Trading stocks means that you must have some discount broker, whether it’s an actual individual, Robo-advisor, or online discount brokerage platform. The good news is that there are options available to every type of investor in the internet age. It’s all about figuring out who the best discount broker solution is best for you and your investing goals.
Don’t go with the cheapest broker, even if you consider yourself to be a high-volume trader. It’s better to pay a bit more for higher quality services, such as allowing access to a broader range of investment and trading tools. Many online brokers are now offering commission-free trades of not only stocks but ETFs and options as well. It is relatively easy to diversify your portfolio a bit without going over your financial limits.
ETFs contain a basket of stocks (up to hundreds) that adhere to a particular industry or criteria, such as shares of companies that are part of a stock market index.
Regardless of what you want to invest in, the client portal layout is critical. The best discount broker will offer a straightforward and easy user-interface for beginners yet still provides a sufficient amount of options and flexibility for more experienced users. Always check with the security measures when researching online brokers and Robo-advisors. It would help if you were allowed to request a secure login card to add extra security layers.
Best Discount Broker for Experienced Users
Your level of experience is perhaps the most crucial factor. The best discount broker for you will depend on mostly that. Beginners should stay away from platforms that offer high-velocity trading and access to various types of investments in many different countries. As you begin to get the hang of investing, however, you can probably switch to an intermediate or advanced trading platform. Such platforms offer educational tools to help you with your decision making.
Don’t forget to look into Robo-advisors, either, as they can be beneficial. They take the human element and emotions out of it and give you recommendations based on data and statistics. However, there may be times when you DO need human expertise, and you shouldn’t have to pay extra to get live broker-assisted trades. Getting free broker assistance with transactions is something only the best stock trading platform offer.
Suppose you consider yourself to be a reasonably knowledgeable or experienced trader. In that case, you might want to look into Zacks Trade, as it is available on different platforms (web and app), and DOES offer free broker-assisted trades. It’s affordable to use and makes it easy to trade securities on 90+ exchanges in several countries, making it a candidate for the best discount broker.