I have been an active trader for several years and Charles Schwab has been a great resource. The personal service, trading tools, and fast efficient system are worth the extra money. I trade in both stocks and options. Getting approval for option trading was painless and the personal broker assigned to me has even called to remind me when the options were ready to expire so I wouldn't lose money. As far as paying a little more in commissions, that is more than made up for by the fact that orders go through at lightening speed which can be a huge difference in price. By the time some of the other brokers get around to filling the order the price can change so much that its not worth it. The stock charts are highly customizable so I can look at the indicators I really want to use and see them in a variety of time frames so I can get a better picture of the stocks past and more accurately predict the future direction. I have had a very positive experience with Charles Schwab and would highly recommend them to others.