Best Stock Brokers for Long Term Trading

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As part of our 2013 broker review we took a close look at the best brokers for long term trading. Investing long term is about having access to quality 3rd party research, comprehensive trade tools, and an overall feature rich website. Compare our four recommendations below:

Published by Blain Reinkensmeyer on Friday, April 19, 2013.

TD Ameritrade

TD Ameritrade Review

Trade free for 90 days + get up to $600 - Learn More

  • Gain access to over 100 commission free ETFs.
  • Investment research from S&P, Morningstar Associates, and Minyanville.
Stocks* Options Base* Options Contract* Minimum Deposit
$9.99 $9.99 $0.75 $2,500.00

ETRADE

ETRADE Review

  • Special Offer: Trade free for 60 days + Get up to $500 - Learn More
  • Rated the #1 Online Broker 2011 by StockBrokers.com
Stocks* Options Base* Options Contract* Minimum Deposit
$9.99 $9.99 $0.75 $500.00

optionsXpress

optionsXpress Review

  • Special Offer: Receive $100 when you fund a new optionsXpress account with $500 - Learn More.
  • Acquired by Charles Schwab, giving clients an even more thorough broker offering.
Stocks* Options Base* Options Contract* Minimum Deposit
$8.95 $0.00 $1.50 $0.00

Scottrade

Scottrade Review

  • Special Offer - Get $100 in transfer fees reimbursed - Learn More
  • Straight forward commissions for both stocks and options.
Stocks* Options Base* Options Contract* Minimum Deposit
$7.00 $7.00 $1.25 $500.00

ShareBuilder

ShareBuilder Review

  • Special Offer: Receive $100 with any New Account - Learn More
  • One Month Free Trial with all new accounts.
Stocks* Options Base* Options Contract* Minimum Deposit
$6.95 $6.95 $0.75 $0.00
We found that TD Ameritrade had the best overall offering for long term investors. TD Ameritrade was crowned the champion in our 2013 broker survey because of  its all around feature rich experience provided to clients. A vast offering of 3rd party research, 24/7 customer service, over 100 commission free ETFs, and two award winning platforms - thinkorswim and Trade Architect - round out an A+ client experience. 

All of the above top brokers - TD Ameritrade, ETRADE, optionsXpress, and Scottrade - had very similar commission plans, with the edge however going to Scottrade. All four brokers charge around $10 per equity trade ($9.99, $9.99, $9.95, and $7 respectively). While more pricey than their discount broker competitors, it was the overall offerings that made the biggest statement. Some of the most common differences between one of these brokers versus a discount competitor include depth of research, customer service, mobile trading support, and most importantly the  quality of offerred platforms and tools.

In our testing we found it to be a close matchup as each broker had specific features they really shined with. For example ETRADE had the best mobile application with ETRADE Mobile Pro while TD Ameritrade and optionsXpress offer their clients access to trading stocks, etfs, mutual funds, bonds, forex, and even futures. TD Ameritrade also boasts two best in class platforms, thinkorswim and Trade Architect. Then there is Scottrade, who won our award this year for the Best Overall Client Experience, giving clients access to over 500 local branch offices.

Current Offers:
Lastly, as far as new account offers go, both ETRADE and TD Ameritrade currently offer the best incentives for opening a new account with 60 days free trading alongside up to $500 in cash depending on your deposit amount. 

Comparison Tool:
Still not sure which broker to choose? Compare TD Ameritrade vs ETRADE vs optionsXpress vs Scottrade using our comparison tool.

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