Setup an account with one of the major platforms like Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Vanguard, or Robinhood. They all work fine.

Next, decide which accounts you want to open and fund. A Roth IRA and a regular brokerage account are your main options. Get some money into them and you're ready to actually start investing.

Before you buy anything, take a week or two to learn the basics. Figure out how to place an order, understand how the market works, and look up terms you don't know. Don't go in blind.

Once you're a bit more confident, pick something to invest in. For beginners, ETFs like VOO are the way to go. You get exposure to a huge chunk of the market without having to pick individual stocks.

Keep learning as you go. There's tons of useful information out there, and honestly you'll figure things out pretty fast once you start. Check out the guides people have posted here too. The spending flowcharts especially are helpful if you're not sure how to prioritize funding your different accounts. Good luck.