what's your thoughts on etrade?

WALSTRBKER · Member

Jami · Member

AMERITRADE (HANDS DOWN) I have had zero problems, when I told them that i was happy with there service , they gave me three trades. They are also my #1 holding and i have made quite a profit. GOOD LUCK Buy aerta

captainmoney · Member

TDwaterhouse its pretty good especially if your just starting with online brokerages, since you can still place trades via phone for a slightly higher commission

easy go · Member

Schwab is ok but expensive--overpriced might be a better take.

Nick · Member

If you're gonna daytrade, absolutely do not use Scottrade. The trades are seven dollars but look at the prices of other than "Market Order" for starters. If you execute a trade you cannot cancel it. The trade is usually at the peak and not the real time. The executions are usually done in small blocks and execution time is the worst. If I place an order and it fall .20 or 30 while waiting. I've lost 200 to 300 dollars waiting for the execution. I swear, you'll regret ever using this platform if you ever daytrade. Finally, Scottrade (unless it's changed) offers no aftermarket trading nor pre market which is absolutely important. Take THC where it's officers resigned at the closing bell and the stock fell $11 in the after hours. I use Ameritrade which is outstanding. I do my own research and watch CNBC until the closing bell. Set up a stock model and see how your picks work. If you start seeing profit than jump in but do your own research and listen to all the facts and avoid the "Pumpers" because they'll only drain you.

Stan · Member

Have an account at Ameritrade (personal)on the plus very good service - good rates - minus - would like to reinvest dividends - they will only do whole shares not partials.
Also have account at Etrade (joint with ex-wife)- even better service - will allow reinvestment with partial shares but more expensive than Ameritrade.
Looked at Scottrade - cheaper rates but don't allow reinvestment of dividends at all.
Would say a lot depends on what you are looking for in a broker.
Hope this helps

Phill · Member

Ameritrade doesn't invest div. for you but they go into your account and you may invest them as you wish. my take is to invest them in amtd which will grow for maney years, this is just the start of a new trend in investing, I am 60 with a high school education and two years experience with computers and stocks. I have made quite a profit which tells me that anyone can do it. Keep the faith

Stan · Member

Agree with you -- but I may not have expressed myself clearly enough - Ameritrade will collect the divs into your account -- which they do for me- and then I buy what I want with them - all well and good.
What I meant was them holding the stk certs as normal and when the divs are issued & received from a comp. - say MO they use the divs to automatically buy more of the same stk - without you paying the broker commission -- they will do it IF the divs can purchase a whole share --
ETRADE will do it as partials. ie I own 29.34 shares of AWG (from a start of 25 shares) This is what I meant by snowballing -- buy the stk - reinvest divs into same stk getting more stk , getting more divs to get more stk etc - with only the original commission of the 1st purchase --- doing it with my Etrade account now works great.
Scottrade won't do it period. You have to own the shares- keep the certs and enroll in the stk reinvestment plan directly with the company which is the traditional way of doing it. --- but if you have your broker do all the record keeping etc -- to me that is frosting on the cake.

Nick · Member

Before you re-invest your dividends, talk to a stock tax expert about the additional taxes you pay for re-investment. Didn't have a clue until Suzy Orman did a bit on re-investing. As far as a platform, decide what you want from it. As I said, I love Ameritrade because as a daytrader I need the speed, quick streaming news, and extended hours. I started with Ameritrade - switched to Scottrade and went back to Ameritrade. If you are not a cyber trader, the platform you choose will be very hard to leave because of trading tool paterns you develope. Make sure the platform you choose is what you need and not a bunch of colorful patterns that "Wow you".

Nick · Member

Here's an example of what Scottrade can not do. Look at THC this morning. You don't want an broker who doesn't offer extended hours.

kia · Member

td waterhouse the best

boss215 · Member

Brown & Company if your an experienced investor $5.00 but you get no research or Bull but the price is right.