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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Why Investing Online Is For You

By Kenneth Farnham

You have some money to invest. But you don't want to spend a lot of time meeting with or selecting a stockbroker. Should you invest your money online? Is an online brokerage house the right choice for you?

Several online brokers dot the Internet today. They offer consumers the chance to quickly open accounts and begin investing their money in the stock market. Most charge low commissions. And most sites are easy to use.

That doesn't mean, though, that investing your money online is the right choice for you. While working with an online brokerage house works for some investors, it's not ideal for others. You'll have to gauge your own comfort level with the process.

You can ease any concerns you have with investing money online by doing some simple research. The best place to start is with the financial press. Financial print magazines and Web sites often contain rankings of the top online brokerage houses. Working with a top-ranked online broker can help ratchet up your comfort level.

If you're still nervous, talk to your family members, friends and co-workers who have invested money online. Find out the online broker houses that they have worked with. Where they happy with the service these brokerage houses provided? Did the brokerage houses charge commissions that were appropriate? And, most importantly of all, how did their investments perform?

That's why it's important to only do business with online brokerages that have earned a reputation for engaging in honest and ethical business practices. Read the financial press. Visit Web sites devoted to consumer interests. And when you do, read up on the online brokerage houses. It's not difficult to find reputable Web sites and magazines that provide annual rankings of the top online brokers.

Once you select a group of online brokerage houses that can be trusted, look into the commissions each one charges. You want to work with an online broker that doesn't charge exorbitant fees for transactions. Remember, these fees can significantly eat into your profits.

Make sure, too, to only invest your money online with a Web-based brokerage that you've heard of. You don't want to take a chance on investing with a company that may be inexperienced or teetering on going out of business. Instead, go with the established online brokerages, places such as Etrade and Scottrade.

Investing your money online is fast and easy. Online brokerages also tend to charge relatively inexpensive commissions. But that doesn't mean that online investing is for everyone. If you're simply not comfortable investing your money online, meet with a traditional stockbroker instead. - 23305

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