Online Investment Service
One of the first places many new investors turn to find investments, financial products, and information is on the internet. There are in fact many stock trading sites which can offer the novice or experienced investor help, including research, calculators, and full service brokerage accounts.
All of these sites have their strengths and weakness. Choosing the right one to use is a matter of personal taste and need. When first starting out, it is better to check each one in turn and give it a try, so as not miss any opportunities.
Charles Schwab Online Investment Service – Charles Schwab is one of the first discount brokerages to develop online. With a long tradition and reputation for being an outstanding brokerage, they put their tools and research online, even giving users the option of an investment advisor. Clients can use the tools on their own as they see fit or they can ask for expert advice.
E*Trade Online Investment Service – E*Trade Financial Corporation was designed for online use. The big plus for this New York City based company is that it offers banking and mutual funds, and checking and savings accounts, as well as the usual online options. The company was founded in 1982 by William A. Porter and Bernard A. Newcomb.
Fidelity Online Investment Service – Fidelity is one of the top financial sites, despite the fact that most people associate them with selling insurance. However, this is far from the truth. They are a bit pricier than their competitors, but they are known for being top-notch at doing the research and passing on critical information to their clients. They also are quick with information flow having many investment centers nationwide.
Wall Street*E Online Investment Service – This site has a broad range of financial products and is very popular due to low commissions and a broad range of online services including investing and banking. They have online banking products and services that can help both the long-term and short-term investor.
TD Ameritrade Online Investment Service – TD Ameritrade has over 6 million U.S. customers and more customers coming in from the international market. They are at this point the 746th largest U.S. firm. Services include common and preferred stock, option trades, ETFs, mutual funds, margin lending, fixed income, and cash management.
Wells Fargo Online Investment Service – One of the fastest growing banking institutions for the past few decades, Wells Fargo has a remarkable online stock trading site with a wide range of comprehensive services. The investor is offered five different levels of accounts depending on whether they want independent trading or some version of a managed account. For the investor looking for a “one-stop shop” especially to start and work up some experience in investing, this could be a very useful site.
At first new investors will no doubt find themselves drawn to those sites where they can find the most information the fastest. As time goes by, however, and a trading style develops, the investor should try some different sites just to see which works best for them.