I started off with two IRA accounts at fidelity, one with about $50k, and the other with about $15. That combination, plus my semi-regular trading, qualified me for the $8 rate, which is reasonable given the level of personalized service you get from these guys.
That said, I was disappointed with a couple of aspects. First, when I inquired about opening an account, they sang the praises of their international trading desk, with its low commissions and direct access to many overseas exchanges. This was the primary reason I moved my accounts over from Scottrade - I wanted to diversify into more international stocks because of rising inflation in the U.S.
When I was all set up, however, they told me that direct trades had a minimum size of $25,000. Any smaller position would have to go through an ADR. Of course, I can trade ADRs anywhere, and there's no way I was putting $25k into a single position.
Apart from this issue I was pleased with the service. I could always get a human on the phone to answer my questions, and the staff were courteous and competent. Trading domestic shares was a breeze.
In the end I switched to another outfit, though, wanting to get direct overseas access.
I started off with two IRA accounts at fidelity, one with about $50k, and the other with about $15. That combination, plus my semi-regular trading, qualified me for the $8 rate, which is reasonable given the level of personalized service you get from these guys.
That said, I was disappointed with a couple of aspects. First, when I inquired about opening an account, they sang the praises of their international trading desk, with its low commissions and direct access to many overseas exchanges. This was the primary reason I moved my accounts over from Scottrade - I wanted to diversify into more international stocks because of rising inflation in the U.S.
When I was all set up, however, they told me that direct trades had a minimum size of $25,000. Any smaller position would have to go through an ADR. Of course, I can trade ADRs anywhere, and there's no way I was putting $25k into a single position.
Apart from this issue I was pleased with the service. I could always get a human on the phone to answer my questions, and the staff were courteous and competent. Trading domestic shares was a breeze.
In the end I switched to another outfit, though, wanting to get direct overseas access.