be rewarded by having shares of stock increase in value and/or receiving dividends. If the company doesn’t do well, then that can be reflected in a lesser stock value.
What happens to common stockholders when a company goes bankrupt?
If a company goes bankrupt, common stockholders are placed behind creditors and another type of stockholders in line—preferred stockholders— in getting payment (which means common stock investors very well might lose all of what they’d invested in that company).
What is debt to equity ratio?
Investors sometimes also review a company’s debt-to-equity ratio (also called debt-to-capital ratio) to determine how a particular company funds its business operations and pays for its assets. Ideally, a company will have enough short-term liquidity to pay for business operations as well as its growth.
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What is a SPAC?
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What is a DSPP?
What Is a Direct Stock Purchase Plan (DSPP) A Direct Stock Purchase Plan allows investors to directly purchase shares of a company's stock from the company. You don't need to use an online stock broker or financial advisor. The company may offer the plan directly or use a transfer agent. Transfer agents perform several administrative functions ...
What is transfer agent?
Transfer agents perform several administrative functions related to a company's stock but are not part of the company. These functions include recording transactions and issuing stock certificates, among others. DSPPs generally operate on a fixed schedule.
What is DSPP investment?
DSPP Is Just One of Many Ways to Invest in a Company. A Direct Stock Purchase Plan can be a convenient, low-cost way for an investor to accumulate shares of a company's stock that interests them. As another form of dollar-cost averaging, you set the dollar amount you want to invest. Do this regularly and slowly grow your investment.
What is a DSPP?
A direct stock purchase plan (DSPP) is a service offered by some companies that allows investors the opportunity to purchase stock directly from the company or a third party agent. While not every publicly traded company offers a DSPP, there are plenty of top quality dividend paying stocks that do.
How much does a DSPP investment cost?
One of the advantages of buying stock through a DSPP is the low barriers to entry. Generally, most plans require a $250 – $500 initial investment or signing up for a recurring monthly investment of $25 to $50.
Can you purchase stock on a recurring basis?
Stocks can automatically be purchased using funds withdrawn from your checking or savings account on a recurring basis. This takes many of the hassles out of purchasing stock for investors looking to simplify their finances.
What is passive investing?
Passive Investing. Most direct stock purchase plans allow shareholders the ability to set up a recurring investment every month. Stocks can automatically be purchased using funds withdrawn from your checking or savings account on a recurring basis.
What is DSPP in stock?
A great thing about a DSPP is that investors can purchase fractional shares of stock. This makes it easier for the beginning investor with little funds to initiate a position in a stock. The direct purchase plans will let the investor buy fractional shares which makes it easier to start a position. For example, if a stock is trading ...
What happens when you buy stock from a third party?
By purchasing stock directly from a company or third party transfer agent, investors lose the ability to consolidate their holdings. Investors who prefer to keep their stock positions in the same account may want to stick with using an online broker.
What is an ESPP?
An ESPP is a program in which employees can purchase company stock at a discounted price. Employees contribute through payroll deductions, which build until the purchase date. The discount can be as much as 15% in some cases.
How long can an ESPP be offered?
The offering period of a qualified ESPP cannot be greater than three years and there are restrictions on the maximum price discount allowable. Non-qualified plans are not subject to as many restrictions as a qualified plan. However, non-qualified plans do not have the tax advantages of after-tax deductions that qualified plans do.
Will Kenton be an investor?
Will Kenton has 10 years of experience as a writer and editor. He developed Investopedia's Anxiety Index and its performance marketing initiative. He is an expert on the economy and investing laws and regulations. Will holds a Bachelor of Arts in literature and political science from Ohio University. He received his Master of Arts in economics at The New School for Social Research. He earned his Master of Arts and his Doctor of Philosophy in English literature at New York University.
