How to buy Aviva (AV) shares

• Learn how to buy Aviva shares for exposure to the financial services sector.
• Determine which of the many trades will be most beneficial to you.
• Keep track of what Aviva and its primary competitors are up to and how it affects the company's share price.

Aviva (LON: AV) can trace its history back to 1696 when it was established as the Hand in Hand Life Security Society.

Millions of people in the UK, Canada, and Ireland are covered by their life, pension, and general insurance policies. They’ve remained the UK's leading provider of general insurance.

Scroll down for our complete guide to buying shares in Aviva.

Step 1: Choose a broker

Aviva is a publicly-traded company on the London Stock Exchange. You'll need a broker who has access to this exchange if you wish to acquire their shares.

Any broker you choose should have a reasonable commission and be able to provide rapid market quotes and transaction execution, as well as market research, trading platforms and services, and, ideally, the ability to trade fractional shares.

Step 2: Transfer funds to your account

Your trading account can be funded via bank transfer or debit card. Although it is less widely available, certain brokers may accept credit cards and/or PayPal. If you have a time-sensitive trade, keep in mind that funds may take some time to clear before you can buy.

Step 3: Choose how much to invest

Because you risk losing some or all of your money, only invest what you can afford to lose. It is unnecessary to rush into an investment because it can be made over time when your financial position is stronger.

Step 4: Invest in shares or an ETF

ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) are a type of investment that allow you to gain exposure to a group of firms, usually with something in common like exposure to an industry or market.

While ETFs may offer a hedge against some of the volatility of a more active investment such as investing in a single company, they are more likely to post steady growth rather than the rapid growth in the short-term that can be achieved with active trading.

ETFs with exposure to Aviva include iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA), Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund ETF Shares (VEU), and Schwab International Equity ETF (SCHU).

Step 5: Set up your order

Market orders are the most basic order type, meaning your broker will buy shares in Aviva at the next available price.

You can acquire shares regularly to build up a significant stake in a company. Pound cost averaging is an added benefit of this strategy.

Step 6: Submit your order

With everything configured, it’s time to submit an order to buy.

Any shareholder would benefit from knowing how Aviva is performing. If you are holding Aviva shares, you can do this by signing up to receive copies of their announcements to the market, press releases, and financial results.

It's also a good idea to monitor what other companies in the life insurance, pension, and general insurance sectors are doing.

Tracking the share price of competing companies — for example, Prudential (NYSE: PRU), Aegon (AMS: AGN), AIG (NYSE: AIG), Legal and General Group (LGEN), and Sun Life (TSE: SLF) — can alert you to possible problems in the industry that might have an effect Aviva’s share price.