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[B507]Best Online Broker 2009

by Joseph Kenny, Jos

Today, most of the stock transactions are being conducted online. It has become very important to select a good online broker, based on specific investment needs and preferences. The number of companies offering online brokerage services has increased over the years, making it very difficult to select the best online broker. Listed below are some of the features of online brokers that you need to consider before selecting one:

Complimentary services

If you are new to stock investments, opt for an online broker that offers complimentary services, such as free investment tips, investment-planning software and the latest sock quotes. These services will help you to understand the basics of stock investments. Once you become familiar with the intricacies involved, you can start taking stock investment decisions independently. You also need to assess the speed of the online brokerage websites, especially during the peak hours, to check how long it takes to load a web page and process a transaction. In this way, you can ensure that the site is free from technical problems.

Additional services

If you have other priorities and cannot remain online for long, you need to look for a online broking site that offers additional services, like touch-tone telephone trades, faxing orders and direct order services over a regular phone line. These services are often offered for a fee and it is necessary to go through the service rates and terms and conditions of the different websites, to select the most cost effective online broker. You also need to research on the track records of online brokers to check the quality of services rendered by them.

Commission rates

In order to attract new customers, many online brokers offer low commission rates, often below the prevailing market rates. You need to be careful while selecting such brokers, as the low commission rates do not indicate the quality of services. These brokers may advertise low rates for all services, but the fine print later reveals that only a limited number of services are covered, most of which you are unlikely to use. Always remember to read the terms and conditions before selecting an online brokerage firm.

Security deposit

The amount of security deposit should also be considered, before selecting an online broker. Some charge as high as ten thousand dollars. High security deposits may not necessarily indicate the quality of services offered by the online brokerage firm.

Customer services

Another thing to consider is the response graph of the online brokerage firms. Prior to opening an account with an online broker, you should call the company's help desk and ask a test question to check how long it takes to resolve your query. For example, you could enquire about the interest rates offered by the company on the cash balance in your online broking account. You could e-mail your queries or chat online, to assess the quality of customer service offered by the company.

All these will help you in selecting the most appropriate online broker and the most cost effective services. The online broker takes care of all your transaction requirements, allowing you to concentrate more on selecting the right kind investment options, to maximize your returns.

While there are some situations that may make having an offline broker advantageous, here are the primary benefits that come with having an online stock broking account:

It's Far Cheaper To Trade Stocks Online – When a customer has a phone line and executes a trade via a live broker, it costs the company a lot of money to pay the brokers wages and have a physical location for that broker to operate from. When the same trade is done online, it's an automated process handled by a system. This is far cheaper for the company allowing it to reduce the price it charges for execution only trade.

Faster Execution – With an online stock brokerage account, execution is immediate. There is no need to call a broker and wait while the trade is executed. In addition, online broking accounts enable the user to access their account status immediately via internet connection. In the offline world, a customer would have to wait for monthly statements or phone the stock broking company to know the exact status of their accounts.

Availability Of Tools To Help The Investor – Today, a lot of online broker houses provide key information, statistics and investment tools that can help keep the trader informed and help them to analyse stocks. Such services are rare with offline only options.

What Factors Should You Look For When Deciding On An Online Stock Broker

As you can imagine, there are a huge number of online stockbrokers trying to compete for your account. This high competition means that if you look around you're likely to find an online stockbroker service that has low fees, good reliability and a fair amount of “bells and whistles”.

In this section we'll look at some of the different factors you should analyse before giving any online stockbroker service the nod:

Low Commissions Aren't Always Low – Look at the commission charges and structure of the different online broker companies. Some companies may display very low charges on their ads only for you to discover that the special unbelievable rate applies to certain sized trades, or kick in only after a number of trades have been executed. Also be on the lookout for admin or handling charges that are tagged onto some online broking accounts.

What Is The Minimum Amount Needed To Deposit? If you're a smaller, casual investor then an account that needs $10,000 deposited before you can open an account would not be suitable, even if the fees associated with each trade are quite low.

Do You Need Margin? If So What Is The Rate? A margin account allows you to borrow money to trade with. Different online accounts have different rates for trading on margin so if you're going to do this make sure you pick an account that's best suited for this.

The Bells & Whistles – By this we refer to the type and depth of research available to account holders, whether there is any “back up” for problems that may be experienced, the track record of the company (if new it may experience the occasional glitch) and the level of detail available on the trading account. Some online brokerage firms also provide broker research on various companies, charting, relevant news-feeds and other valuable information that can help your trading and research.

Additional Phone Service? Some online broker companies also make trading via phone, or at least some form of telephone support available. Always a benefit.

Reliability Of Service & How Well The Trades Are Executed - You may find an online broker service that has incredibly low fees…but which has frequent bouts of downtime where trades cannot be executed. This can be a frustrating and expensive experience, so ensure that your potential online broker service has a good level of reliability. What have others said about its service? Are there any reviews for it online?

Ultimately, the category of investor or trader you fall under will decide what type of broker and service you opt for. It's best to analyse these circumstances before you commit to any online or offline broker or you may find your trading needs are not being met.

Article Source : Advantages Of Investing In Mutual Funds

About Author

Both Joseph Kenny & Tuks Engineer are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Joseph Kenny has sinced written about articles on various topics from Credit Cards, Debt Consolidation and Credit Cards. Joseph Kenny writes for the Personal Loans Store which offers information on and other loan types including. Joseph Kenny's top article generates over 550000 views. to your Favourites.

Tuks Engineer has sinced written about articles on various topics from Credit Card Solution, Financial Planning and Investing and Trading. Compare different brokers online & get all the information you need in order to trade like a pro. Secret investment site reveals all: