Firstly, as a non-private investor, you should choose a financial institution that will manage your investments for you. This decision is critical and can have a great affect on the profit margin from your investment.

 Below is a list of parameters that should be taken into account before choosing a financial institution:

1. Price: Potentially the most important factor when choosing a financial institution. What is the fee for managing your account? Does the company collect additional fees for profits above a certain index? Are there special fees for specific stocks or financial instruments such as options? Are there any hidden fees, such as an account maintenance fee?
2. Accompanying services: Does the company provide you with a personal account with real-time account information? Does the institution provide any additional information that may be helpful as an investor?
3. Customer Service: Do you have the ability to speak directly to the person in charge of your account? Which options for investing are you able to take advantage of? Does your account manager help you choose the right investment option?
4. Historical returns: Every investor hopes to receive the maximum returns on his/her investment. Generally, the exceptional firms experience time periods where their returns are higher, but no company can exclusively claim success over a lengthy period of time.
5. Transparency: Investigate whether the firm invests in financial instruments in which they may have other competing interests, or whether the firm invests in the financial instruments that will provide you with the greatest yield. Which channels does the institution invest in and how does that impact your investment?
6. Reputation: Even though reputation alone cannot guarantee future returns, a company which has existed for a number of years and has built a fine reputation can be trusted to make the proper decisions for its clients.
7. Availability of alternative pathways: You may be interested in different investment options with either higher or lower levels of risk. Does the investment company offer you the right options for your personal needs?

We have attached a number of websites that rate the best investment houses in the U.S. based on different parameters, with an emphasis on achievable returns. Most of the names are recognizable to the Israeli investor.

Best financial mutual funds in the US

Top 10 Investment Companies In USA Performance and ROI Wise

Top 50 US brokerage companies for 2010& 2011

Should you choose to invest through a company that is not on the attached list, we recommend that you check that the company is properly licensed to provide a trading platform by clicking here.

 Opening an account

Even though registration for most investment companies can be done online by filling out a form with your personal details and sending signed forms via fax or email to the company, we advise calling the company directly to check all of the aforementioned parameters.