Online Stock Trading Web

TD Ameritrade is actually the product of the merging of TD Waterhouse and Ameritrade. At present, it’s actually one of the largest brokers in the world having $257 billion in client assets and 232,000 trade executions per day.

However, though TD Ameritrade is actually a good, big broker, it is still not a viable choice because of the additional fees it may charge. In fact, you will have to spend an extra $9.99 per month just for level II quote, $34.99 for interactive voice response service and $29.99/month for streaming news.

Possible Costs

No matter how great TD Ameritrade, it will still not do so well in the online stock trading industry all because of the impractical, unreasonable fees it impose. It’s so senseless to pay some quote, interactive voice response service and streaming news fees when you can actually have those with some other brokers for free. What’s more, TD Ameritrade’s broker–assisted trades are also quite unreasonable for $44.99.

However, on the better side, TD Ameritrade has a good base rate for trades and actually offers a flat rate of $9.99 for market, for limit and options trades, there is an addition $0.75 fee per options contract. You can also open an account with TD Ameritrade and earn some incentives for $2,000.

Investments Provided

TD Ameritrade has a great, wide range of investment vehicles provided. Actually, this is what makes TD Ameritrade somehow still a good choice.

Basically, TD Ameritrade has everything you will need to maximize trading potentials – options, stocks, exchange traded funds and mutual funds. TD Ameritrade also offers fixed income investments like various bonds, U.S. Treasury and Agency Issues, mortgage–backed securities (GNMAs), certificates of deposit (CDs) and even the rare unit investment trusts (UITs).

Similarly, TD Ameritrade also offers various account options as IRAs and Roth IRAs for retirement, and Coverdell ESAs, 529 plans and custodial accounts for higher education or the like.

Tools and Features Offered

The tools and features being offered by TD Ameritrade are excellent. From the most extensive and well-organized control panel up to the most innovative tools and information that allow you to spot market opportunities and create and apply some of your trading strategies, you will surely ask for anything more.

There are also some planning tools, calculators and a lot of educational materials like written articles, seminars, etc. you can also take advantage of when with TD Ameritrade. Level II quotes and streaming news are also made available but as aforementioned, you have to pay for them first before you can make use of them.

Security and Ease of Use

TD Ameritrade’s security and efficiency are actually unique and incomparable from those of others.

Ever since, TD Ameritrade is a member of the SIPC and offers comprehensive fraud protection. It also extends security preferences to all trader where in site timeout settings, passwords and unconfirmed trade cancellation are considerably allowed.

In terms of efficiency, TD Ameritrade, to ensure everything’s gonna be easier and simpler with the trader, provided an easy-to-manage system that allows one to browse the web and do some other tasks while supervising stocks.

Customer Support

One of the nicest thing about TD Ameritrade is that it provides help and customer support in just one click away. It also has an efficient search function, online documentation and FAQs page if you want to clarify things up on your own.

On the flip side, if you want to personally talk to someone an advisor or the like, you can try TD Ameritrade customer support via phone, email or instant chat or otherwise visit some TD Ameritrade offices scattered nationwide.

Summary

Though TD Ameritrade is an expensive broker, in general, it can still be a good choice. Not only that, though you’d be paying additional fees, in return you will be entitled for some incentives.

Normally, you will be entitled for 50 free trades plus $100 for opening an account with $50,000 or more, 25 free trades and $50.00 for an account with $25,000 and 15 free trades for an account with $2000. Having some incentives is actually a great way to earn a profit out of your money spent for opening an account.