Stock Broker Advantages

By Trading Mechanic

There are tons of stock brokers on the market but who's the best? Here's a summary of the more popular options and what I think of them.

Etrade used to be my brokerage of choice but the mortgage mess really spooked me. Add to the fact that there are cheaper alternatives out there and I'm in the process of switching to different broker accounts.

TD Ameritrade is also an early player and it's main competition is Charles Schwab and Etrade. They have good advertising but the interface isn't great and support is okay mediocre. However, they do have a solid following and trades are $9.99 no matter how much you trade or have with them.

Charles Schwab is a full fledge solution like Etrade (they offer a bank, client services as well as credit cards along with their trading platform). Ever since Etrade went into trouble with its mortgage business, Charles Schwab have been on fire, taking market share and everything else.

TradeKing is a deep discount broker and trades are only $4.95 (half of the higher end ones). It offers a great trading community where you can find out what others are trading and executions are quite. In fact, it's won many awards and it's highly recommended.

Zecco has the worst marketing ever but it is one of the few broker that offers free stock trades. If you have over $25,000 or trade 25 times or more, the trades are free. Otherwise, it's $4.50 per trade.

I was looking forward to SogoTrade until I can't seem to find a way to trade options. Huh? The stock trade is cheap at $3 per trade but your cash earn no interest (yes, 0%). Protection seems to be good though with up to $5 million protected but still, probably not my cup of tea.

Wells Fargo offers a trading platform in its WellsTrade as well. It's free for people with over $25,000 of combined assets with them so it's worth a look (if you have the money). My personal experience is that the platform is lacking but for retirement accounts and/or investors who don't trade often, free trades are a good alternative.

Bank of America came to the self trading platform a few years ago when it offered free stock trades for its clients who have more than $25,000 in assets with them (it could be savings, checking among others). A few years later, you don't hear much about them but I'm sure some of their customers are using them since it's free.

OptionsXpress is less known in the retail investor realm but it's very popular for frequent traders who love options. They have the best tools for options trading and they also charge three different prices for options commissions (as opposed to pricing based on the exact number of contracts). - 23159

About the Author:

Brokerage companies are very important in our lives because a good one can help us build wealth while a bad one can ruin our financial life. Pick carefully but if you don't have time, get a good comparison at Stock Trading Brokers.

Understanding How the Forex Brokers Make Profits

By Hass67

When you open a forex trading account, you will be told by your forex broker that there are no commissions involved in currency trading. Most of the new traders take their broker words as true. They think that the cost of trading is minimal.

Forex brokers also called FCMs (Futures Commission Merchants) make profits through the bid-ask spread they offer to their clients for each currency pair. This bid-ask spread is the trading cost for you and the profit for your FCM.

Lets take a practical example to make it clear how trading costs can effect your trading. Bid/offer spreads are usually overlooked by retail traders as the price they have to pay for trading. So lets calculate what your cost of trading can be annually.

Suppose you are a day trader. You trade 5 times a day. Taking away the weekends, when you cant trade, there are 250 trading days.

As a day trader, you will open and close each trading position before the end of each trading day. That means each position is being traded 2 times, once when you open the trade and once when you close the trade.

Suppose; your start with a deposit of $50,000. You use a leverage of 4 only, you are being cautious. So this $50,000 deposit will control (50,000) (4) = $200,000.

Annual Turnover = (5) (250) (2) (200,000) = $500 Million. You can see the annual turnover of your trading is huge! Now lets calculate how much your broker will make and what your trading cost is based on your spread cost. Spread Cost= (Annual Turnover) (spread)/2.

Suppose further, the bid/ask spread offered by the broker is 3 pips. 3 Pips Spread Cost= (500M) (0.0003)/2= $75,000.

Suppose the bid/offer spread charged by the broker is only 2 pips. 2 Pips Spread Cost= (500M) (0.0002)/2= $50,000.

The cost of trading with a 3 pips spread versus a 2 pips is $25,000. This is 50% of your account equity. You can see yourself that a 1 pip difference can result in $25,000 more of trading costs.

You will need to make a profit of $75,000 simply to break even with a 3 pips spread. Trading costs are one of the primary reasons most active traders fail in the long run. - 23159

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. He is interested in day trading and swing trading stocks and currencies. Learn Forex Nitty Gritty. Read about Trend Forex System. Try Netpicks Forex Signal Service.

Kick Start Your Forex Trading

By John Eather

Investors who realise how to apply a proven system can benefit from the foreign exchange market. This article's aim is to get you set off on your way with Forex basic principles so that you can make the best of this unbelievable market.

In the past, foreign exchange trading was limited to national banks and large corporations. All of this changed in the 1980s when the rules were modified to allow investors of modest means to join in by using margin accounts. Margin accounts are what have made Forex trading so popular. With a 200:1 margin account, you are able to control $200,000 with an investment of only $1,000.

Forex can be challenging, so it's important to gain the knowledge you need in order to make good investment decisions. While it's easy to get started in Forex trading, it does carry some risks. As a beginner, you need to learn as much as possible about the Forex market before beginning to trade.

Forex traders normally want a broker to take care of transactions. Nearly all brokers are reputable members of big financial organisations. A respected broker should be certified as a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for protection against fraud and predatory trading practices.

Opening a Forex account is as simple as completing a form and providing the required ID. This form will include a margin agreement that explains that the broker may interrupt any trade that seems too risky. This is designed to protect the broker's interests, since most trades are carried out using the broker's funds. Once your account has been accepted, you are ready to fund it and get started with trading.

Umpteen brokers provide a diverse selection of accounts to accommodate the requirements of various investors. Mini accounts provide you a way to begin Forex trading with around 50 dollars. Standard accounts usually need minimum deposits of between $1,000 to $2,500, hinging on the broker. The total leverage useable changes dependent upon the account. High leveraged accounts mean that you have larger sums to trade with.

Trades aren't charged a commission, allowing you to trade as often as you like each day without having to pay up expensive brokerage fees. Brokers make their profit by way of the "spread" which is price difference of the bid and ask.

Novice traders are well-advised to undergo some experience in Forex by performing "paper trades" for a while. Paper trades are in essence rehearsals that do not involve real funds. They allow you to ascertain how the Forex system behaves while you observe how to make use of the software found with the majority of Forex brokers. - 23159

About the Author:

Before you begin trading forex online, make sure you check John Eather's excellent free ecourse and reports on Forex Trading. Receive the most recent info on the most effective trading robots and trading systems available on the market today. Go to MoneyMakingFxTrader.com for more details.

7 Secrets to Financial Empowerment

By Trisha

As you work to fulfill your dreams in the field of real estate investing I want you to embrace your future and do everything in your power to help ensure your success despite the challenges youll face along the way. Ive identified 7 financial keys that can unlock the door to success for you and others you may come in contact with along the way.

There are a lot of things you can do every day that can help determine whether you reach the pinnacle of success or remain in the valley of missed opportunity, but very few things will figure as prominently as your finances. Financial gurus got it right when they say that if you dont control your money it controls you! Heres how to regain control of your financial future one step at a time.

Control Your Spending " By taking control of your spending you can have a much bigger say in the types of deals you have available to you. This process starts with having " and sticking to " a realistic and attainable budget. Im not suggesting you should sell your TV and hit your kids up for gas money in exchange for taking them to t-ball practice.

What I am saying, however, is that if youre clear about exactly where your money goes youll have more control over reducing unnecessary, frivolous expenses. Think before you say, Charge it! If you dont really need another John Tesh video " dont buy it! Sooner or later Blockbuster will have it for 49 cents.

Control Your Habits " I dont want to offend anyone here, but its very easy to have expensive habits that can reduce the pool of money you have when you need it. It could be $4-$5 cups of coffee, cigarettes, or other substances. Aside from the potential long term impact some habits can have on your health, they can also take money away from your investing activities. Take control of the kinds of things you spend your money on. Youll be surprised by how much extra cash you can come up with after just 30 days!

By keeping your balances low you free up additional funds for additional property purchases. Not only can credit cards charge hefty interest rates, they make it very easy to spend more than you otherwise might. Fast food restaurants dont take plastic because theyre dedicated to superior customer service. They want to make it as easy as possible to Super Size " your waist line and their bottom line.

Control Your Saving " By getting into the habit of regularly setting money aside for a rainy day, you can systematically build a rainy day fund that you can tap into for unplanned expenses. By having 3-6 months of expenses in an interest earning money market account you have cash available in case of a short term need. If you have this cash you can take advantage of more property opportunities. Sometimes a seller will agree to your terms if you can meet their need for cash. If you have a few thousand dollars sitting in an account you can access it quickly and still get a lucrative deal while its still available!

Control Your Habits " I dont want to offend anyone here, but its very easy to have expensive habits that can reduce the pool of money you have when you need it. It could be $4-$5 cups of coffee, cigarettes, or other substances. Aside from the potential long term impact some habits can have on your health, they can also take money away from your investing activities. Take control of the kinds of things you spend your money on. Youll be surprised by how much extra cash you can come up with after just 30 days!

Control Your Debt " In many ways this goes hand in hand with controlling your spending because for many investors (especially brand new ones with unrealistic expectations) their first inclination is to whip out a credit card for routine purchases.

By keeping your balances low you free up additional funds for additional property purchases. Not only can credit cards charge hefty interest rates, they make it very easy to spend more than you otherwise might. Fast food restaurants dont take plastic because theyre dedicated to superior customer service. They want to make it as easy as possible to Super Size " your waist line and their bottom line.

Control Your Time " This is one of the most difficult areas to control because time is a commodity that is in such short supply. Its very easy to waste countless hours in front of a television set or hunched over a computer surfing from one web site to another. By taking control of how and where you spend your time you can financially empower yourself by freeing up precious minutes " and hours " for more lucrative opportunities. A great way to save time is by outsourcing routine or mundane tasks to others. Not only will you close more deals, but youll have more free time for your family and leisure activities you enjoy.

There is a direct connection between giving and receiving " just make sure you really believe in the organizations youre giving your money to!

These are just a few things you can do to financially empower yourself. Put these into practice today, perfect them " and make them your own! The secret to financial empowerment is really no secret at all. The secret lies in actually applying them in your life today and make tomorrow lucrative. Start now and live the life youve been dreaming about! - 23159

About the Author:

If you need help to raise you to the top of the real estate empire, then Charissa Crawley has everything you need. Find more information regarding her Real Estate Power Investor guide right here.

Uncover the Myths of Stock Trading

By W. Alan Gay

I've made a living as a Stock Trader for over 15 years, and have really learned the ins and outs of the business. But I didn't make my start at a big brokerage firm that taught me everything through slick training course. I made it through trial and error, taking seminars and classes and learning as I go.

While my self taught training may have resulted in a slower success, I know a lot more about the real world of stock trading than a lot of those investment advisors out there who only know what their employer told them. One thing I have discovered over the years is that there are myths that continuously recur when talking to people about stock trading. Here are three of them:

First, is the misunderstanding that you have to be a certain type of person to be a successful stock trader. True, the guys who analyze the market and pick the big winners are almost 60% left brained thinkers, and this is probably how the myth started.

But I have found that trading stock has something in it for every type of thinker, and the trick is to find the process that works best for you. Frankly, I would hate to sit around and analyze stocks all day, but I have made a great living trading stocks anyway. Anyone else can too.

Second, is the underlying belief that stock trading is risky, even riskier than owning your own business. True, people have lost their shirts in the stock market, and those are the big splashy stories we all hear that frighten a lot of people away.

But I have learned that if you have the right process in place for setting your stops and limiting your risks to a level that you are comfortable with, it can really be a very low risk profession. For example, I have created a system for myself that allows me to trade with a 75% or more success rate, which is fantastic! I know of no other business that can give me that kind of low risk situation.

Finally, how many times have you heard that its a full time job to make consistent big money in the stock market? Absolutely true for some kinds of trading and especially if you don't have good stock pickers to rely on. Then you are stuck doing the grunt and the leg work in a fast changing environment " sure that takes a lot of time.

But, I am living proof that it is absolutely possible to make a great living trading stock for 2-4 hours a day, which will leave you the rest of your day for whatever you wish. The way to achieve this is to have a process in place that is efficient with your time, and low risk enough that you can be profitable on a consistent basis. There are a lot of different courses available and it can be difficult to find the one that will work for you. I suggest you investigate several different choices and, ask lots of questions Use your questions as an additional screening " if you can't find anyone to take them all seriously, move on quick! Life is too short. If you start your research knowing the right system is there for you, you will be on your way to becoming a successful stock trader in no time. - 23159

About the Author:

W. Alan Gay has been a stock trader and coach for fifteen years. His free report describes Alan's trip to becoming accomplished at trading stocks and gives useful tips he and his students have used to consistently trade profitably. Click to obtain a free copy of his report and learn more about how you could be a profitable stock trader in as little as two weeks.