In this section, you will our top 8 discount brokerage services. We have gone through several online brokerage companies and seek for the highest combination of:
– Low trading fees
– High level of customer service
– Additional features (trading community, free subscription, automatic wire transfers, etc).
You can click on each discount broker chart to learn more about it or open a discount brokerage account.
Here’s our Best Online Trading Accounts:
#1 Trade King
Trade King is currently our favorite discount brokerage provider. It shows a great combination of low rate trading structure and high customer service. At $4.95 a trade, it’s hard to find a better deal if you trade a lot of stocks. Trade King has also been awarded for many customer services 1st positions for online trading.
#2 Options House
Cheaper than Trade King, Options House is also a great “option” for your online stock broker. You can actually trade stocks at $3.50 / trade and it also offers low rate on options. If you have over $1,000 at the time of opening your account, you get a free subscription to The Wall Street Journal.
#3 Zecco
Zecco offer an interesting feature to its member. In addition to have a regular discount brokerage account, you also benefit from a trading online community forum. You can then pick ideas from other traders that are in the same situation as you. You also have access to a virtual Forex platform if you want to try to make currency plays.
#4 Scottrade
With $0 inactivity fees and a $0 brokerage account maintenance fees, Scottrade is perfect for small account – low volume traders. Scottrade also offers several trading tools and stock market charts that will help you trade. This online discount broker also grants you access to several educational modules to learn how to trade properly. This is definitely a great online broker if you are starting in the investment world.
#5 Trade Monster
Besides its cool logo, Trade Monster is also a solid discount broker. It has been awarded many times for being the “best for options” by many magazines. Their mobile app is very advanced and allows you to trade anywhere. You also get a $250 transfer fee reimbursement!
#6 ShareBuilder
Note: please consider that ShareBuilder $4 trade offer is only good for trades being schedule on Monday mornings. The best feature of this online trading account is the opportunity to transfer money from/to your ING account instantly. This allows you to do systematic investment in your online trading account.
#7 OptionsXpress by Charles Schwab
Acquired by Charles Schwab, OptionsXpress has been a model of stability in the online trading industry. For example, it has been awarded 4 stars for nine years in a row by Barron’s. You can also benefits from many Charles Schwab products within this broker account.
#8 E*Trade
E*Trade has been a leader in the online trading industry for many years. Its trading fee is a little bit higher (up to $8.99 a trade) but it offer a full range of investment products along with advanced features such as unlimited ATM fee refunds, free account transfers, free online bill pay and mortgage rate promotions. This is definitely more than a simple online trading broker!
I’m a fan of Scottrade. I initially opened my account because of the low minimum opening fees and I started out small with little money! Haven’t tried out any of the others you have mentioned. Looks like you have some good options that I may benefit from looking into and possibly saving on commissions.
This list could use a refresh, Zecco is no longer a stand alone broker (merged with TradeKing). Furthermore, some data incorrect. Check out the StockBrokers.com 2013 Review and let me know if you’d like to use any of our ratings or data Mike, would be happy to help you out.
I have been a customer of T. D. Ameritrade for a few years now $9.95 per trade, many cmsn free ETF’s and excellent customer service. It is a bit higher than others however, they also have branch offices and customer service that is quite above the norm.
I have been using TradeKing for 4 years and couldnt be happier. A year ago they made a change in how they did a few things and went out of their way to be helpful.
I have recently signed up for Loyal3, which allows me to buy shares in quality dividend paying companies like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, without paying any commissions.
Plus, it allows investors to make purchases with as little as $10 per each stock.
Best Regards,
Dividend Growth Investor