As a private investor, you should choose the financial institution that will provide you with the most suitable trading platform for your needs.

 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 a transaction? 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 financial platform provide real-time stock updates? Does the institution provide any additional information that may be helpful as an investor?
3. Ease of use: Just as many devices that you encounter daily may be more or less practical than their counterparts, different financial platforms offer differing levels of ease of use. Make sure that the platform you choose is comfortable for you.
4. Minimum investments and sliding fee scales: Some financial institutions require a minimum initial investment. Additionally, the fee scale for transactions may vary depending on the amount of money in your account.
5. Investing in other financial sectors: Do you have the ability to invest in safer/riskier investments such as mutual funds, options and CD’s?
6. Customer service: Generally speaking, American customer service is excellent. However, there are some companies who are better than others in this field. You can check a company’s level of customer service by looking into their hours of operations, recommendations for the company online etc.

Remember that the major advantage of investing privately is the overhead savings and the competitive rates that investment houses offer to private investors.

Attached is a document that rates the top nine financial institutions in the U.S. that allow private investors the option to trade online. To download the list, click here.

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

 Opening an account

Registering for most investment companies involves filling out a form with your personal details and sending signed forms via fax or email to the company.

All of the leading companies offer the option of directly contacting a customer service representative to help you open an account. This can also serve as a great opportunity to clarify certain details about the process or company that may be important to you.