You can buy t-bills directly from the Treasury department. The only way
I know of to buy stocks without a broker is with a Super-DRIP. A number
of campanies have set up these programs so that you can buy stock
directly from the company.
I believe that the American Association of Independant Investors (I
*think* that's the name) can point you in the right direction.
>Also, is there a way (even in the works) of buying and selling in very
>small chunks? In other words, wouldn't it make more sense if the
>economy wuld allow invesment in increments of penny's? For example, I
>want to invest $2.36 in Microsoft. But, as I understand things, you
>have to pay at least in blocks of $140 (the price its currently
>selling at) or not at all. This seems to be a very inefficent and
>non-fluid restriction and one that favors the rich investor over the
>poor one.
There is no way that I know of to buy sub-shares.
The phenomenon you mention is exactly why stocks tend to rise after they
split: the split causes greater liquidity.
Please note that my domain name is hacked in the header as an anti-spam
measure. If you want to send me mail directly, please change the domain
name to "rpeck". Yes, the same as the email address. Thanks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Most of the time I don't have much fun. The rest of the time I don't
have any fun at all." - Woody Allen