There are several advantages to investing in the stock market online instead of doing it through investment brokers or financial planners.
Of course, the cost of performing a trade is much lower through a cheap stock trading website than it is through the traditional channels.
This is a definite advantage that can help all investors maximize profits.
Another one is the ability to trade any day of the week and at any time.
However, the biggest advantage, and the one many investors overlook, is the chance you have to educate yourself and stop relying on the advice of a broker for your investment decisions.
All reputable cheap stock trading sites offer several resources to help educate their investors and most of them are free or very inexpensive.
This is a big deal.
The success or failure of your investments can dramatically change your future and the future of your family.
Leaving the decision of which stocks or funds to invest in to a virtual stranger is not a good idea.
You need to learn the market yourself, make investment decisions yourself, or don't invest at all.
A stock broker has a lot of clients and all have different goals and financial situations.
They don't always take these specifics into account when recommending investments.
How can they? They are too busy, and most have a few heavy hitters that get the bulk of their attention because they make them the most money.
Also, many investment firms push certain stocks or investments for their own reasons.
You buying them can make them more money.
Often, this is how the "expert" advice you receive gets formed.
Take the power away from the brokers and learn the market! There are many tools available to you at these cheap stock trading sites.
It will take some time, but making use of them an learning is the best way to ensure financial gains instead of failures.