TD Ameritrade Review 2012
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TD Ameritrade Commissions
- $9.99 per stock/etf trade
- Options: $9.99 plus $0.75 per contract
- No-load mutual funds: $49.99
- Treasuries at auction: $25 flat fee
- Futures: $3.50 per contract (inclusive of exchange fees)
TD Ameritrade Important Fees and Surcharges
- Mutual Fund Short-Term Redemption: $49.99
- Outbound Full Account Transfer: $75
- Outbound Partial Account Transfer: $25
- Wires (Outgoing) Domestic/International: $25
- Forced Margin Sellout: $25 + broker commission
TD Ameritrade Advantages
- Online user community
- Free streaming quotes
- Local branches
- Free automatic reinvestment of dividends
- Fee-free retirement accounts
- Flat-rate commissions, no hidden fees
- Virtual trading
TD Ameritrade Disadvantages
- Expensive commissions on all asset classes
- Website freezes on high volume
- Customer service is not very responsive
TD Ameritrade Account Types
- Standard accounts:
- Individual
- Joint Tenants
- Tenants in Common
- Community Property
- Tenants by the Entireties
- Guardianship or Disadvantageservatorship
- Education Savings Accounts:
- 529
- Coverdell ESA
- UGMA/UTMA
- Retirement Accounts:
- Traditional IRA
- Roth IRA
- Rollover IRA
- SEP IRA
- SIMPLE IRA
- Specialty Investing Accounts:
- Trust
- Limited Partnership
- Partnership
- Investment Club
- LLC
- Sole Proprietorship
- Corporate
- Non-Incorporated Organization
- Pension or Profit Plan for Small Business
TD Ameritrade Review
Today, the tools offered by TD Ameritrade allow me complete control over my brokerage account, and help me in my decision making process.
One of the most important aspects of trading online is the availability of personalized help when you need it. In the beginning when I was
first learning how to use the site and trade through the site, having someone that I could talk to immediately was crucial to some of my
decisions. When you're trading online time is literally money.
For a beginner trader or an experienced trader having access to good research tools not only saves time but can also play a large role in
the decision making process. When I click on their Research & Tools page, I have immediate access to what is happening in the marketplace.
I can access all indices worldwide, see the most recent news, search any stock symbol on any exchange and view what is happening is specific
sectors that I'm interested in. There is a wide variety of information on that one page with much of it playing a role in my decisions for
that day.
I've also got access to reports from different analysts across a wide range of companies. Although they don't play a major part in my
decision making, I do like to have access to them to get an overall feel for economic conditions and look at their opinions on where
they see the markets moving in the coming months. For me, they are another valued part of my research tools that help me to come to my own
conclusions.
TD Ameritrade is one of the largest brokerage firms and most heavily advertised in the media. With $9.99 per stock trade and $49 per
mutual fund transaction, their commissions are expensive and only make sense for investors who very rarely trade.
There is no minimum to open cash account, $2,000 is required for a margin account.
TD Ameritrade service is spotty, at times and fails when volume is heavy. When market moves fast, customers often could not login into
their account or even if they can, the quotes will not be updated in their watchlist or they will not be able to place
a trade. TD Ameritrade streamer freezes often. Command center is great though. Ton of features and tools but not very Mac-friendly.
Most TD Ameritrade customers agree: that firm is very good. It just feels very solid. It would appeal to those who want the stability,
who buy for a long term and don't trade much. Opening second account at the less expensive brokerage for trading and having
TD Ameritrade account for long-term investments could be the way to go here.
TD Ameritrade Promotional Code
Join TD Ameritrade. Trade free for 60 days + Get up to $600
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