Which company comes across as the best online investment brokerage company depends on many factors such as:
1 - Whether you are an experienced investor
2 - Whether you have limited funds
3 - How much can you afford as fees
4 - Whether you are totally new to the investing scene
5 - Whether you are solely eying the research wing of the investment brokerage company
6 - Whether you are pinning your hopes on their services
7 - Or whether you are looking for an all-comprehensive best-service online investment brokerage company
Depending upon your choice from amongst the above given options, the best investment brokerage firm in each category may vary. Let us now describe the best investment brokerage firm in each of the above given categories:
1) For experienced investors - They are trickier to handle, as they tend to be fussier, due to their over-familiarity with the investment and brokerage scene. Moreover, many experienced brokers prefer acting on their own personal analysis. In such a case, a discount broker with low fees, such as Scottrade.com will be most apt to their given situation. On the other hand, there is the other category of experienced investors, who are attention-seeking in nature. They are even willing to shell out a few extra bucks from their pockets to meet their attention-loving ways. In such cases, a personal financial advisor allocated to make recommendations or execute trades, for such an investor, is the best bet. The best company for such personalized service is Merrill Lynch.
2) For limited funds For investors facing a liquidity crunch, Sharebuilder.com, comes to their rescue, with extremely lenient account opening deposits. With Sharebuilder.com, you can use any minimum amount of money you have, if it's enough to buy even a single share, or even only a fraction of a share. The automatic investment option from this company, automatically deducts, even as little as, $1 from an investor's checking account to fund that investor's Sharebuilder.com account. This in turn helps the new or economically crunched investor, to progress at a slow and steady rate.
3) For minimum fees Both Sharebuilder.com and Scotttrade.com, allow you to execute stock trades or other transactions at dead low fees, as long as you do not require their aid in executing the same. If you need their assistance, there will be additional service charges. Some investment brokerage companies go further and beyond, to allow a preset number of free trades, just to get you to open an account with them. A very good example of this is E-trade.
4) For new investors New investors need assistance in several ways, such as, a perceptive web site that is sensitive to the uncertain needs of a novice. In addition, simplified and user-friendly account opening, nominal charges, and online tours, guides or easy and visible directions, are factors that can liberate new investors from any inhibitions in the investing process. These factors are cleverly and carefully handled by firms, such as, Fidelity Investments, Sharebuilder.com and Scottrade.com.
5) For investment research The best of investment research tools reside with Fidelity Investments. Based on a set of user-defined criteria, the investor can browse through a number of companies presented, before arriving at a best bargain stock in no time.
6) For best services Merrill Lynch and Charles Schwab beat all the other firms in terms of personal finance advice, as well as, in terms of, in-person meetings, discussions, explanations and execution of trades. However, these services come at a price, over and above, those of mere commissions and fees.
7) Scottrade.com is the overall winner considering that Scottrade.com features in most of the above categories. In addition, it is above average, if not the best in the very few categories, where it has not featured; it is obviously the natural winner.