DRIPs are No Load

DRIP investing is very alluring because they usually require "no load". No load equates to no/minimal fees direct stock investing with a company instead of having to purchase through a broker. You do not have to be an existing shareholder to start purchasing from a company offering a DRIP.

An alternative to DRIP investing is buying stocks through brokerage firms that charge little fees. Sogo Invest is one such company that interestingly only charges $1 per trade for 90 days. Afterwards, there is a monthly subscription fee of $10 per month and $2 per trade for their gold plan.