Business First Family Business, Accounting, Finance, Investing, Marketing And Management
Trading stocks is a good way to invest in your long term future. Stocks can generate a high return on investment for those willing to wait. However, for beginners just starting to look at investing money in their future, stocks can be daunting. With that in mind, here are the top 5 online trading accounts for individuals interested in starting their investment portfolio.
OptionsHouse
OptionsHouse is consistently featured in articles discussing the merits of online trading accounts. They offer low costs and fees while still maintaining good customer support. OptionsHouse has been rated #1 for options tradings and commissions and fees for the past five years. They offer trades at a low commission percentage and do not require a minimum balance. There is also a 60 day free trial available to new customers. When looking for an overall excellent online trading account, be sure to check out OptionsHouse.
Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab is a great online trading account option for beginner investors. This online brokerage firm provides educational resources for beginners and advanced investors, so you can continue to learn and grow to constantly improve your investment strategies. In addition, the company also offers affordable trade commissions and a comprehensive range of low cost investment options. This certainly helps for beginner investors who are afraid to risk a large investment. Charles Schwab also has excellent customer service, so you do not have to go far to find help if you have any issues. If you are a beginner investor, Charles Schwab may be one of the best online trading sites for you.
TD AmeriTrade
TD AmeriTrade is another online trading account frequently mentioned in the industry. This company does not offer quite as low trading rates as OptionsHouse for Iron Mountain stock and other holdings. However, it makes up for it by offering two trading platforms: Trade Architect and thinkorswim. These two are considered to be among the best available. In fact, TD AmeriTrade has been considered the #1 online broker across the board for four years running. A minimum account balance is not required and there is a potential sign-up bonus of $600. If you are considering opening an online trading account, make sure you check out what TD AmeriTrade has to offer.
E*Trade
E*Trade is perhaps one of the first and most well-known online trading accounts to be established. Their mobile apps are considered to be far superior to other online trading accounts. Their customer service is excellent, as well. While their trading fees are not the lowest, E*Trade has good research tools and a large investment selection. They do require a minimum account balance of $500, however. If you want to open an online trading account and mobile functionality is important to you, consider E*Trade as one of your options.
TradeKing
A relative newcomer to the world of online trading accounts, TradeKing has a little bit of everything to offer the beginner investor. TradeKing offers low commission trading rates, quality research tools and good customer service. They do not require a minimum account balance. In addition, they offer a $1000 sign-up bonus to large accounts. If you want a solid online trading account, TradeKing might just be the one for you.
Scottrade
Scottrade excels in customer service. In addition, they have the largest network of local branch offices for stock market trading out of all the online trading accounts listed in this post. Scottrade was voted #1 in overall client experience for five years running. This was achieved by making relationships with their clients a priority. Trading fees are not the lowest, but not the highest either. Unfortunately, they do require a rather hefty minimum account balance of $2,500. This is significantly higher than any of the other options listed. If you have enough money to meet the minimum and want the best customer service for your online trading account, check out Scottrade.
There are a number of brokers for individuals looking to open an online trading account. This list details the top 5 vendors available and the areas in which they excel. The most important features used to determine who made this list are minimum account balances, trading commission fees, customer service and platform quality . Remember this post when you are looking to open an online trading account.
Photo from http://www.prompttrader.com/
