Before you open an online trading account and begin your trading career, the first step you should follow is to choose an online stock broker that is right for you. There are many different brokers and they all offer their own special services and features. So how do you go about choosing the best one for you? Commission fees are NOT the only thing that you must look for when you do your research. Other factors also play significant roles in your decision such as account minimums, trading tools, customer service, account security, and speed. There are also many other factors that may play a role in your decision making. After thorough research and personal experiences, here are my top 3 recommendations for traders:

1. Zecco.com
Zecco is the online broker that I use and so far I am very satisfied with their service.
Well-known For:
- No minimum amount required to open an account.
- FREE online stock trading
- 10 free stock trades per month – No fees or commissions when you maintain a $25,000 balance or execute 25 trades each month. Otherwise, all trades are just $4.50, which is one of the cheaper options available.
- The 25 trade qualifications include stocks, options, and ETF trades and the 10 free stock trades count towards the 25 total. This is certainly great for swing traders.
- Low options trading costs: $4.50 + $0.50 per contract.
- No inactivity or maintenance fees. No fees to close account.
- A variety amount of stock trading, research, and analysis tools.
- Zecco community – This is a great investing community with forums, blogs, and groups to help you interact with other traders and share ideas.
- Zecco Forex- Trading Platform for foreign exchange traders which was recently released.
- Excellent Customer Service

The only downside to Zecco is that in order to receive the 10 free stock trades per month, you need a minimum of $25,000 in your trading account or you must execute at least 25 trades each month. You will not be eligible if you execute any amount below the 25 trades that is required. Anything beyond 25 trades is $4.50 per transaction and you are not allowed to receive more than 10 free stock trades for that month even if you execute over 25 trades. However, Zecco is still relatively cheap compared to many other online stock brokers, charging only $4.50 per transaction, which is half of what TD Ameritrade charges for their commission.

2. TradeKing.com
Some of my trader friends are using tradeking and they have positive opinion about this broker.

Well-known For:
- No minimum amount required to open an account.
- Remarkable customer service and discounted trades.
- $4.95 per trade for stock and ETF trades.
- Low options trading costs: $4.95 + $0.65 per contract.
- Charges same rate for market, limit, and broker-assisted trades.
- Rated #1 best customer service by both SmartMoney and Kiplinger.
- Voted as one of the best options brokers.
- A special offer of $150 when you switch to TradeKing.
- A variety amount of stock trading, research, and analysis tools.
- Trading Tools – Its tools are rated among the ‘Best for Options Traders’ by Barron’s. Tools include Probability Calculator, Profit + Loss Calculator, Stock and Option Screeners, Technical Analysis Tools, and much more.
- Investing community – This is a great investing community with forums, blogs, and groups to help you interact with other traders and share ideas. Members also receive premium financial news and able to view research reports that cover over 5,500 different companies.
- Excellent Customer Service

Please do some more research on your own and see if these brokers match your needs. If you do decide to subscribe to either one of them, please click the clicks above. That way I get compensated for referring you to them.