February 5, 2012

Compare Online Stock Brokers

Rank Broker PriceKey Features Rating Next

1

Scottrade$7.00450 Local branches, competitive pricing, wide range of trading tools. Next

2

optionsXpress$9.95Very advanced trading platform, good education resources, somewhat complex commission structure. Next

3

E*Trade$7.99Well established, popular, broker assisted trades, tiered commission structure. Next

4

Optionshouse$3.95Highly competitive commissions, much more than just options, quality trading tools. Next

5

tradeMONSTER$7.50Quality web based trading tools, stocks, mutual funds and options, live chat support. Next

6

ShareBuilder$4.00Part of ING, automatically make trades with auto investment plan, little appeal to regular traders. Next

7

Fidelity Investments$7.95Good third party research, local branch offices, range of extra services, competitive pricing.

8

TradeKing$4.95Excellent, well-established trading community, good customer service and very informative educational resources. Next

9

Zecco$4.95Ability to trade Forex, innovative Facebook and simulator apps integrate with trading system, competitive pricing. Next

10

Questrade$4.95Canadian based broker that offers Forex and gold trading as well. Only available to Canadian residents.

Stockbroker Comparison

Comparing brokers before you sign up is obviously a good idea. Whilst most offer a wide selection of features, you have to think exactly what you might need not only now but in the future. The broker comparison table above should help you choose your online stock broker by giving you a run down of what other traders think of each broker, but check the reviews for more information and user reviews.

Why Trade Online?

Using the internet to trade has several distinct advantages to trading over the phone. The range of graphs, tools and other analytical information that you can gain access to through an online broker will amaze anyone who has yet to be converted. Its also much easier to track how your stocks are doing and watch other stocks you might be interested in. For those that are already online converts, you may already be aware that not all brokers are equal. What you actually get for your buck varies dramatically and a broker that might be great for one trade isn’t necessarily the best of another. Hopefully this site will be a great aid in helping you find the best stock broker for your requirements.

What to Look for When Choosing a Online Stockbroker?

Value – Your broker should provide you with a good value trading structure. This means if you are a frequent trader, you choose a broker that will provide you with a low cost fee/commission. This tends to be less important for those that don’t place so many trades.

Products Offered - It’s important to list exactly what type of investment product you want to trade before you sign up. Don’t make this mistake and be forced to switch of use two brokers which complicates things.

Tools – If you don’t already have any investment tools at your disposal already then this should be at the top of your list. Check that the broker offers a good selection of tools that you want or are likely to use.

Simplicity – This is especially important if you are a new trader. Look for a broker that is more friendly towards new traders and offers support and learning materials as part of the package. Tradeking have a great community that can be a fantastic resource for newer traders.

Customer Service -  This is probably the biggest source of customer complaints. Its worth remembering when reading user reviews that one bad experience with a customer services team can often be enough to encourage someone to leave a negative review – regardless of the rest of the service offered. Still, look for any patterns in reviews occurring and ensure you can get hold of the brokerage by your preferred method (email, telephone, chat) before hand.

So browse the site and make an informed decision. We are constantly adding more reviews and sites to the comparison table and aim to be the best resource for online stock broker reviews.