I'm a total amateur at stock trading.
Recently I read that "worthless" stocks are a pain in the ass to get rid of. In other words, it'll follow like a lingering odor. I read that it is also expensive to get rid of them. TradeKing charges $30 to get rid of each worthless stock which is unsettling because I wanted to play with some penny stocks.

My question comes in multiple parts.
1. Is there any downside to having worthless stocks? Like can I keep them forever without being charged fees?
2. Also, I read that some brokerage companies charge for inactivity. Can you close an account when you still have worthless stock?
3. Finally, are there any monthly fees associated with keeping worthless stock? I read on yahoo answers that TradeKing charges 20$/month to keep worthless stock