Best Discount Stock Brokers and Online Stock Brokers

By Pinyo, on August 4, 2011

The following is a list of top online stock brokers and discount brokers based on three criteria: commissions and fees structure, banking services, and breadth of products. In addition to this overall best stock brokers list, you can also see specific lists sorted by lowest stock trading fee, lowest mutual fund trading fee, and lowest options trading fee. When available, special offers and features are also listed to help you better choose the broker that is right for you.

Since brokers can change their offers at any given time, it’s highly recommend that you visit the site and review the most recent information carefully.

Overall Best Stock Brokers

Broker	Notes
Fidelity	Fidelity boasts a robust mix of investments, tools and banking services. $7.95 for all online stock and ETF trades. $8.95 plus $0.75 per contract for all option trades. $75 for online mutual fund trades. No transaction fee when trading over 1,400 Fidelity and non–Fidelity mutual funds.
Charles Schwab	Schwab has a well-rounded services and products portfolio, and offers more advice and research than many competitors. $8.95 for all online stock and ETF trades. $8.95 plus $0.75 per contract for all option trades. $49.95 for online mutual fund trades.No transaction fee when trading thousands of no-load, no-transaction-fee Mutual Fund OneSource® funds.
E*Trade	E-trade is strong in research and trading tools. Open an account today and trade free for 60 days, and get up to $500 based on your deposit amount. $9.99 for all online stock and ETF trades. $9.99 plus $0.75 per contract for all option trades. $19.99 fee for mutual fund trades. Fees are lower for high volume traders.
TD Ameritrade	Open an account today and trade free for 60 days, and get up to 0 based on your deposit amount. $9.99 for all online stock and ETF trades. $9.99 plus $0.75 per contract for all option trades. $49.99 fee for mutual fund trades. No-transaction fee (NTF) funds available.
Scottrade	Scottrade has over 500 local branch offices nationwide. $7.00 for all online stock and ETF trades. $7.00 plus $1.25 per contract for all option trades. $17.00 fee for mutual fund trades. Over 14,500 funds available.
TradeKing	$4.95 for all online stock and ETF trades. $4.95 plus $0.65 per contract for trades of up to 8 contracts, and $8.95 plus $0.15 per contract for trades over 8 contracts. $14.95 fee for mutual fund trades.
Firstrade	Firstrade is currently offering 250 free trades for new accounts. $6.95 for all online stock and ETF trades. $6.95 plus $0.75 per contract for all option trades. $9.95 for online mutual fund trades with over 11,000 mutual funds.
OptionsHouse	Open an account today and receive 100 commission-free trades. Multiple promotions available. Barron’s rated best for options traders for 2009 and 2010. $3.95 for all online stock and ETF trades. $5.00 for 5 contracts or $8.50 plus $0.15 per contract for all option trades. $9.95 fee for mutual fund trades.
Zecco Trading	$4.95 for all online stock and ETF trades. $4.95 plus $0.65 per contract for all option trades. $10.00 fee for mutual fund trades.
OptionsXpress	Open an account today and receive $100. $9.95 for all online stock and ETF trades. $1.25 per contract. $12.95 minimum. $9.95 fee for mutual fund trades.
TradeMONSTER	Get up to $250 for transferring your account to tradeMONSTER today. $7.50 for all online stock and ETF trades. $0.50 per contract. $12.50 minimum. $15.00 fee for mutual fund purchases. Free to sell.
ShareBuilder	Buy stocks for $4 with Automatic Investing. Open an account today and receive $50 new account bonus. $9.95 for all online stock and ETF trades. $1.25 per contract for all option trades. $19.95 fee for mutual fund trades. No Transaction Fee (NTF) program provides access to over 70 funds including the ING Mutual Funds.

Investing Resources

In addition to the brokers listed above here are additional websites that might be of interest to you.

		Betterment is a simpler way to invest. Instead of doing your own investing, all you have to do is just answer a few questions about who you are and Betterment will automatically invest the money for you. Sign up today and get a $25 new account bonus.
		Morningstar offers free video reports, articles, data, and tools. Dig into their lineup of e-newsletters and investing classroom courses outlining sensible strategies for maximizing your investments. Premium membership includes analyst research, Portfolio X-Ray, investment picks, and more.

Reviewed and updated August 4, 2011.

Pinyo is the owner of Moolanomy Personal Finance and an entrepreneur with over 20 years of business experience. He is interested in business management, investing and wealth management. He has written for many online publications, including American Express Currency and U.S. News Money. You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Add Your Question or Comment (One Comment)

1. Kody:

   July 27, 2011 at 12:15 am

   With my experience, the best online stock broker is E Trade. Although, not the cheapest, I feel they give the best advice and great customer support.