Online Stock Trading Review

Online Stock Trading Review

18 de maio de 2015

Os melhores artistas em nossa revisão são OptionsHouse. O vencedor do Prêmio Ouro; TradeKing. O Prêmio Prata vencedor; E opçõesXpress. O vencedor do Prêmio de Bronze. Aqui é mais sobre a escolha de um sistema para atender às suas necessidades, juntamente com detalhes sobre como chegamos ao nosso ranking de 15 empresas.

No passado, negociação de chão e negociação de telefone, através da comunicação com um corretor que encomendou e concluiu seus negócios, foram as únicas opções para ações de negociação de ações e outros veículos de investimento no mercado de ações. Nas últimas décadas, a negociação de ações on-line substituiu os meios datados de compra e venda de ações. Corretores de desconto on-line fornecem plataformas de onde qualquer um de um trader de primeira-vez para comerciantes dia experiente pode pesquisar, monitorar e encomendar negócios.

Uma série de corretores bem estabelecidos on-line fornecer aos seus clientes com acesso aos mercados bolsistas. Os melhores serviços on-line de negociação de ações oferecem uma plataforma sólida com poderosas ferramentas de pesquisa e negociação. Todas as plataformas diferem, incluindo sua customização e seu design, e cada serviço oferece diferentes níveis de educação e suporte. Todos os serviços diferem em suas taxas, portanto, há uma variedade que você pode esperar para ver. No entanto, com alguns serviços, você paga mais pelo nome e reputação, enquanto marcas menos conhecidas podem cobrar menos por negócios. Em nossas análises de negociação de ações on-line, você pode aprender sobre os recursos que cada plataforma inclui e não inclui, as taxas que você pode esperar para pagar ações e negociação de opções e serviços de suporte oferecidos.

O que cada investidor on-line deve saber

Quando você está envolvido com a negociação no mercado acionário, você deve entender o máximo que puder sobre como negociar ações on-line e sobre os veículos de investimento que você escolher para o comércio, pois há muitas opções e essas escolhas vem com diferentes graus de risco . Como é o caso na maioria das situações, quanto maior o risco, maior a perda potencial, mas, inversamente, quanto maior o retorno potencial. Ao contrário de investir em contas de poupança simples ou CDs, investir no mercado de ações tem seus riscos como o mercado está em constante fluxo. Forças externas afetam o desempenho dos estoques, incluindo desastres naturais, clima, eventos mundiais e até mesmo agitação civil em países estrangeiros.

Riscos vs. Recompensa

Risco versus recompensa é uma frase comum no mercado de ações, porque sua correlação afeta todos os investimentos. Onde há pouco risco de perda, há também menor potencial de recompensa. E o oposto é verdadeiro, que mais elevado o risco, o retorno potencial mais elevado. Assim como em Vegas, se você ganhar quando as probabilidades são empilhadas contra você, sua recompensa pode ser enorme.

A decisão de jogar seguro ou jogar as probabilidades depende de sua estratégia de negociação, seus objetivos de carteira ea quantidade de dinheiro que você escolher para investir. Muitos investidores optam por ficar com a negociação de ações simples, caso em que você comprar e vender ações no valor nominal. Seu valor pode aumentar e você verá o capital assim que você vende, ou seu valor pode diminuir, assim que você vende antes que sua perda se torne substancial. Ou você pode sentar em um estoque por anos, assumindo o risco de que o estoque vai fazer um aumento, aumentando em valor ao longo do tempo. Veículos de investimento têm diferentes níveis de risco, de obrigações de baixo risco e fundos mútuos de futuros de alto risco e negociação Forex, que nem todos os serviços em nossa oferta de comparação de corretagem on-line.

Veículos de investimento

A opção de investimento mais comum é a negociação de ações, que são uma reivindicação de parte dos ativos da empresa ou ganhos. Essencialmente, você tem participação nessa empresa. Negociação básica de ações, em que as ações são negociadas em tempo real e em valor nominal, é um meio popular de negociação. A compra e venda de ações on-line inclui outras opções de veículos, como contratos de opções, futuros e fundos mútuos.

As opções são mais complicadas do que a negociação básica de ações. Um contrato de opção representa 100 ações subjacentes de um determinado estoque. Com contratos de opções, você concorda em comprar ou vender contratos de call ou put. O comprador de uma opção de compra não possui um estoque, mas espera que o estoque aumente e, portanto, compra o direito (mas não a obrigação) de comprar o estoque em uma data futura predeterminada do vendedor da chamada. Por outro lado, o comprador de um contrato de venda detém o estoque, mas espera que ele caia, e assim compra o direito (mas não a obrigação) de vender o estoque para o vendedor do put.

Em ambos os casos, call ou put opções, o comprador está comprando o direito, mas não a obrigação de comprar ou vender. Isso significa que o comprador tem a opção de executar ou não os termos do contrato quando ele expira. O vendedor recebe o prêmio pago pelo comprador, e por isso está vendendo o seu direito de vender uma ação no caso de uma chamada ou comprar um estoque no caso de um put. Se o comprador decidir executar o contrato, a opção é atribuída ou exercida.

Há risco porque os contratos de opção podem ser fixados por meses no futuro ea volatilidade e imprevisibilidade do mercado de ações tornam difícil saber com certeza como essa ação será pré-formada naquele momento. O risco para o comprador é a perda potencial do prêmio pago ao vendedor. Para o vendedor, o risco está em se o estoque executa como o comprador espera, porque ele ou ela é então obrigado a vender um estoque que está funcionando bem ou comprar um estoque que não é. Para saber mais sobre opções e estratégias de negociação, dê uma olhada no nosso site Trading Opções e artigos sobre negociação de ações on-line.

Futuros são normalmente utilizados na compra e venda de commodities, mas pode ser usado para comprar e vender instrumentos financeiros, semelhante às opções. Enquanto a maneira básica de fazer um lucro é semelhante, os futuros vêm com um maior risco e, portanto, maior potencial de pagamento. A diferença essencial no processo de negociação é que, com opções, o comprador tem o direito, mas não a obrigação de comprar ou vender o contrato. Mas com futuros, o comprador é obrigado a comprar ou vender ao preço específico.

Futuros como uma tática são freqüentemente usados ​​para proteger o risco, criando um preço futuro fixo para uma ação, ou para a especulação. As empresas usam futuros para combater fluxos potenciais e inesperados no mercado, concordando com os preços de negociação de commodities entre si e, portanto, transferindo o risco para o investidor. Ambas as partes envolvidas gozam de custos fixos e margens de lucro. Para o investidor, se o valor de um estoque cai, o investidor paga a diferença. Por outro lado, se o valor das ações sobe, o investidor mantém a diferença e faz um lucro.

Forex & ndash; A negociação de moeda estrangeira taxa de câmbio & ndash; É uma das opções de investimento mais arriscadas. É o mercado mais líquido do mundo, o que significa que é um mercado extremamente ativo com um grande número de compradores e vendedores e preços flutuantes. Difere de outros mercados porque não existe um mercado físico específico: tudo está sendo negociado eletronicamente ao balcão.

Com Forex, pares de moedas são simultaneamente sendo comprados e vendidos, e os preços estão constantemente em fluxo, até o segundo. Existem 27 pares de moedas entre oito moedas principais. A troca também ocorre entre os preços do ouro e da prata. Com um par, a primeira unidade é a moeda base e a segunda é a moeda de cotação. Para cada par, há uma oferta (preço de compra), que representa quanto da moeda de cotação é igual a uma unidade da moeda base. Há também o ask (preço de venda), que é o quanto da moeda de cotação que você recebe por vender uma unidade da moeda base. Para obter mais informações, dê uma olhada no nosso site Forex Trading.

Fundos mútuos

Fundos mútuos são uma opção menos arriscada do que opções e futuros e até mesmo negociação de ações básicas. Com um fundo mútuo, um pool de investidores contribui fundos para ser investido em títulos. Fundos mútuos são uma maneira segura de construir uma carteira, porque o seu dinheiro é gerido por gestores de dinheiro profissional que investe os fundos para corresponder aos objectivos dos investidores. O nível de risco é semelhante ao da negociação de ações. Como você é apenas um contribuinte para a compra e venda de um estoque, o seu ganho particular ou perda é uma menor percentagem do todo também.

As obrigações são instrumentos de investimento de dívida de longo prazo. Se você investir em um título, está emprestando dinheiro a uma entidade, incluindo corporações ou até entidades governamentais, por um determinado período de tempo ea uma taxa de juros específica. Quando o prazo do vínculo atinge o seu vencimento, você recebe os fundos que investiu mais os juros acumulados durante a duração do empréstimo. O risco de títulos vem com o valor da entidade em quem você investir e se ele será capaz de pagar suas dívidas.

Fatores que afetam o mercado

O mercado de ações está sempre mudando, mas certos fatores podem criar mudanças imediatas ou falhas, grandes ou pequenos. Muitos fatores podem contribuir para a volatilidade do mercado, incluindo eventos e forças internas e externas. Os eventos mundiais são fatores que influenciam as perspectivas do mercado, a oferta ea demanda, entre outras facetas do mercado. Desastres naturais, guerra e agitação civil podem ter impactos negativos no mercado e nos preços das ações.

Um dos maiores fatores que afeta o mercado é a perspectiva do próprio mercado. Quando a perspectiva do mercado é mais baixa e os investidores esperam um movimento descendente na tendência geral do mercado, os investidores esperam perdas generalizadas que causam baixas vendas e perdas atualizadas, o que cria uma espiral descendente. Por outro lado, em um mercado de alta, os investidores esperam que os preços a subir, o que aumenta a compra e otimismo no mercado de ações.

Economia é uma força motriz enorme do mercado, ea oferta e demanda tem um efeito óbvio sobre os preços de mercado. Rascunhos podem afetar as culturas, elevando os preços da commodity enquanto uma abundância de outra commodity como resultado de uma estação de crescimento favorável pode baixar os preços. A oferta ea demanda também podem ser artificialmente manipuladas para aumentar ou diminuir o preço de mercadorias específicas.

Melhores corretores on-line para negociação de ações

Há uma série de considerações que vão para a escolha de um serviço de negociação de ações on-line, e parte do que é o corretor de ações on-line em si. Ao escolher a melhor empresa de corretagem on-line para suas necessidades, você pode estar mais preocupado com a plataforma: quanto você pode personalizá-lo; Como é intuitivo; Que ferramentas oferece? No entanto, você pode estar mais preocupado com o custo: quanto é um único comércio; Faz o desconto da companhia o preço enquanto você requisita mais comércios; E se você precisar de assistência de um corretor? No final, o melhor virá para baixo para suas estratégias de negociação e prioridades.

Taxas Média

Como você investir para crescer suas contas bancárias e fundos de aposentadoria, o custo de corretores on-line individuais podem ser um fator decisivo para você. Há taxas de comissão para ordens de negócios, taxas de contrato de opções, taxas de corretor assistido se você precisar de ajuda, taxas de empréstimo na margem e outros números a considerar. Embora as taxas de todos os serviços diferem ligeiramente, você pode esperar um certo intervalo.

Os negócios conservados em estoque em linha são geralmente entre $ 5 e $ 10. Alguns serviços podem cobrar mais de US $ 10, mas apenas estar ciente de que existem opções mais baratas. Muitos serviços têm uma taxa fixa, enquanto alguns serviços têm taxas de comissão em camadas, de modo que os comércios mais você encomendar em um único mês ou trimestre, menos cada custos de comércio individual.

Quando opções de negociação, você geralmente paga uma taxa básica (muitas vezes a mesma comissão taxa de negociações de ações), mais uma taxa por contrato. O custo por contrato individual varia entre os serviços, mas você geralmente pode esperar para ver entre US $ 0,50 e US $ 1,00 por contrato. Se os termos do contrato forem cumpridos eo comprador decidir agir sobre ele, há uma taxa adicional para o exercício ou a cessão do contrato. Estas taxas variam entre tão pouco quanto $ 5 com os melhores serviços para tão alto quanto $ 30 por exercício ou atribuição. Esta taxa pode adicionar se você planeja ser um operador de opções ativas.

Plataformas Escolhas

Quando se trata de plataformas, você tem duas opções básicas: on-line ou aplicação desktop. Ambas as plataformas têm seus méritos e suas limitações, porém se você vê certas facetas como boas ou más é uma questão de opinião.

Plataformas on-line são uma boa escolha para os comerciantes iniciantes como eles são normalmente menos complicado e mais intuitivo. Eles são integrados com o site da empresa, de modo que a plataforma de negociação é simplesmente outra guia que você clique. Isso significa que a plataforma é disposta como um site típico, o que torna familiar e mais fácil de navegar. No entanto, em muitos casos, também significa que é menos personalizável porque as janelas são estáticas eo layout já definido.

Aplicativos de desktop, por outro lado, muitas vezes oferecem personalização completa. Se você quiser ter cinco listas de vigilância abertas com algumas cadeias de opções e notícias do mercado de streaming, você pode escolher. Ou você pode manter gráficos e citações ao vivo abertas com uma única lista de observação. Muitas plataformas desktop têm uma aparência mais tradicional do mercado, bem como, com vermelho e verde com códigos de cores gráficos de velas e indicadores espalhados por um fundo preto. Se este é mais o seu ascetic, aplicativos de desktop pode ser uma boa escolha. Essas plataformas podem ser mais complicadas e menos intuitivas, então eles podem não ser a melhor escolha para aqueles mais novos para negociação de ações ou aqueles que procuram simplesmente encomendar alguns negócios de vez em quando.

Plataformas móveis também são algo que você pode esperar com os melhores corretores on-line. Todos os serviços que analisamos oferecem serviços móveis, alguns através de aplicativos para download e outros usando sites otimizados para dispositivos móveis. Você pode pesquisar e negociar ações, monitorar suas posições e manter o controle de listas de vigias e cadeias de opções. Algumas plataformas móveis de serviços permitem que você negocie investimentos mais complicados, como opções e futuros multi-leg.

O que procurar em uma boa plataforma de negociação de ações on-line

Com todos os corretores de desconto on-line, você deve esperar certos recursos. Estes incluem ferramentas para pesquisar e monitorar estoques, recursos para gerenciar seu portfólio e avaliar o risco de suas posições e relatórios poderosos e opções de gráficos. As melhores plataformas de negociação online & ndash; Seja on-line, desktop ou móvel & ndash; Oferecem muitas ferramentas poderosas e opções de relatórios.

Ferramentas de Monitoramento de Pesquisa

Recursos de pesquisa são padrão, incluindo cotações em tempo real fornecendo os pontos de compra e venda atuais de um estoque. Os Screeners permitem definir parâmetros e métricas específicas para filtrar por elementos, incluindo preço, relação P / E, volume, ROI e rendimento, entre outras opções. Essas opções de filtragem avançada permitem que você assista apenas às ações que atendem aos critérios definidos para sua estratégia de negociação.

Para essas ações, você também pode criar listas de vigilância, mostrando múltiplos pontos de compra e venda para um determinado estoque. As cadeias de opções mostram vários preços de lances, pedidos e greves para opções de compra e venda para um estoque, para que você encontre contratos que correspondam aos parâmetros que você deseja em um contrato de opção.

Gráficos de relatórios

Gráficos de fluxo contínuo fornecem representações visuais de listas de observação e crivos para exibições rápidas de ações e seus desempenhos. Muitos desses gráficos monitoram até o minuto. Os gráficos de barra e as cartas do candlestick são comuns, completo com o cor-coding vermelho e verde para indicar um aumento ou uma queda no desempenho e na abertura, fechando e custos reais do comércio para um estoque particular ou um par negociando.

A capacidade de adicionar indicadores técnicos é uma opção de personalização útil que os comerciantes avançados vão achar inestimável ao monitorar estoques e tendências de Forex. OptionsXpress oferece 100 indicadores técnicos, incluindo indicadores de impulso, tendência e volume. Ele também oferece ferramentas de desenho para criar linhas de tendência e resistência, acessar o retracement de Fibonacci, fãs, arcos e séries de tempo.

Gerenciamento de portfólio

Muitas plataformas oferecem dicas para gerenciar, monitorar e aumentar seu portfólio. Enquanto dicas para negociação on-line ações são úteis, ferramentas que trabalham activamente e integrar com o seu portfólio pessoal e plataforma são úteis para ter ao seu alcance. É importante ter em mente que, dada a natureza imprevisível do mercado de ações eo desempenho de ações individuais, essas ferramentas podem ajudá-lo a fazer suposições educadas, mas não há garantia de que qualquer informação fornecida será verdade.

Determinadas calculadoras podem oferecer insights sobre risco potencial versus recompensa. Ao dividir seu lucro líquido ou recompensa pelo preço do risco máximo, você pode estimar o risco potencial versus recompensa. Uma calculadora de lucro e perda usa informações de mercado atuais & ndash; Incluindo qualidade e preços & ndash; Para determinar o lucro potencial ou perda de compra de um estoque. Muitas calculadoras permitem que você adicione outras variáveis ​​à equação, incluindo dias para expiração, volatilidade, taxas e dividendos.

A Fidelity oferece uma revisão de portfólio, que analisa seu portfólio com base em seus objetivos de investimento. Ele fornece a análise do seu portfólio atual para oferecer orientação, sugerir estratégias e fornecer um plano detalhado de ação para ajudá-lo a atingir seus objetivos.

Escolhendo seu primeiro corretor, o que você necessita saber

Ao escolher o melhor corretor de ações on-line para você, você quer encontrar um que oferece os recursos e opções que correspondem à sua estratégia de negociação. Algumas dessas considerações são os preços e taxas, a forma como a plataforma funciona com a sua estratégia, ea educação oferecida.

Se você é novo para a negociação on-line e não planejar na negociação muitas vezes ou em grandes volumes, o custo por comércio pode não ser muito de um fator ao escolher um serviço. No entanto, se você pretende encomendar um grande número de negócios, essas taxas individuais irão adicionar até, ea diferença entre um par de dólares por comércio pode igual a centenas de dólares ao longo do tempo. OptionsHouse e TradeKing oferecem algumas das melhores taxas de comércio, com cada comércio on-line de ações custando US $ 4,95, que é um par de dólares menos por comércio do que a média das empresas comerciais on-line que analisamos.

Se você está interessado em opções de negociação, você tem dois preços a ter em conta: a taxa básica ea taxa por contrato. A taxa básica pode ser maior com alguns serviços, enquanto a taxa por contrato é menor. Se você pretende trocar um grande número de contratos, este modelo beneficiaria você mais do que procurando um serviço com uma taxa básica mais baixa. Como mencionado acima, o custo para exercer ou atribuir um contrato de opção também irá adicionar. OptionsHouse tem as taxas mais baixas para estes dois processos em US $ 4,95 cada.

Se você pretende negociar na margem, você quer verificar não apenas as taxas de margem, mas também os níveis para as taxas. Alguns serviços têm taxas mais baixas à primeira vista, mas essas taxas não caem até que seu saldo de empréstimo é bem mais de US $ 1 milhão. Mais uma vez, OptionsHouse tem as melhores taxas de juros, começando em 6,5% para os saldos de até US $ 25.000 e caindo para 2% quando seu saldo quebra a marca de US $ 1 milhão.

Cada serviço individual normalmente tem seus próprios requisitos de conta de margem, incluindo saldos mínimos e requisitos mínimos de negociação para manter uma conta ativa e aberta. Regulamentos aplicados pela Autoridade Reguladora da Indústria Financeira exigem que os comerciantes de dia de padrão & ndash; Aqueles que compram e vendem a mesma segurança quatro ou mais vezes em um período de cinco dias & ndash; Manter pelo menos US $ 25.000 em suas contas de margem.

Ao escolher sua plataforma, como discutido acima, você tem a opção de desktop ou on-line. Serviços como Fidelity e Scottrade oferecem plataformas on-line padrão, que são fáceis de navegar e intuitivas para completar tarefas. A plataforma on-line da Scottrade é personalizável, o que você não recebe em todas as plataformas on-line. Serviços on-line como o TradeKing permitem que você ajuste a posição de algumas das janelas, mas não é realmente personalizável como Scottrade ou mesmo OptionsHouse e optionsXpress.

Se a personalização total for algo que você está procurando, a plataforma thinkorswim da TD Ameritrade é uma escolha sólida. Você pode adicionar, redimensionar, minimizar e maximizar todas as janelas e escolher quais opções você está visualizando. A TradeStation também é uma ótima opção em plataformas de personalização com seus widgets e gadgets, incluindo screeners, scanners e notícias de streaming.

Plataformas móveis em toda a placa permitem que você pesquisar e comercializar ações, mas alguns serviços oferecem recursos adicionais. Aplicativos móveis da Fidelity e da Merrill Lynch, por exemplo, oferecem depósito de cheques, onde você pode tirar uma foto de um cheque, depositar os fundos e começar imediatamente a negociar com esses fundos. O aplicativo para celular da E-Trade oferece depósito de cheques e varredura de código de barras. Este recurso, que nenhum outro aplicativo em nossa linha oferece, permite que você digitalize um código de barras e receba informações publicamente negociadas sobre o estoque relacionado.

Veículos de investimento

Ao decidir sobre um serviço de negociação de ações, os investimentos em que você está interessado em negociação pode ser um fator decisivo para você. Sem dúvida, todo serviço deve oferecer ações e negociação de opções. Todos os serviços que analisamos também oferecem investimentos do IRA. Com exceção do SpeedTrader. Você pode negociar ETFs com os serviços em nossa linha, e você pode negociar fundos mútuos com todos os serviços que nós revisamos exceto SogoTrade. Isto apenas significa que se você quiser certos veículos de investimento, você vai querer garantir que o serviço oferece os que você deseja.

Menos serviços oferecem uma negociação mais arriscada de futuros e Forex. Futuros diferem de opções em que o proprietário do futuro tem a obrigação de comprar ou vender, enquanto com opções o proprietário tem o direito de comprar ou vender. Isso torna a especulação sobre o desempenho subseqüente mais arriscado do que com negociação de opções. Forex trading, a negociação de moedas estrangeiras, pode ser extremamente arriscado por causa da natureza líquida do mercado, fazendo para as perdas potencialmente devastadoras. Muitos acham que o potencial de lucro supera o risco de perda.

Compare Online Brokers Taxas, Serviços Reputação

As características do corretor específico, incluindo o preço e recursos de plataforma, são os principais aspectos ao escolher uma empresa de corretagem on-line. No entanto, a reputação de cada corretor pode ser uma grande consideração, incluindo como bem conhecida e estabelecida a empresa está dentro da indústria. Nomes maiores são mais reconhecidos como eles têm sido em torno de décadas, enquanto outros serviços têm campanhas de publicidade familiar. Outros jogadores são mais novos para o mundo do comércio on-line, por isso seus nomes podem não ser tão amplamente reconhecido, mas suas reputações e opiniões de clientes satisfeitos falam por si.

Reputação

Quando se trata de grandes corretores de barões, alguns nomes aparecerão inevitavelmente primeiro. TD Ameritrade é um desses nomes bem estabelecidos, tendo sido no negócio por décadas e adquirindo outras empresas ao longo do caminho. Foi um dos primeiros corretores on-line para oferecer negociações em estoque on-line rápido. Classifica extremamente bem com os Web site em linha da avaliação de negócio e outros locais da revisão da corretagem, e nós poderíamos encontrar relativamente poucas queixas do cliente.

Charles Schwab é outra empresa de corretagem que tem sido em torno de algum tempo e que é bem conhecida e respeitada na indústria. Ele se concentra em investir e planejamento para o seu futuro, por isso fornece sólidos recursos para aprender a investir e como crescer o seu portfólio. Enquanto Charles Schwab tem sua própria plataforma de negociação, também oferece optionsXpress, que é uma plataforma com pesquisa avançada de ações e ferramentas de negociação. Ambos Charles Schwab e optionsXpress rank bem online, tanto com especialistas e com os clientes.

Serviços Agências Locais

Outros nomes são facilmente reconhecidos devido à publicidade em televisores e através de outros meios de comunicação, bem como por ter presença local com filiais em todo o país. Fidelity é bem conhecida por ajudá-lo a planejar seu futuro, e sempre aparece em listas para os melhores corretores on-line. Nos ramos locais, você pode receber atenção e orientação cara a cara de corretores especializados. Na Fidelity Investor Centers, você pode assistir a seminários de negociação para aprender mais sobre a indústria e maximizar o Serviço de Fidelidade.

Scottrade é outra marca familiar em torno da maioria das cidades, com mais de 500 filiais localizadas na maioria dos estados. Você pode assistir a eventos em pessoa cobrindo uma ampla gama de tópicos, como aprender sobre veículos de investimento e fortalecer seu portfólio. A Scottrade também oferece uma ampla gama de eventos educacionais on-line, incluindo comentários diários de mercado de especialistas da Scottrade, sessões de estratégia e webinars ao vivo e arquivados.

E-Trade é a nossa primeira escolha para os comerciantes iniciantes, fornecendo os recursos educacionais mais abrangentes. Estes incluem acesso a cursos on-line da Morningstar Classroom, webinars, tutoriais em vídeo, artigos e demos. Ele também oferece serviço ao cliente 24/7 e tem filiais locais em 16 estados e Washington, DC, onde você pode receber atenção em pessoa para configurar suas estratégias de investimento e planejar seu futuro e aposentadoria.

Melhores taxas taxas

Se taxas mais baixas são onde seu foco principal se encontra, OptionsHouse e TradeKing são boas escolhas em nossa comparação de corretor on-line. Ambos oferecem as taxas mais baixas de comércio dos serviços que analisamos. Ambos também têm reputação sólida para negociação de ações on-line. Outros serviços oferecem preços diferenciados, portanto, se você troca mais, cada comércio individual custa menos. TradeStation oferece tais preços, com negociações caindo para menos de US $ 5 desde que você encomendar mais de 200 operações por mês.

Para os comerciantes ativos dia procurando as taxas de negociação mais baixas, SogoTrade pode ser a sua melhor escolha. Se você encomendar menos de 150 negócios por trimestre, cada comércio é de apenas US $ 5, que é mais barato do que muitos serviços do get-go. No entanto, se você encomendar mais de 150 negócios em um único trimestre, cada comércio cai para US $ 3, que é o mais barato por custo de comércio de qualquer serviço que analisamos. Sua taxa por contrato é também uma das mais baixas, embora o seu exercício opção e taxas de atribuição são mais elevados do que muitos outros serviços.

Para os comerciantes do dia olhando para pedir emprestado de seus corretores através de contas margem, você encontrará uma ampla gama de taxas. A SibertNet tem as taxas de margem mais baixas, mas suas taxas de comércio são significativamente mais altas do que outros serviços em nossa linha e seu cronograma de comissões não é tão simples. OptionsHouse oferece as menores taxas de margem, embora a sua taxa mais baixa vem com saldos de margem superior a US $ 1 milhão. SogoTrade também tem baixas taxas, embora não tão baixo como OptionsHouse, mas para receber a sua taxa mais baixa só requer um saldo de US $ 500.000, o que poderia beneficiar aqueles que não estão olhando para pedir emprestado tanto.

Como negociar ações em linha

Para negociação on-line e investimento on-line, você simplesmente precisa de um corretor para fornecer acesso aos mercados de ações. Isto é o que estes serviços em nossa linha oferecem: acesso ao mercado de ações sem a necessidade de um corretor físico. No entanto, você pode encontrar ações de negociação para ser um pouco confuso no início. Muitos serviços oferecem recursos educacionais, como abordado brevemente acima, e alguns serviços permitem que você pratique a negociação em um mercado de ações virtual ou demos de suas plataformas para ter uma idéia de como comprar ações on-line. Muitos serviços oferecem tutoriais que o orientam na navegação na plataforma e na conclusão de tarefas, ea maioria dos serviços oferece recursos para aumentar seu conhecimento sobre o mercado e as opções de investimento.

Virtual Trading

Com a negociação virtual, você pode testar o mercado antes de mergulhar com dinheiro real. OptionsXpress, por exemplo, oferece o seu Virtual Trade, que lhe dá uma conta de negociação virtual grátis de $ 25.000, onde você pode praticar ações, opções, futuros e outros veículos de investimento. Você recebe cotações em tempo real do mercado real, para que você possa ver o desempenho dos negócios que você teria encomendado se tivesse negociado na vida real com fundos reais. Você pode experimentar a plataforma de negociação e gráficos e ter uma idéia para o mercado e as tendências.

A plataforma thinkorswim da TD Ameritrade também oferece uma plataforma de negociação virtual, a paperMoney. Similar a optionsXpress, paperMoney permite testar a plataforma. Você pode encomendar trades usando as poderosas ferramentas de pesquisa e negociação do thinkorswim. Os resultados são reais, mas o dinheiro não é assim que você não vai perder ou ganhar nada. Você ganhará a experiência usando a plataforma assim que você está pronto ao comércio quando é para real.

OptionsHouse também oferece uma plataforma de negociação virtual que você pode alternar e para trás com sua conta financiada. Isso permite que você experimente estratégias e experiências sem quaisquer repercussões monetárias. Todos os negócios virtuais são hipotéticos e não vinculativos, mas você vai querer garantir que você está em sua conta virtual e não a sua conta financiada durante a experimentação.

Educação

Recursos educacionais podem ajudá-lo a aprender não só sobre uma plataforma específica, mas também sobre o mercado. Cada pessoa tem sua própria maneira de aprender: alguns preferem ler enquanto outros preferem vídeos ou cursos auto-passeados com avaliações para determinar a compreensão. Todos os serviços que analisamos oferecem algum material de aprendizagem complementar e suplementar.

Como mencionado acima, E-Trade é top-notch quando se trata de seu material educacional. O conhecimento oferecido pela TradeKing também é impressionante. Suas opções educacionais são organizadas pelo tópico sobre o qual você espera crescer seu conhecimento, por seu nível de habilidade e pelo outlook do mercado. Se você é um novato, você pode ler o material que fala sua língua do novato sem ser inundado com o jargão e os termos do mercado que são estranhos a você. Se você se deparar com um outlook mercado excessivamente volátil, você pode procurar estratégias para ajudá-lo a maximizar o seu ganho.

Se os cursos de formação são o seu meio preferido de aprendizagem, E-Trade fornece acesso à sala de aula da Morningstar. Estes cursos levá-lo através de um currículo que abrange ações de negociação básico, a construção de seu portfólio e compreender os riscos de investir no mercado de ações. Cada curso tem um questionário no final para que você possa testar seus conhecimentos.

Dicas para investimentos on-line, o que você precisa saber

Criar uma lista de dicas para a negociação de ações e investir on-line poderia nunca acabar. No entanto, nós reunimos um top 10 lista de dicas para aqueles que estão dispostos a investir em ações on-line

Conheça os riscos: Saiba o que você está se metendo e os riscos envolvidos com o veículo de investimento que você escolher. Entenda a volatilidade atual do mercado antes de entrar.

Determine seu estilo de negociação: Você será um investidor de crescimento ou investidor de valor? Bullish ou bearish? Mesmo se o seu estilo de negociação muda quando os fluxos de mercado, você quer ter uma compreensão clara de diferentes estilos, e especialmente quando usá-los.

Escolha o corretor certo: com as informações fornecidas acima, você deve ser capaz de encontrar um corretor on-line bom, se é o corretor on-line mais barato, aquele com a plataforma mais poderosa ou com a melhor reputação. O corretor certo depende de suas preferências e objetivos.

Pesquisa: Olhe para o estoque e sua empresa. Você vai possuir capital próprio na empresa, por isso certifique-se que é algo que você acredita que irá beneficiar você e seus objetivos de investimento. Além disso, olhar para o desempenho passado do estoque. Preste atenção às tendências da sua história. Também é aconselhável não comprar ações abaixo de US $ 10 por ação. Alguns especialistas até dizem não ir abaixo de US $ 15 por ação.

Esteja preparado para perder: As perdas acontecem, especialmente quando você está aprendendo a negociar. Entenda que essa é a natureza da besta.

Seja Paciente: Só porque suas quedas de ações não significa que você deve vender imediatamente. Muitos comerciantes segurar em ações por anos e passeio através dos altos e baixos freqüentes no mercado. No entanto, & hellip;

Esteja preparado para cortar suas perdas: Uma regra comum é cortar suas perdas em torno de 7% a 8% abaixo do seu preço de compra. Você pode usar ordens stop-loss para vender automaticamente um estoque se cair abaixo dos parâmetros especificados.

Keep Up With News: As explained above, many factors affect the stock market, so keeping up with not only market news but also local and world news will help you avoid being blindsided by sudden events that cause the market to drop.

Learn the Language: The language of the stock market may sometimes feel like Greek. There are many terms that you will catch on to after time, but many online stock trading sites offer glossaries so you can beef up your vocabulary in a much shorter period.

Utilize Resources: Whether books, articles, training material, seminars or an experienced friend, seek out solid advice to learn as much as you can about the market, trading and refining your trading strategy.

Nossa Recomendação de Veredicto

When it comes to choosing a stock trading platform, "best" is very subjective. The best for you depends on your particular trading style, your strategies, your goals and your preferences. We have provided our top picks for online stock trading services, and each has features and facets that make it a solid choice.

If your focus is strictly the bottom line and low fees are the deciding factor for you, OptionsHouse or TradeKing are a couple of your best choices. They both have low trade fees for basic stocks and for options. Their other fees and rates are competitive. They do have flat-rate fees, which benefit lower-volume traders. If you plan to order a high volume of trades, tiered commission schedules from SogoTrade or TradeStation may be better choices, though some of their other fees are comparatively higher.

For powerful platforms, you have the choice between online or desktop. OptionsHouse is a solid choice in online platforms. It is customizable and offers powerful research and trading tools. If you're looking for a simpler platform, one that is intuitive and easy to navigate, TradeKing and Fidelity are good choices.

Investment vehicles are also a consideration. Every platform on our lineup offers stocks and options, and most offer other investments choices like IRAs, mutual funds and bonds. Not all services offer riskier choices like futures and Forex. If you feel you may want to try your hand at all investment choices, E-Trade is the best choice, as it offers futures, Forex and access to international stock markets.

When reading through our reviews and considering which platform best suits your trading preferences, keep in mind that all platforms offer access to the stock market, so you can be in control of researching, monitoring, buying, selling and managing your portfolio. Have a look at our reviews and benefit from our research to find the best online stock trading service for you.

OptionsHouse - Ranked #1 Out of 10

OptionsHouse é um provedor de topo em corretores de ações on-line. This company provides trades with low fees and good customer service. A PEAK6 subsidiary, OptionsHouse has been in the online stock trading business since 2006.

You can customize the OptionsHouse online stock trading platform, which enables you to keep your attention on what matters to you. The platform has useful features, like a risk viewer and a Call Spread Investigator. The Call Spread Investigator highlights spreads with the best predicted returns. The platform itself is well designed with clearly marked icons and an uncluttered screen. Making a trade is simple; you just open an order ticket or go to the trade menu.

Additionally, if you do have questions about a feature, you can access the Quick Assist icon, which allows you to hover over individual tools and receive a detailed description of its function.

OptionsHouse has no minimum balance required for opening a basic account. There are minimums for certain types of accounts, such as the margin accounts, which require a $2,000 balance. Trades with this online broker are based on a flat rate, and OptionsHouse had the lowest rates of any other online stock trading company in our lineup. This online broker also offers a range of trading options, including futures, ETFs, and mutual and retirement funds.

The help and support is available during business hours, typically 7 a. m. to 7 p. m. Central time, Monday through Friday. You can reach a support representative over the telephone, through email or via live chat. You can also explore the company blog and browse the online educational resources for additional guidance and further learning.

OptionsHouse provides well-priced trades and a full range of help and support services, including a full-fledged knowledgebase and company blog. The online platform is easy to use, but you can access help and support representatives during business hours if you need additional support. For more complete information on this platform, read our OptionsHouse review .

TradeKing - Ranked #2 Out of 10

TradeKing offers a large selection of trades that build and diversify your online trading portfolio. This range of choices and this online stock broker's help and support center make TradeKing a strong choice for advanced traders and those who are just learning the ropes.

This online trading platform has flat fees for its stock, ETF and options trading. This means that no matter how much you trade, your exchange rate will remain the same. You also have the option of selecting a broker-assisted trade, which is available for an additional fee.

TradeKing provides most of the basic trades commonly found in online stock trading. You can trade stocks, ETFs, bonds and options. You also have access to Forex and the international stock exchange through this platform. One unique feature provided by TradeKing is extra-hours trading and auto-trade. These options allow you to build your trades around your schedule better, rather than having to wait on the markets.

The platform itself is very simple. It is not customizable, so you do not have the control you would with other platforms, but this also makes the platform easy to use. While you cannot add and delete sections or add watch lists, you can rearrange the layout to better suit your needs. For when you are on the go, you can easily download a mobile app. This online trading platform is available on Android and iOS devices.

The knowledgebase has a range of information for with tips for beginners and articles for educating yourself on investing styles, investment terms and strategies. The information is conveniently sorted by topic or level of experience. The knowledgebase has short articles and summaries as well as more in-depth guides that can provide assistance to even the most seasoned investors.

TradeKing is straightforward trading platform with useful information in its knowledgebase. The online trading platform has a range of tools and investments offerings for building your online portfolio. Read more in-depth information about this trading platform's features in our TradeKing review .

optionsXpress - Ranked #3 Out of 10

optionsXpress is recognized by financial sources as a leader in online stock trading and as one of the best online brokers. This company provides an easy-to-use trading platform, a full range of help and support options, and an assortment of investment options for building a diversified portfolio. optionsXpress is one of the best online brokers we have reviewed and a good choice for beginning and advanced traders.

When you are trading stocks online, costs and trading fees can add up quickly. optionsXpress has slightly higher trade fees than other top-rated companies for its options, stocks and other investments. One key feature that this online investing company offers is that it does not require a minimum balance when you open a basic account. Unlike other companies, optionsXpress does not charge an extra fee for a broker-assisted trade.

This online platform is nearly fully customizable. Not only do you have the option of rearranging the layout of your screen by clicking and dragging windows around, but you can also add new windows and modify your views. Tools that you can add to your dashboard include risk calculators, stock charts and streaming news. When you are on the go, you have the option to download a mobile app for your iPhone or Android device.

If you need support for your online investing, you can contact customer support via email, live chat and telephone. The representatives are personable and knowledgeable. If you are just looking for more information on trading or tips and strategies, the online knowledgebase provides tutorials that guide you through the platform and gives you an overview of the features.

optionsXpress has a customizable platform that you can rearrange to match your trading needs. You can search the support center for basic trading information and platform tutorials, or you can reach out to help and support. This online stock trading provider offers a good selection of trades. For more detailed information on this platform, read our optionsXpress review .

TradeStation - Ranked #4 Out of 10

TradeStation, formally known as TradeStation Securities, has a desktop platform that makes trading stocks and online investing a simple process. The platform is fully customizable, so you can view information that is important to you and clear out information that isn't central to your trading.

This online investing platform does not operate using a flat rate for trading. The prices for trades you place fluctuate based on the number of trade you place. The more trades you make, the lower the fees drop. If you trade infrequently, this tiered rate will not benefit you. However, if you place a high number of trades every month, TradeStation is an online investing platform you may want to look more closely at.

TradeStation provides a variety of investment options, including stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds and bonds. Additionally, you can choose to pursue high-risk options, like futures and Forex trading.

The trading platform can be tailored to your trading needs and style. It is also one of the most all-inclusive and easy-to-use platforms we viewed. You can change the placement and size of the windows and determine what information is displayed on your screen.

Customer service can be reached over the phone, through live chat and via email. While client service and support for your investment is only provided during business hours, you can reach technical support 24 hours a day on weekdays. If you have questions about trading strategies, you can visit the knowledgebase, read articles on investments strategies or view video tutorials.

TradeStation stands out because of its comprehensive and user-intuitive trading platform. While the tiered fee rate can be detrimental for non-active traders, it benefits those who trade on a regular basic. For more complete information on this platform, read our TradeStation review .

Fidelity - Ranked #5 Out of 10

Fidelity is a well-established and trusted name in online stock trading. This service has a customizable platform and reasonable trading fees. When you need advice on trading stocks online, you can visit the knowledgebase on the company website or visit one of the many brick and mortar stores available in most states.

The online platform can be tailored based on your trading experience, style and needs. You can easily add graphs, charts and customized alerts. Additionally, you can create watch lists and option chains. By adding new information and shifting out information that is irrelevant, you can monitor statistics that are important to you and remove what isn't important for your trading.

Flat trade fees make Fidelity a solid choice if you do not trade frequently. Trading fees can add up quickly, and Fidelity's are just about average for online stock trading companies. Investments offered through Fidelity include a 401k, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and access to the international stock exchange. This service does not offer high-risk trades, like futures or Forex.

When you don't have access to a computer, you can place trades on your mobile device. Fidelity has mobile apps that you can download on your iPhone, Android and Windows phone. The app is not as functional as the desktop version but allows you to access trading and live quotes.

Trading stocks online can sometimes be tricky. This service provides superb service and educational materials for its clients. If you need help planning your retirement or setting up your Fidelity 401k, you can meet face-to-face in one of the Fidelity locations or explore the online resources, which include workshops and research reports. If you have questions about using the online platform, you can view one of the virtual tours or reach out to customer support over the phone, through email or via live chat.

Fidelity is a strong contender in online stock investment providers. This company provides extensive support and a platform that can be customized with an array of features. Support is available both online and in-store for face-to-face advising. For more in-depth information about this service, read our Fidelity review .

Scottrade - Ranked #6 Out of 10

Scottrade is a popular name in online trading. This company has upfront, flat-rate pricing and does not charge exorbitant extra fees for inactivity or maintenance. The online platform is built for both advanced and beginning traders.

This online broker provides four different trade platforms: Scottrade, Scottrader, Scottrade Elite and OptionsFirst. Each platform is designed to meet the needs of different levels of experience in traders. Scottrade best fits the needs of beginning and average traders who do not actively trade. Scottrade Elite is the most advanced platforms and built for active traders. Scottrader falls in the middle of these two platforms. These options give you the ability to upgrade to new platforms as your trading style and skills develop. The OptionsFirst platform is the only platform of the four that is solely dedicated to option trading. In each online platform, you can view Scottrade stock quotes and customize the stock lists and Dow Jones real-time reports you receive.

Scottrade gives you a variety of trading options to diversify and develop your stock portfolio, including IRAs, mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, bonds and international investing. The online trading fees for this service are just below average. Scottrade offers a flat fee, rather than a tiered structure. It does charge for broker-assisted trades and has higher rates than many of the other services we reviewed. This service also includes a minimum deposit of $500 when you open an account.

Buying stocks online can be tricky. Scottrade has a full-fledged knowledgebase complete with tutorials geared to help you learn online trading best practices. This online trading company also hosts educational events that you can attend in person. You can reach help and support through phone, email and live chat support. For more in-depth information about this service, read our Scottrade review .

TD Ameritrade - Ranked #7 Out of 10

TD Ameritrade has flat trade fees and an organized, uncluttered online platform. With this service, you can customize your dashboard and utilize different tools. While pricing and fees for trades are above industry average, TD Ameritrade is a solid online brokerage.

The TD Ameritrade platform, titled thinkorswim, has a functional layout. You can customize which tools and statistics you have on your dock. These tools allow you to view important information all together, rather than in separate screens. You can also tailor tools that help you spot opportunities and execute trades.

If you do not have access to your computer but need to monitor your stocks, you can download an app onto your iPhone, iPad and Android devices. While the mobile apps are not as functional as the desktop platform, you can still access quotes and make trades.

This online stock trading platform gives you access to trades that help you build your online portfolio. These trades are available for a flat fee and are not set up on a tiered structure. Trades through this company are priced slightly higher than the industry average. You can make trades in stocks, options, ETFs, bonds, and even higher-risk investments such as futures and Forex trades.

When you buy stocks online, you need to make sure that you are making sound investments. TD Ameritrade offers support services designed to educate you on basic trading methods and setting specific goals for trading, such as education and retirement investments. Additionally, you can access planning tools and calculators to help you plan your trading strategies.

TD Ameritrade has a solid offering of stock options to help you diversify your portfolio. It has a good trading platform that is organized and user intuitive; you also have the option of accessing your account through mobile platforms when you are on the go. For more detailed information, read about this service in our TD Ameritrade review .

E-Trade - Ranked #8 Out of 10

E-Trade financial is one of the most popular and recognizable names in the online stock trading industry. It offers a wide range of trades to develop your online portfolio and operates on a tiered system rather than a flat-fee structure.

This company provides three different trading platforms: E-Trade 360, E-Trade PRO and its own mobile platforms. Each desktop platform is customizable; you can add new windows with charts and graphs. These graphs display your account's information and allow you to track what is happening with your stocks and investments. You also have the option for mobile trading when you download one of E-Trade's iPhone, Android or Windows phone apps. We are happy to see Windows phone apps included in this as many services do not include it. Though the mobile platform is not as advanced as the desktop application, you can manage your accounts and make trades.

Trades available through this online stock trading platform include stocks, bonds, ETFs, IRAs, mutual funds, bonds and even more risky investments, such as futures, Forex and the international stock exchange. While initial pricing for E-Trade's stock trading is slightly higher than the industry average, these prices go down when you place more than 150 trades per quarter.

When you trade stocks online, having up-to-date information is key. E-Trade provides support through educational resources available on its website. Tools available include long-term planning tools, like a retirement planning guide. Other useful features include the recorded webinars and investment guides, which can help you plan your strategies. For more advanced needs or troubleshooting, you can contact help and support, which is available 24 hours a day on business days.

This full-service online platform has various trading platforms to meet the demands of advanced and beginning traders; no matter what level of trading you are at, you can find a platform that meets your needs. You can read more detailed information about this service in our E-Trade review .

Merrill Lynch - Ranked #9 Out of 10

Merrill Lynch, the online stock brokerage, offers a variety of trading options to help you build and diversify your online trading portfolio. This service has a streamlined platform and flat rates for trades. The trading platform, Merrill Edge, gives you access to your accounts, where you can place trades and find analytic resources that help you place smarter trades.

Tools on the platform include a screen filter, which allows you to filter which stocks you look at based on the criteria you select. You also have the option to add customized charts to your dashboard, which demonstrate how your stocks are performing. While many of the tools Merrill Lynch includes with its services are helpful, it is lacking other useful tools like volatility reports.

When you cannot access your computer but still need to manage your accounts, you can do so through the mobile apps for Apple and Android devices. The Merrill Lynch website has also been optimized for mobile browsers, so if you don't have the app downloaded, you can still check your accounts and make trades. While the mobile apps are not as advanced as the desktop platform, you can trade stocks, conduct market research and set alerts. One feature we especially liked was remote check depositing, which allows you to deposit checks simply by taking a photo with your phone.

The knowledgebase on the Merrill Lynch website provides detailed information about trading stocks. You can search the knowledgebase by category and by your level of experience. If you need additional assistance, you can contact the online broker's customer support through phone, email and live chat.

Merrill Lynch has low, flat fees and a diversified selection of available trades. The online platform is user intuitive and available through an app and on the mobile optimized platform. Merrill Lynch is an established broker and a good choice in online stock trading. For a more complete summary, read our Merrill Lynch review .

SogoTrade - Ranked #10 Out of 10

SogoTrade is a diverse online stock trading choice. This company has multiple trading platforms and low trade fees for the majority of the investments that it offers. The online stock trading platform is mostly focused on options trading, though the program efficiently lets you trade stocks and ETFs as well. The platform is fully customizable and has numerous features enabled, including watch lists, option chains and a real-time ticker. These tools give you important information needed for making the best trades for you.

When you don't have access to a computer, you can check and manage your account through the mobile trading platform. While you can trade stocks and ETFs, you do not have the same functionality that you would have with the desktop platform. While your options for trades are restricted, you can still view your orders, conduct market research and keep an eye on your positions.

This online stock broker has trade fees that are lower than average. Trade associated fees can quickly add up, so low fees benefit active traders. One unique feature with this service is that it does not set a minimum on the amount of trades you have to make. While SogoTrade has low fees to begin with, these rates drop even further when you are an active trader and make a high number of trades in a quarter. This service does charge an additional fee if you request a broker-assisted trade.

When you are buying stocks online, it is important to stay on top of market information and shifts. The online learning center found on the company website offers a good selection of educational articles and materials that cover the basics of trading and choosing a stock. You can also contact customer support for more advanced questions and technical support.

SogoTrade has low prices and a good range of investment opportunities. While its platform and mobile capabilities are limited, it is still a solid choice of an online investor. For a more complete summary, read our SogoTrade review .

Online Stock Trading Review

May 18, 2015

Os melhores artistas em nossa revisão são OptionsHouse. O vencedor do Prêmio Ouro; TradeKing. O Prêmio Prata vencedor; and optionsXpress. O vencedor do Prêmio de Bronze. Here’s more on choosing a system to meet your needs, along with details on how we arrived at our ranking of 15 companies.

In past, floor trading and phone trading, via communication with a broker who ordered and completed your trades, were the only choices for trading equity shares and other investment vehicles in the stock market. In the past few decades, online stock trading has replaced those dated means of stock buying and selling. Online discount brokers provide platforms from where anyone from a first-time trader to experienced day traders can research, monitor and order trades.

A number of well-established online brokers provide their clients with access to stock markets. The best online stock trading services offer a solid platform with powerful researching and trading tools. All platforms differ, including their customizability and their design, and each service offers different levels of education and support. All services differ in their fees, so there is a range that you can expect to see. However, with some services, you pay more for the name and reputation, while lesser-known brands may charge less for trades. In our online stock trading reviews, you can learn about the features each platform includes and doesn't include, the fees you can expect to pay for stock and options trading, and support services offered.

What Every Online Investor Should Know

When you're involved with trading in the stock market, you should understand as much as you can about how to trade stocks online and about the investments vehicles you choose to trade, as there are many choices and those choices comes with varying degrees of risk. As is the case in most situations, the higher the risk, the higher the potential loss but, conversely, the higher the potential payoff. Ao contrário de investir em contas de poupança simples ou CDs, investir no mercado de ações tem seus riscos como o mercado está em constante fluxo. Outside forces affect the performance of stocks, including natural disasters, weather, world events and even civil unrest in foreign countries.

Risks vs. Reward

Risk versus reward is a common phrase in the stock market because their correlation affects every investment. Where there is little risk of loss, there is also smaller potential for reward. And the opposite is true, that the higher the risk, the higher potential payoff. Just like in Vegas, if you win when the odds are stacked against you, your payoff can be enormous.

The decision to play it safe or play the odds depends on your trading strategy, your portfolio goals and the amount of money you choose to invest. Many investors choose to stay with simple stock trading, in which case you buy and sell stocks at face value. Their value may increase and you'll see capital so you sell, or their value may decrease, so you sell before your loss becomes substantial. Or you may sit on a stock for years, taking a risk that the stock will make an upswing, increasing in value over time. Investment vehicles have varying levels of risk, from low-risk bonds and mutual funds to high-risk futures and Forex trading, which not all services on our online brokerage comparison offer.

Investment Vehicles

The most common investment choice is trading stocks, which are a claim to part of the company's assets or earnings. Essentially, you hold equity in that company. Basic stock trading, in which stocks are traded in real time and at face value, is a popular means of trading. Buying and selling stocks online includes other vehicle choices, such as option contracts, futures and mutual funds.

Options are more complicated than basic stock trading. An option contract represents 100 underlying shares of a particular stock. With option contracts, you agree to buy or sell call or put contracts. The buyer of a call option does not own a stock but expects the stock to rise and so purchases the right (but not the obligation) to buy the stock at a predetermined future date from the seller of the call. On the other hand, the buyer of a put contract owns the stock but expects it to fall, and so purchases the right (but not the obligation) to sell the stock to the seller of the put.

In either case, call or put options, the buyer is purchasing the right but not the obligation to buy or to sell. This means that the buyer has the choice to execute or not execute the terms of the contract when it expires. The seller receives the premium paid by the buyer, and so is selling his or her right to either sell a stock in the case of a call or purchase a stock in the case of a put. If the buyer decides to execute the contract, the option is either assigned or exercised.

There is risk because option contracts may be set for months in the future, and the volatility and unpredictability of the stock market make it difficult to know for sure how that stock will be preforming at that time. The risk for the buyer is the potential loss of the premium paid to the seller. For the seller, the risk lies in if the stock performs as the buyer expect, because he or she is then obligated to sell a stock that is performing well or buy a stock that is not. To learn more about options and trading strategies, have a look at our Options Trading site and articles about online stock trading .

Futures are typically used when buying and selling commodities but can be used to buy and sell financial instruments, similar to options. While the basic way of making a profit is similar, futures come with a higher risk and therefore higher potential payout. The essential difference in the trading process is that with options, the buyer has the right but not the obligation to buy or sell the contract. But with futures, the buyer is obligated to buy or sell at the specific price.

Futures as a tactic are often used to hedge risk by creating a fixed future price for a stock, or for speculation. Companies use futures to combat potential and unexpected fluxes in the market by agreeing upon prices for trading commodities between each other and therefore transferring risk to the investor. Both parties involved enjoy fixed costs and profit margins. For the investor, if the value of a stock falls, the investor pays the difference. Conversely, if the value of stock rises, the investor keeps the difference and makes a profit.

Forex – the trading of foreign currency exchange rate – is one of the riskiest investment choices. It is the most liquid market in the world, meaning it is an extremely active markets with a large number of buyers and sellers and fluctuating prices. It differs from other markets because there is no specific physical market: everything is trading electronically over the counter.

With Forex, currencies pairs are simultaneously being bought and sold, and prices are constantly in flux, down to the second. There are 27 currencies pairs between eight major currencies. Exchange also occurs between gold and silver prices. With a pair, the first unit is the base currency and the second is the quote currency. For each pair, there is a bid (buy price), which represents how much of the quote currency equals one unit of the base currency. There is also the ask (sell price), which is how much of the quote currency you receive for selling one unit of the base currency. Para obter mais informações, dê uma olhada no nosso site Forex Trading.

Fundos mútuos

Mutual Funds are a less risky choice than options and futures and even basic stock trading. With a mutual fund, a pool of investors contributes funds to be invested in securities. Mutual funds are a safe way to build a portfolio because your money is managed by professional money managers who invests the funds to match the objectives of the investors. The level of risk is similar to that of stock trading. As you are just one contributor to the purchasing and selling of a stock, your particular gain or loss is a smaller percentage of the whole as well.

Bonds are long-term debt investment vehicles. If you invest in a bond, you are lending money to an entity, including corporations or even government entities, for a certain period of time and at a specific interest rate. When the term of the bond reaches its maturity, you receive the funds you invested plus the interest accrued over the duration of the loan. The risk of bonds comes with the worthiness of the entity in whom you invest and whether it will be able to repay its debts.

Factors Affecting the Market

The stock market is always shifting, but certain factors can create immediate changes or crashes, whether large or small. Many factors can contribute to market volatility, including internal and external events and forces. World events play a factor in market outlook and supply and demand, among other facets of the market as well. Natural disasters, war and civil unrest can have negative impacts on the market and stock prices.

One of the greatest factors that affects the market is the outlook on the market itself. When the outlook of the market is more bearish and investors expect a downward move in the market's general trend, investors expect widespread losses that cause low sales and actualized losses, which creates a downward spiral. On the other hand, in a bullish market, investors expect prices to rise, which increases buying and optimism in the stock market.

Economics are a huge driving force of the market, and supply and demand has an obvious affect on market prices. Draughts can affect crops, driving up the prices of the commodity while an abundance of another commodity as the result of a favorable growing season can lower prices. Supply and demand may also be artificially manipulated to either increase or decrease the price of specific commodities.

Best Online Brokers for Stock Trading

There are a number of considerations that go into choosing an online stock trading service, and part of that is the online stock broker itself. When choosing the best online brokerage company for your needs, you may be most concerned with the platform: how much can you customize it; how intuitive is it; what tools does it offer? However, you may be more concerned with the cost: how much is a single trade; does the company discount the price as you order more trades; what if you need assistance from a broker? In the end, the best will come down to your trading strategies and priorities.

Average Fees

As you invest to grow your bank accounts and retirement funds, the cost of individual online brokers may be a deciding factor for you. There are commission fees for ordering trades, contract fees for options, broker-assisted fees if you require help, rates for borrowing on the margin and other figures to consider. While all services' fees differ slightly, you can expect a certain range.

Online stock trades are generally between $5 and $10. Some service may charge more than $10, but just be aware that there are cheaper choices. Many services have a flat rate while some services have tiered commission fees, so the more trades you order in a single month or quarter, the less each individual trade costs.

When trading options, you generally pay a base rate (often the same commission fee as stock trades) plus a per-contract fee. The cost per individual contract varies among services, but you can generally expect to see between $0.50 and $1.00 per contract. If terms of the contract are met and the buyer decides to act on it, there's an additional fee for the exercise or assignment of the contract. These fees vary between as little as $5 with the best services to as high as $30 per exercise or assignment. This fee can add up if you plan to be an active options trader.

Platforms Choices

When it comes to platforms, you have two basic choices: online or desktop application. Both platforms have their merits and their limitations, though whether you view certain facets as good or bad is a matter of opinion.

Online platforms are a good choice for beginner traders as they are typically less complicated and more intuitive. They are integrated with the company's website, so the trading platform is simply another tab you click. This means that the platform is laid out like a typical website, which makes it familiar and easier to navigate. However, in many cases, it also means that it is less customizable because the windows are static and the layout already defined.

Desktop applications, on the other hand, often offer complete customization. If you want to have five watch lists open with a few option chains and streaming market news, you can choose to. Or you can keep charts and live quotes open with a single watch list. Many desktop platforms have a more traditional market look as well, with red and green color-coded candle charts and indicators spread across a black background. If this is more your ascetic, desktop applications may be a good choice. These platforms can be more complicated and less intuitive, so they may not be the best choice for those newer to stock trading or those looking to simply order a few trades every once in a while.

Mobile platforms are also something you can expect with the best online brokers. All the services we reviewed offer mobile trading, some via downloadable apps and others using mobile-optimized websites. You can research and trade stocks, monitor your positions, and keep track of watch lists and option chains. Some services' mobile platforms allow you to trade more complicated investments, such as multi-leg options and futures.

What to Look for in a Good Online Stock Trading Platform

With all online discount brokers, you should expect certain features. These include tools to research and monitor stocks, features to manage your portfolio and assess the risk of your positions, and powerful reporting and charting choices. The best online trading platforms – whether online, desktop or mobile – offer many powerful tools and reporting options.

Research Monitoring Tools

Research features are standard, including real-time quotes providing the current buying and selling points of a stock. Screeners allow you to set parameters and specific metrics to filter by elements, including price, P/E ratio, volume, ROI and yield, among other options. These advanced filtering options allow you to watch only the stocks that meet the criteria you set for your trading strategy.

For those stocks, you also can create watch lists, showing multiple buying and selling points for a particular stock. Option chains show multiple bid, ask and strike prices for call and put options for a stock so you can find contracts that fit the parameters you're hoping for in an option contract.

Reporting Charting

Streaming charts provide visual representations of watch lists and screeners for quick views of stocks and their performances. Many of these charts monitor down to the minute. Bar graphs and candlestick charts are common, complete with red and green color-coding to indicate a rise or fall in the performance and opening, closing and actual trade costs for a particular stock or trading pair.

The ability to add technical indicators is a useful customization option that advanced traders will find invaluable when monitoring stocks and Forex trends. optionsXpress offers offer 100 technical indicators, including momentum, trend and volume indicators. It also offers drawing tools to create trend and resistance lines, access the Fibonacci retracement, fans, arcs and time series.

Portfolio Management

Many platforms offer tips for managing, monitoring and growing your portfolio. While tips for trading stocks online are helpful, tools that actively work and integrate with your personal portfolio and platform are handy to have at your fingertips. It is important to keep in mind that given the unpredictable nature of the stock market and the performance of individual stocks, these tools can help you make educated guesses, but there is no guarantee that any information provided will stand true.

Certain calculators can offer insight into potential risk versus reward. By dividing your net profit or reward by the price of the maximum risk, you can estimate the potential risk versus reward ratio. A profit and loss calculator uses current market information – including quality and prices – to determine the potential profit or loss of purchasing a stock. Many calculators allow you to add other variables to the equation, including days to expiration, volatility, rates and dividends.

Fidelity offers a portfolio review, which analyzes your portfolio based on your investment goals. It provides the analysis of your current portfolio to offer direction, suggest strategies and provide a detailed plan of action to help you reach your goals.

Picking Your First Broker, What You Need to Know

When choosing the best online stock broker for you, you want to find one that offers the features and options that match your trading strategy. Some of those considerations are the pricing and fees, the way the platform works with your strategy, and the education offered.

If you are new to trading online and do not plan on trading often or in large volumes, the cost per trade may not be much of a factor when choosing a service. However, if you plan to order a large number of trades, those individual fees will add up, and the difference between a couple of dollars per trade may equal out to hundreds of dollars over time. OptionsHouse and TradeKing offer some of the best trade fees, with each online stock trade costing $4.95, which is a couple dollars less per trade than the average of online trading companies we reviewed.

If you are interested in trading options, you have two prices to take into account: the base rate and the per-contract fee. The base rate may be higher with some services while the per-contract fee is lower. If you plan to trade a large number of contracts, this model would benefit you more than looking for a service with a lower base rate. As mentioned above, the cost to exercise or assign an option contract will also add. OptionsHouse tem as taxas mais baixas para estes dois processos em US $ 4,95 cada.

If you plan to trade on the margin, you want to check out not only margin rates but also the tiers for the rates. Some services have lower rates at first glance, but those rates do not drop until your borrowing balance is well over $1 million. Once again, OptionsHouse has the best interest rates, starting at 6.5% for balances up to $25,000 and dropping to 2% when your balance breaks the $1 million mark.

Each individual service typically has its own margin account requirements, including minimum balances and minimum trading requirements to maintain an active and open account. Regulations enforced by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority require that pattern day traders – those who buy and sell the same security four or more times in a five-day period – maintain at least $25,000 in their margin accounts.

When choosing your platform, as discussed above, you have the choice of desktop or online. Services such as Fidelity and Scottrade offer standard online platforms, which are easy to navigate and intuitive to complete tasks. Scottrade's online platform is customizable, which you do not get in every online platform. Online services like TradeKing allow you to adjust the position of some of the windows, but it is not truly customizable like Scottrade or even OptionsHouse and optionsXpress.

If total customization is something you're looking for, TD Ameritrade 's thinkorswim platform is a solid choice. You can add, resize, minimize and maximize all the windows and choose which choices you are viewing. TradeStation is also a great choice in platforms for customization with its widgets and gadgets, including screeners, scanners and streaming news.

Mobile platforms across the board allow you to research and trade stocks, but some services offer additional features. Mobile apps from Fidelity and Merrill Lynch, for instance, offer check depositing, where you can snap a picture of a check, deposit the funds and immediately begin trading with those funds. E-Trade's mobile app offers check depositing as well as barcode scanning. This feature, which no other app on our lineup offers, allows you to scan a barcode and receive publically traded information concerning the related stock.

Investment Vehicles

When deciding on a stock trading service, the investments in which you are interested in trading may be a deciding factor for you. Without question, every service should offer stock and option trading. All of the services we reviewed also offer IRA investments. With the exception of SpeedTrader. you can trade ETFs with the services on our lineup, and you can trade mutual funds with all services we reviewed except SogoTrade. This just means that if you want certain investment vehicles, you'll want to ensure that the service offers the particular ones you want.

Fewer services offer riskier trading of futures and Forex. Futures differ from options in that the owner of the future has the obligation to buy or sell, while with options the owner has the right to buy or sell. This makes speculating on the subsequent performance riskier than with options trading. Forex trading, the trading of foreign currencies, can be extremely risky because of the liquid nature of the market, making for potentially devastating losses. Many find the potential for profit outweighs the risk of loss.

Compare Online Brokers Fees, Services Reputation

The features of the specific broker, including the price and platform features, are major aspects when choosing an online brokerage firm. However, the reputation of each broker may be a large consideration, including how well known and established the company is within the industry. Bigger names are more recognized as they have been around for decades, while other services have familiar advertising campaigns. Other players are newer to the world of online trading, so their names may not be as widely recognized, but their reputations and reviews from satisfied customers speak for themselves.

Reputation

When it comes to the big baron brokers, a few names will inevitably pop up first. TD Ameritrade is one of those well-established names, having been in business for decades and acquiring other firms along the way. It was one of the first online brokers to offer fast online stock trades. It ranks extremely well with online business rating websites and other brokerage review sites, and we could find relatively few customer complaints.

Charles Schwab is another brokerage company that has been around for some time and one that is well known and respected in the industry. It focuses on investing and planning for your future, so it provides solid resources for learning how to invest and how to grow your portfolio. While Charles Schwab has its own trading platform, it also offers optionsXpress, which is a platform with advanced stock research and trading tools. Both Charles Schwab and optionsXpress rank well online, both with experts and with customers.

Services Local Branches

Other names are easily recognized due to advertising on televisions and via other media outlets as well as by having local presence with branches across the country. Fidelity is well known for helping you plan your future, and it always shows up on lists for best online brokers. At local branches, you can receive face-to-face attention and guidance from expert brokers. At Fidelity Investor Centers, you can attend trading seminars to learn more about the industry and maximizing the Fidelity Service.

Scottrade is another familiar brand around most towns, with more than 500 branches located in the majority of states. You can attend in-person events covering a broad range of topics, such as learning about investment vehicles and strengthening your portfolio. Scottrade also offers a broad range of online educational events, including daily market commentary from Scottrade experts, strategy sessions, and live and archived webinars.

E-Trade is our top pick for beginner traders, providing the most comprehensive educational resources. These include access to online courses from Morningstar Classroom, webinars, video tutorials, articles and demos. It also offers 24/7 customer service and has local branches in 16 states and Washington, DC, where you can receive in-person attention to set up your investment strategies and plan for your future and retirement.

Best Fees Rates

If lower fees are where your main focus lies, OptionsHouse and TradeKing are good choices on our online broker comparison. Both offer the lowest trade fees of the services we reviewed. Both also have solid reputations for online stock trading. Other services offer tiered pricing, so if you trade more, each individual trade costs less. TradeStation offers such pricing, with trades dropping to under $5 provided you order more than 200 trades per month.

For active day traders looking for the lowest trading fees, SogoTrade may be your best choice. If you order fewer than 150 trades per quarter, each trade is only $5, which is cheaper than many services from the get-go. However, if you order more than 150 trades in a single quarter, each trade drops to $3, which is the cheapest per-trade cost of any service we reviewed. Its per-contract fee is also one of the lowest, though its option exercise and assignment fees are higher than many other services.

For day traders looking to borrow from their brokers via margin accounts, you'll find a wide range in rates. SibertNet has the lowest margin rates, but its trade fees are significantly higher than other services on our lineup and its commission schedule is not as straightforward either. OptionsHouse offers the lowest margin rates, though its lowest rate comes with margin balances exceeding $1 million. SogoTrade also has low rates, though not as low as OptionsHouse, but to receive its lowest rate only requires a $500,000 balance, which could benefit those not looking to borrow as much.

How to Trade Stocks Online

For online trading and online investing, you simply need a broker to provide access to the stock markets. This is what these services on our lineup offer: access to the stock market without the need for a physical broker. However, you may find trading stocks to be a bit confusing at first. Many services offer educational resources, as touched upon briefly above, and some services allow you to practice trading in a virtual stock market or demos of their platforms to get a feel for how to buy stocks online. Many services provide tutorials that walk you through navigating their platform and completing tasks, and most services offer resources for increasing your knowledge of the market and investment options.

Virtual Trading

With virtual trading, you can test drive the market before you dive in with real money. optionsXpress, for example, offers its Virtual Trade, which gives you a free $25,000 virtual trading account, where you can practice trading stocks, options, futures and other investment vehicles. You receive real-time quotes from the actual market, so you can see the performance of trades you would have ordered had you traded in real life with real funds. Você pode experimentar a plataforma de negociação e gráficos e ter uma idéia para o mercado e as tendências.

TD Ameritrade's thinkorswim platform offers a virtual trading platform as well, paperMoney. Similar to optionsXpress, paperMoney allows you to test drive the platform. You can order trades using thinkorswim's powerful researching and trading tools. The results are real, but the money is not so you will not lose or gain anything. You will gain experience using the platform so you are ready to trade when it is for real.

OptionsHouse also offers a virtual trading platform that you can switch back and forth with your funded account. This allows you try out strategies and experiment without any monetary repercussions. All virtual trades are hypothetical and non-binding, but you will want to ensure that you are in your virtual account and not your funded account when experimenting.

Education Training

Educational resources can help you learn not only about a specific platform but also about the market. Every person has his or her own way of learning: some prefer to read while others prefer videos or self-paced courses with assessments to determine comprehension. All services we reviewed offer some complementary and supplementary learning material.

As mentioned above, E-Trade is top-notch when it comes to its educational material. The knowledge TradeKing offers is also impressive. Its educational options are organized by the topic about which you hope to grow your knowledge, by your skill level and by the market outlook. If you are a rookie, you can read material that speaks your beginner language without being inundated with jargon and market terms that are foreign to you. If you find yourself facing an overly volatile market outlook, you can look up strategies to help you maximize your gain.

If training courses are your preferred means of learning, E-Trade provides access the Morningstar Classroom. These courses walk you through a curriculum covering stock trading basics, building your portfolio and understanding the risks of investing in the stock market. Each course has a quiz at the end so you can test your knowledge.

Tips for Online Investing, What You Need to Know

Criar uma lista de dicas para a negociação de ações e investir on-line poderia nunca acabar. However, we've put together a top 10 list of tips for those who are ready to invest in stocks online

Know the Risks: Know what you're getting yourself into and the risks involved with the investment vehicle you choose. Understand the current volatility of the market before you jump in.

Determine Your Trading Style: Will you be a growth investor or value investor? Bullish or bearish? Even if your trading style changes when the market fluxes, you want to have a clear understanding of different styles, and especially when to use them.

Choose the Right Broker: With the information provided above, you should be able to find a good online broker, whether that is the cheapest online broker, the one with the most powerful platform or the one with the best reputation. The right broker depends on your preferences and goals.

Research: Look into the stock and its company. You will own equity in the company, so make sure it is something you believe will benefit you and your investing goals. Also, look into the past performance of the stock. Pay attention to trends in its history. It is also advisable to not buy stocks under $10 per share. Some experts even say not to go under $15 per share.

Be Prepared to Lose: Losses happen, especially when you're learning how to trade. Understand that this is the nature of the beast.

Be Patient: Just because your stock drops doesn't mean you should immediately sell. Many traders hold on to stocks for years and ride through the frequent ups and downs in the market. However…

Be Prepared to Cut Your Losses: A common rule of thumb is to cut your losses at around 7% to 8% below your purchase price. You can use stop-loss orders to automatically sell a stock if it drops below the parameters you specify.

Keep Up With News: As explained above, many factors affect the stock market, so keeping up with not only market news but also local and world news will help you avoid being blindsided by sudden events that cause the market to drop.

Learn the Language: The language of the stock market may sometimes feel like Greek. There are many terms that you will catch on to after time, but many online stock trading sites offer glossaries so you can beef up your vocabulary in a much shorter period.

Utilize Resources: Whether books, articles, training material, seminars or an experienced friend, seek out solid advice to learn as much as you can about the market, trading and refining your trading strategy.

Nossa Recomendação de Veredicto

When it comes to choosing a stock trading platform, "best" is very subjective. The best for you depends on your particular trading style, your strategies, your goals and your preferences. We have provided our top picks for online stock trading services, and each has features and facets that make it a solid choice.

If your focus is strictly the bottom line and low fees are the deciding factor for you, OptionsHouse or TradeKing are a couple of your best choices. They both have low trade fees for basic stocks and for options. Their other fees and rates are competitive. They do have flat-rate fees, which benefit lower-volume traders. If you plan to order a high volume of trades, tiered commission schedules from SogoTrade or TradeStation may be better choices, though some of their other fees are comparatively higher.

For powerful platforms, you have the choice between online or desktop. OptionsHouse is a solid choice in online platforms. It is customizable and offers powerful research and trading tools. If you're looking for a simpler platform, one that is intuitive and easy to navigate, TradeKing and Fidelity are good choices.

Investment vehicles are also a consideration. Every platform on our lineup offers stocks and options, and most offer other investments choices like IRAs, mutual funds and bonds. Not all services offer riskier choices like futures and Forex. If you feel you may want to try your hand at all investment choices, E-Trade is the best choice, as it offers futures, Forex and access to international stock markets.

When reading through our reviews and considering which platform best suits your trading preferences, keep in mind that all platforms offer access to the stock market, so you can be in control of researching, monitoring, buying, selling and managing your portfolio. Have a look at our reviews and benefit from our research to find the best online stock trading service for you.

OptionsHouse - Ranked #1 Out of 10

OptionsHouse é um provedor de topo em corretores de ações on-line. This company provides trades with low fees and good customer service. A PEAK6 subsidiary, OptionsHouse has been in the online stock trading business since 2006.

You can customize the OptionsHouse online stock trading platform, which enables you to keep your attention on what matters to you. The platform has useful features, like a risk viewer and a Call Spread Investigator. The Call Spread Investigator highlights spreads with the best predicted returns. The platform itself is well designed with clearly marked icons and an uncluttered screen. Making a trade is simple; you just open an order ticket or go to the trade menu.

Additionally, if you do have questions about a feature, you can access the Quick Assist icon, which allows you to hover over individual tools and receive a detailed description of its function.

OptionsHouse has no minimum balance required for opening a basic account. There are minimums for certain types of accounts, such as the margin accounts, which require a $2,000 balance. Trades with this online broker are based on a flat rate, and OptionsHouse had the lowest rates of any other online stock trading company in our lineup. This online broker also offers a range of trading options, including futures, ETFs, and mutual and retirement funds.

The help and support is available during business hours, typically 7 a. m. to 7 p. m. Central time, Monday through Friday. You can reach a support representative over the telephone, through email or via live chat. You can also explore the company blog and browse the online educational resources for additional guidance and further learning.

OptionsHouse provides well-priced trades and a full range of help and support services, including a full-fledged knowledgebase and company blog. The online platform is easy to use, but you can access help and support representatives during business hours if you need additional support. For more complete information on this platform, read our OptionsHouse review .

TradeKing - Ranked #2 Out of 10

TradeKing offers a large selection of trades that build and diversify your online trading portfolio. This range of choices and this online stock broker's help and support center make TradeKing a strong choice for advanced traders and those who are just learning the ropes.

This online trading platform has flat fees for its stock, ETF and options trading. This means that no matter how much you trade, your exchange rate will remain the same. You also have the option of selecting a broker-assisted trade, which is available for an additional fee.

TradeKing provides most of the basic trades commonly found in online stock trading. You can trade stocks, ETFs, bonds and options. You also have access to Forex and the international stock exchange through this platform. One unique feature provided by TradeKing is extra-hours trading and auto-trade. These options allow you to build your trades around your schedule better, rather than having to wait on the markets.

The platform itself is very simple. It is not customizable, so you do not have the control you would with other platforms, but this also makes the platform easy to use. While you cannot add and delete sections or add watch lists, you can rearrange the layout to better suit your needs. For when you are on the go, you can easily download a mobile app. This online trading platform is available on Android and iOS devices.

The knowledgebase has a range of information for with tips for beginners and articles for educating yourself on investing styles, investment terms and strategies. The information is conveniently sorted by topic or level of experience. The knowledgebase has short articles and summaries as well as more in-depth guides that can provide assistance to even the most seasoned investors.

TradeKing is straightforward trading platform with useful information in its knowledgebase. The online trading platform has a range of tools and investments offerings for building your online portfolio. Read more in-depth information about this trading platform's features in our TradeKing review .

optionsXpress - Ranked #3 Out of 10

optionsXpress is recognized by financial sources as a leader in online stock trading and as one of the best online brokers. This company provides an easy-to-use trading platform, a full range of help and support options, and an assortment of investment options for building a diversified portfolio. optionsXpress is one of the best online brokers we have reviewed and a good choice for beginning and advanced traders.

When you are trading stocks online, costs and trading fees can add up quickly. optionsXpress has slightly higher trade fees than other top-rated companies for its options, stocks and other investments. One key feature that this online investing company offers is that it does not require a minimum balance when you open a basic account. Unlike other companies, optionsXpress does not charge an extra fee for a broker-assisted trade.

This online platform is nearly fully customizable. Not only do you have the option of rearranging the layout of your screen by clicking and dragging windows around, but you can also add new windows and modify your views. Tools that you can add to your dashboard include risk calculators, stock charts and streaming news. When you are on the go, you have the option to download a mobile app for your iPhone or Android device.

If you need support for your online investing, you can contact customer support via email, live chat and telephone. The representatives are personable and knowledgeable. If you are just looking for more information on trading or tips and strategies, the online knowledgebase provides tutorials that guide you through the platform and gives you an overview of the features.

optionsXpress has a customizable platform that you can rearrange to match your trading needs. You can search the support center for basic trading information and platform tutorials, or you can reach out to help and support. This online stock trading provider offers a good selection of trades. For more detailed information on this platform, read our optionsXpress review .

TradeStation - Ranked #4 Out of 10

TradeStation, formally known as TradeStation Securities, has a desktop platform that makes trading stocks and online investing a simple process. The platform is fully customizable, so you can view information that is important to you and clear out information that isn't central to your trading.

This online investing platform does not operate using a flat rate for trading. The prices for trades you place fluctuate based on the number of trade you place. The more trades you make, the lower the fees drop. If you trade infrequently, this tiered rate will not benefit you. However, if you place a high number of trades every month, TradeStation is an online investing platform you may want to look more closely at.

TradeStation provides a variety of investment options, including stocks, ETFs, options, mutual funds and bonds. Additionally, you can choose to pursue high-risk options, like futures and Forex trading.

The trading platform can be tailored to your trading needs and style. It is also one of the most all-inclusive and easy-to-use platforms we viewed. You can change the placement and size of the windows and determine what information is displayed on your screen.

Customer service can be reached over the phone, through live chat and via email. While client service and support for your investment is only provided during business hours, you can reach technical support 24 hours a day on weekdays. If you have questions about trading strategies, you can visit the knowledgebase, read articles on investments strategies or view video tutorials.

TradeStation stands out because of its comprehensive and user-intuitive trading platform. While the tiered fee rate can be detrimental for non-active traders, it benefits those who trade on a regular basic. For more complete information on this platform, read our TradeStation review .

Fidelity - Ranked #5 Out of 10

Fidelity is a well-established and trusted name in online stock trading. This service has a customizable platform and reasonable trading fees. When you need advice on trading stocks online, you can visit the knowledgebase on the company website or visit one of the many brick and mortar stores available in most states.

The online platform can be tailored based on your trading experience, style and needs. You can easily add graphs, charts and customized alerts. Additionally, you can create watch lists and option chains. By adding new information and shifting out information that is irrelevant, you can monitor statistics that are important to you and remove what isn't important for your trading.

Flat trade fees make Fidelity a solid choice if you do not trade frequently. Trading fees can add up quickly, and Fidelity's are just about average for online stock trading companies. Investments offered through Fidelity include a 401k, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and access to the international stock exchange. This service does not offer high-risk trades, like futures or Forex.

When you don't have access to a computer, you can place trades on your mobile device. Fidelity has mobile apps that you can download on your iPhone, Android and Windows phone. The app is not as functional as the desktop version but allows you to access trading and live quotes.

Trading stocks online can sometimes be tricky. This service provides superb service and educational materials for its clients. If you need help planning your retirement or setting up your Fidelity 401k, you can meet face-to-face in one of the Fidelity locations or explore the online resources, which include workshops and research reports. If you have questions about using the online platform, you can view one of the virtual tours or reach out to customer support over the phone, through email or via live chat.

Fidelity is a strong contender in online stock investment providers. This company provides extensive support and a platform that can be customized with an array of features. Support is available both online and in-store for face-to-face advising. For more in-depth information about this service, read our Fidelity review .

Scottrade - Ranked #6 Out of 10

Scottrade is a popular name in online trading. This company has upfront, flat-rate pricing and does not charge exorbitant extra fees for inactivity or maintenance. The online platform is built for both advanced and beginning traders.

This online broker provides four different trade platforms: Scottrade, Scottrader, Scottrade Elite and OptionsFirst. Each platform is designed to meet the needs of different levels of experience in traders. Scottrade best fits the needs of beginning and average traders who do not actively trade. Scottrade Elite is the most advanced platforms and built for active traders. Scottrader falls in the middle of these two platforms. These options give you the ability to upgrade to new platforms as your trading style and skills develop. The OptionsFirst platform is the only platform of the four that is solely dedicated to option trading. In each online platform, you can view Scottrade stock quotes and customize the stock lists and Dow Jones real-time reports you receive.

Scottrade gives you a variety of trading options to diversify and develop your stock portfolio, including IRAs, mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, bonds and international investing. The online trading fees for this service are just below average. Scottrade offers a flat fee, rather than a tiered structure. It does charge for broker-assisted trades and has higher rates than many of the other services we reviewed. This service also includes a minimum deposit of $500 when you open an account.

Buying stocks online can be tricky. Scottrade has a full-fledged knowledgebase complete with tutorials geared to help you learn online trading best practices. This online trading company also hosts educational events that you can attend in person. You can reach help and support through phone, email and live chat support. For more in-depth information about this service, read our Scottrade review .

TD Ameritrade - Ranked #7 Out of 10

TD Ameritrade has flat trade fees and an organized, uncluttered online platform. With this service, you can customize your dashboard and utilize different tools. While pricing and fees for trades are above industry average, TD Ameritrade is a solid online brokerage.

The TD Ameritrade platform, titled thinkorswim, has a functional layout. You can customize which tools and statistics you have on your dock. These tools allow you to view important information all together, rather than in separate screens. You can also tailor tools that help you spot opportunities and execute trades.

If you do not have access to your computer but need to monitor your stocks, you can download an app onto your iPhone, iPad and Android devices. While the mobile apps are not as functional as the desktop platform, you can still access quotes and make trades.

This online stock trading platform gives you access to trades that help you build your online portfolio. These trades are available for a flat fee and are not set up on a tiered structure. Trades through this company are priced slightly higher than the industry average. You can make trades in stocks, options, ETFs, bonds, and even higher-risk investments such as futures and Forex trades.

When you buy stocks online, you need to make sure that you are making sound investments. TD Ameritrade offers support services designed to educate you on basic trading methods and setting specific goals for trading, such as education and retirement investments. Additionally, you can access planning tools and calculators to help you plan your trading strategies.

TD Ameritrade has a solid offering of stock options to help you diversify your portfolio. It has a good trading platform that is organized and user intuitive; you also have the option of accessing your account through mobile platforms when you are on the go. For more detailed information, read about this service in our TD Ameritrade review .

E-Trade - Ranked #8 Out of 10

E-Trade financial is one of the most popular and recognizable names in the online stock trading industry. It offers a wide range of trades to develop your online portfolio and operates on a tiered system rather than a flat-fee structure.

This company provides three different trading platforms: E-Trade 360, E-Trade PRO and its own mobile platforms. Each desktop platform is customizable; you can add new windows with charts and graphs. These graphs display your account's information and allow you to track what is happening with your stocks and investments. You also have the option for mobile trading when you download one of E-Trade's iPhone, Android or Windows phone apps. We are happy to see Windows phone apps included in this as many services do not include it. Though the mobile platform is not as advanced as the desktop application, you can manage your accounts and make trades.

Trades available through this online stock trading platform include stocks, bonds, ETFs, IRAs, mutual funds, bonds and even more risky investments, such as futures, Forex and the international stock exchange. While initial pricing for E-Trade's stock trading is slightly higher than the industry average, these prices go down when you place more than 150 trades per quarter.

When you trade stocks online, having up-to-date information is key. E-Trade provides support through educational resources available on its website. Tools available include long-term planning tools, like a retirement planning guide. Other useful features include the recorded webinars and investment guides, which can help you plan your strategies. For more advanced needs or troubleshooting, you can contact help and support, which is available 24 hours a day on business days.

This full-service online platform has various trading platforms to meet the demands of advanced and beginning traders; no matter what level of trading you are at, you can find a platform that meets your needs. You can read more detailed information about this service in our E-Trade review .

Merrill Lynch - Ranked #9 Out of 10

Merrill Lynch, the online stock brokerage, offers a variety of trading options to help you build and diversify your online trading portfolio. This service has a streamlined platform and flat rates for trades. The trading platform, Merrill Edge, gives you access to your accounts, where you can place trades and find analytic resources that help you place smarter trades.

Tools on the platform include a screen filter, which allows you to filter which stocks you look at based on the criteria you select. You also have the option to add customized charts to your dashboard, which demonstrate how your stocks are performing. While many of the tools Merrill Lynch includes with its services are helpful, it is lacking other useful tools like volatility reports.

When you cannot access your computer but still need to manage your accounts, you can do so through the mobile apps for Apple and Android devices. The Merrill Lynch website has also been optimized for mobile browsers, so if you don't have the app downloaded, you can still check your accounts and make trades. While the mobile apps are not as advanced as the desktop platform, you can trade stocks, conduct market research and set alerts. One feature we especially liked was remote check depositing, which allows you to deposit checks simply by taking a photo with your phone.

The knowledgebase on the Merrill Lynch website provides detailed information about trading stocks. You can search the knowledgebase by category and by your level of experience. If you need additional assistance, you can contact the online broker's customer support through phone, email and live chat.

Merrill Lynch has low, flat fees and a diversified selection of available trades. The online platform is user intuitive and available through an app and on the mobile optimized platform. Merrill Lynch is an established broker and a good choice in online stock trading. For a more complete summary, read our Merrill Lynch review .

SogoTrade - Ranked #10 Out of 10

SogoTrade is a diverse online stock trading choice. This company has multiple trading platforms and low trade fees for the majority of the investments that it offers. The online stock trading platform is mostly focused on options trading, though the program efficiently lets you trade stocks and ETFs as well. The platform is fully customizable and has numerous features enabled, including watch lists, option chains and a real-time ticker. These tools give you important information needed for making the best trades for you.

When you don't have access to a computer, you can check and manage your account through the mobile trading platform. While you can trade stocks and ETFs, you do not have the same functionality that you would have with the desktop platform. While your options for trades are restricted, you can still view your orders, conduct market research and keep an eye on your positions.

This online stock broker has trade fees that are lower than average. Trade associated fees can quickly add up, so low fees benefit active traders. One unique feature with this service is that it does not set a minimum on the amount of trades you have to make. While SogoTrade has low fees to begin with, these rates drop even further when you are an active trader and make a high number of trades in a quarter. This service does charge an additional fee if you request a broker-assisted trade.

When you are buying stocks online, it is important to stay on top of market information and shifts. The online learning center found on the company website offers a good selection of educational articles and materials that cover the basics of trading and choosing a stock. You can also contact customer support for more advanced questions and technical support.

SogoTrade has low prices and a good range of investment opportunities. While its platform and mobile capabilities are limited, it is still a solid choice of an online investor. For a more complete summary, read our SogoTrade review .