A Night Owl's Guide to Trading Equities

After-hours trading is heading to an online brokerage near you. But have patience -- it's coming at a bricks-and-mortar pace.

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Every securities firm on the Street is waiting to see how extended trading plans pan out, but for the next few weeks, all they're likely to do is sit on their hands while the New York Stock Exchange, the National Association of Securities Dealers and the Securities and Exchange Commission lay out their plans. The NASD approved its longer-hours plan Thursday afternoon.

Once the field is set up, brokerages -- online and otherwise -- will start telling customers how they'll play along with the new hours. But for the most part, investors will have to wait until the exchanges actually extend hours in September or October and trading begins.

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