diff --git a/frontend/src/features/orders/components/ApprovalBanner.jsx b/frontend/src/features/orders/components/ApprovalBanner.jsx
index 652b6d1..481c90e 100644
--- a/frontend/src/features/orders/components/ApprovalBanner.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/features/orders/components/ApprovalBanner.jsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { useState } from 'react'
 import { Button } from '../../../components/Button'
-import { getErrorMessage } from '../../../utils/apiErrorMessage.js'
+import { getOrdersErrorMessage } from '../ordersErrorMessage.js'
 import { formatUnitsString } from '../../../utils/format.js'
 import { useApproveOrder } from '../hooks/useApproveOrder.js'
 import './ApprovalBanner.css'
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export function ApprovalBanner({ order, onApproved }) {
           </p>
           {status === 'error' && (
             <p className="tu-approval-banner__error" role="alert">
-              {getErrorMessage(error)}
+              {getOrdersErrorMessage(error)}
             </p>
           )}
           <div className="tu-approval-banner__actions">
diff --git a/frontend/src/features/orders/components/OrderForm.css b/frontend/src/features/orders/components/OrderForm.css
index 0dfc5b3..82b1261 100644
--- a/frontend/src/features/orders/components/OrderForm.css
+++ b/frontend/src/features/orders/components/OrderForm.css
@@ -1,8 +1,25 @@
+/* One column below 768px; Security+Side and Quantity+Reference price pair up into a 2-column
+   grid at 768px and above, matching FeesPage.css/FundingPage.css's established breakpoint
+   convention in this codebase (a literal px value, since --breakpoint-md can't be read inside a
+   media query). The preview, error, and submit button each span the full row regardless of
+   column count -- pairing a number with its own row of controls reads worse than a clean divider
+   between input fields and the outcome/action below them. */
 .tu-order-form {
-  display: flex;
-  flex-direction: column;
+  display: grid;
+  grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr);
   gap: var(--space-4);
-  max-width: 360px;
+}
+
+@media (min-width: 768px) {
+  .tu-order-form {
+    grid-template-columns: repeat(2, minmax(0, 1fr));
+  }
+}
+
+.tu-order-form__preview,
+.tu-order-form__error,
+.tu-order-form__submit {
+  grid-column: 1 / -1;
 }
 
 .tu-order-form__preview {
@@ -37,3 +54,8 @@
   color: var(--color-error);
   font-size: var(--font-size-caption);
 }
+
+.tu-order-form__empty {
+  grid-column: 1 / -1;
+  color: var(--color-text-secondary);
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/features/orders/components/OrderForm.jsx b/frontend/src/features/orders/components/OrderForm.jsx
index e58964d..e5cfb6d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/features/orders/components/OrderForm.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/features/orders/components/OrderForm.jsx
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ import { Select } from '../../../components/Select'
 import { Skeleton } from '../../../components/Skeleton'
 import { useToast } from '../../../components/Toast'
 import { useSecurities } from '../../portfolio/hooks/useSecurities.js'
-import { getErrorMessage } from '../../../utils/apiErrorMessage.js'
 import { formatMoney } from '../../../utils/format.js'
+import { getOrdersErrorMessage } from '../ordersErrorMessage.js'
 import { usePlaceOrder } from '../hooks/usePlaceOrder.js'
 import { parseQuantity } from '../parseQuantity.js'
 import './OrderForm.css'
@@ -24,14 +24,19 @@ export function OrderForm() {
   const [side, setSide] = useState('buy')
   const [quantity, setQuantity] = useState('')
   const [referencePrice, setReferencePrice] = useState('')
-  const [validationMessage, setValidationMessage] = useState(null)
+  const [quantityError, setQuantityError] = useState(null)
+  const [referencePriceError, setReferencePriceError] = useState(null)
 
   if (securitiesStatus === 'idle' || securitiesStatus === 'loading') {
     return <Skeleton height="200px" width="360px" />
   }
 
   if (securitiesStatus === 'error') {
-    return <ErrorState description={getErrorMessage(securitiesError)} onRetry={refetchSecurities} />
+    return <ErrorState description={getOrdersErrorMessage(securitiesError)} onRetry={refetchSecurities} />
+  }
+
+  if (securities.length === 0) {
+    return <p className="tu-order-form__empty">No tradable securities are available right now.</p>
   }
 
   const selectedSecurity = securities.find((security) => security.security_id === securityId) || securities[0]
@@ -50,18 +55,18 @@ export function OrderForm() {
 
   const handleSubmit = (event) => {
     event.preventDefault()
-    setValidationMessage(null)
+    setQuantityError(null)
+    setReferencePriceError(null)
+
     const parsedQuantity = parseQuantity(quantity)
     if (!parsedQuantity) {
-      setValidationMessage('Enter a valid quantity greater than zero.')
+      setQuantityError('Enter a valid quantity greater than zero.')
       return
     }
-    if (!selectedSecurity) {
-      setValidationMessage('Choose a security.')
-      return
-    }
-    if (!referencePrice || Number.isNaN(Number(referencePrice)) || Number(referencePrice) <= 0) {
-      setValidationMessage('Enter a valid reference price greater than zero.')
+
+    const trimmedReferencePrice = referencePrice.trim()
+    if (!trimmedReferencePrice || Number.isNaN(Number(trimmedReferencePrice)) || Number(trimmedReferencePrice) <= 0) {
+      setReferencePriceError('Enter a valid reference price greater than zero.')
       return
     }
 
@@ -69,7 +74,7 @@ export function OrderForm() {
       securityId: selectedSecurity.security_id,
       side,
       quantity: parsedQuantity,
-      referencePrice,
+      referencePrice: trimmedReferencePrice,
     })
       .then((order) => {
         showToast({ message: 'Order placed.', tone: 'success' })
@@ -78,18 +83,24 @@ export function OrderForm() {
       .catch(() => {})
   }
 
-  const displayError = validationMessage || (status === 'error' ? getErrorMessage(error) : null)
+  const submitError = status === 'error' ? getOrdersErrorMessage(error) : null
 
   return (
     <form className="tu-order-form" onSubmit={handleSubmit}>
-      <Select label="Security" name="security" value={selectedSecurity?.security_id} onChange={(event) => setSecurityId(event.target.value)}>
+      <Select
+        label="Security"
+        name="security"
+        required
+        value={selectedSecurity?.security_id}
+        onChange={(event) => setSecurityId(event.target.value)}
+      >
         {securities.map((security) => (
           <option key={security.security_id} value={security.security_id}>
             {security.symbol}
           </option>
         ))}
       </Select>
-      <Select label="Side" name="side" value={side} onChange={(event) => setSide(event.target.value)}>
+      <Select label="Side" name="side" required value={side} onChange={(event) => setSide(event.target.value)}>
         <option value="buy">Buy</option>
         <option value="sell">Sell</option>
       </Select>
@@ -100,6 +111,7 @@ export function OrderForm() {
         value={quantity}
         onChange={(event) => setQuantity(event.target.value)}
         placeholder="0"
+        error={quantityError}
         required
       />
       <Input
@@ -109,6 +121,7 @@ export function OrderForm() {
         value={referencePrice}
         onChange={(event) => setReferencePrice(event.target.value)}
         placeholder="0.00"
+        error={referencePriceError}
         required
       />
       {notional && (
@@ -117,12 +130,12 @@ export function OrderForm() {
           <span className="tu-order-form__preview-value">{formatMoney(notional)}</span>
         </div>
       )}
-      {displayError && (
+      {submitError && (
         <p className="tu-order-form__error" role="alert">
-          {displayError}
+          {submitError}
         </p>
       )}
-      <Button type="submit" loading={isSubmitting} disabled={isSubmitting}>
+      <Button type="submit" className="tu-order-form__submit" loading={isSubmitting} disabled={isSubmitting}>
         Place order
       </Button>
     </form>
diff --git a/frontend/src/features/orders/components/OrderList.jsx b/frontend/src/features/orders/components/OrderList.jsx
index fea97bc..9dbab3d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/features/orders/components/OrderList.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/features/orders/components/OrderList.jsx
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ import { EmptyState } from '../../../components/EmptyState'
 import { ErrorState } from '../../../components/ErrorState'
 import { Skeleton } from '../../../components/Skeleton'
 import { Table } from '../../../components/Table'
-import { getErrorMessage } from '../../../utils/apiErrorMessage.js'
 import { useOrders } from '../hooks/useOrders.js'
+import { getOrdersErrorMessage } from '../ordersErrorMessage.js'
 import { OrderRow } from './OrderRow.jsx'
 
 export function OrderList() {
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export function OrderList() {
   }
 
   if (status === 'error') {
-    return <ErrorState description={getErrorMessage(error)} onRetry={refetch} />
+    return <ErrorState description={getOrdersErrorMessage(error)} onRetry={refetch} />
   }
 
   if (orders.length === 0) {
diff --git a/frontend/src/features/orders/ordersErrorMessage.js b/frontend/src/features/orders/ordersErrorMessage.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1593387
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/features/orders/ordersErrorMessage.js
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import { getErrorMessage } from '../../utils/apiErrorMessage.js'
+
+// order_service.py / orders.py error codes -- every real rejection reason a POST /orders or
+// POST /orders/<id>/approve can return, so a real cause is never swallowed into the generic
+// fallback (which is what "some error occurred" looked like before this map existed).
+const SPECIFIC_MESSAGES = {
+  customer_not_eligible: "Your account isn't eligible to place orders yet.",
+  kyc_verification_pending: 'Your identity verification is still pending — you can place orders once it completes.',
+  kyc_verification_rejected: 'Your identity verification was not approved. Contact support to resolve this.',
+  account_approval_pending: 'Your account is still pending approval — you can place orders once it completes.',
+  account_approval_rejected: 'Your account was not approved. Contact support to resolve this.',
+  insufficient_investable_cash: "You don't have enough investable cash for this order.",
+}
+
+export function getOrdersErrorMessage(error) {
+  if (!error) return null
+  if (SPECIFIC_MESSAGES[error.code]) return SPECIFIC_MESSAGES[error.code]
+  return getErrorMessage(error)
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/OrderNewPage.css b/frontend/src/pages/OrderNewPage.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..445db5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/OrderNewPage.css
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+/* The order form is four short fields, not a reading-length document -- the page's own
+   --reading-max-width (640px) gives it real room for a 2-column field grid (OrderForm.css)
+   without stretching to the full --content-max-width, which would leave the fields looking lost
+   in a mostly-empty row on a wide viewport. */
+.tu-page.tu-order-new-page {
+  max-width: var(--reading-max-width);
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/OrderNewPage.jsx b/frontend/src/pages/OrderNewPage.jsx
index 1c12adb..8f2860c 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/OrderNewPage.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/OrderNewPage.jsx
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
+import { Card } from '../components/Card'
 import { OrderForm } from '../features/orders/components/OrderForm.jsx'
+import './OrderNewPage.css'
 import './PageLayout.css'
 
 export function OrderNewPage() {
   return (
-    <div className="tu-page">
+    <div className="tu-page tu-order-new-page">
       <h1 className="tu-page__title">Place an order</h1>
-      <OrderForm />
+      <Card>
+        <OrderForm />
+      </Card>
     </div>
   )
 }