I have one with Vanguard, don’t use it a whole lot the last few years though.

Update: Using Vanguard. Seems like the Glock of Brokerage sites. I like it. Very functional, usable, $0 trades and low fees with good performance, etc. I wouldn't say it shines for research.

I have a Fidelity 401k account from back in the day and Fidelity UX and position summary etc, is nice. Their Research seems good as well compared to Vanguard.

Now that TD and Schwab have merged, I'll be interested to see how that works out (what they keep and what they throw overboard). Would assume you'll still need to sign up with either TD or Schwab separately if you're interested in using one or the other in the meantime - until the merger integration is completed and you can see what the new combined company looks like and offers.

For investing, I like Vanguard. Simple interface, straight forward statements, low fees. Customer service is very good, can quickly get a person on the phone to answer questions, transfer accounts, etc.

For active trading, I like TD Ameritrade with ThinkorSwim. Real time quotes, faster trade tickets, conditional trade (oco), over the counter markets and after hours trading until 8pm and pre market from 4am. The charting features can be overwhelming.

Vanguard 20 years + no problems, don't trade single stocks. Just use MF's and brokerage accounts services.

Fidelity - 100% been a customer for 30 years. Customer service is flawless, It's high quality, great firm, and If you don't use the private client stuff - it is free.

quote:

Originally posted by Hay2bale:

The differences in research opinions on the same stocks between the two companies is amazing.

….

can you give a for instance? Have you been able to attribute or correlate the difference to anything>

Been with Fidelity for 30+ years. Never an issue and pretty good support. Fidelity offers a very comprehensive collection of their own investment vehicles, and also offer fee free access to securities from other companies such as Vangard.

I've had a Vanguard account for a long time now and have no issues with them. I just recently opened an account with Interactive Brokers so I can buy on foreign exchanges. I have not had it long enough to give much feedback.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

quote:

Originally posted by Hay2bale:

The differences in research opinions on the same stocks between the two companies is amazing.

….

can you give a for instance? Have you been able to attribute or correlate the difference to anything>

Chevron CVX today.
Schwab rated B on a scale of A thru F, with A being the best.
Fidelity Equity summary score 2.2 on a scale of 1 thru 10, with 10 being the best.

I can't figure out how Schwab comes up with their ratings, even after reading their detailed analysis.

Schwab also provides detailed analyses from several analysts. These are also all over the map. Today, Ned Davis rates CVX as sell, while Argus rates it as a buy, and CFRA gives 3 out of 5 stars.

So I bought Volero VLO instead. Every analyst hates VLO. Fidelity rated .9 !

quote:

The differences in research opinions on the same stocks between the two companies is amazing.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This is the basis of the stock market.

quote:

Originally posted by Hay2bale:

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

can you give a for instance? Have you been able to attribute or correlate the difference to anything>

Chevron CVX today.
Schwab rated B on a scale of A thru F, with A being the best.
Fidelity Equity summary score 2.2 on a scale of 1 thru 10, with 10 being the best.

I can't figure out how Schwab comes up with their ratings, even after reading their detailed analysis.

Schwab also provides detailed analyses from several analysts. These are also all over the map. Today, Ned Davis rates CVX as sell, while Argus rates it as a buy, and CFRA gives 3 out of 5 stars.

So I bought Volero VLO instead. Every analyst hates VLO. Fidelity rated .9 !

I agree about Schwab's rating system. It especially doesn't make sense if you go to the last page where they track their assigned ratings versus stock price. There's no correlation between ratings changes and future stock prices. You would think someone would notice this and tweak their algorithm.

In the other opinions section, at least the recommendations show when they were last made.

I recommend Fidelity; their customer service has been outstanding; their website the best I’ve seen and used.

I also have funds with Chase, but they are nowhere near Fidelity for self-directed accounts in any respect.
Had an account with Schwab with a previous employer, not terribly impressed.

I have no experience with Vanguard for this purpose.

My 401(k) is in Vanguard, my IRA's are at Schwab and my taxable account is at M1 Finance. I much prefer M1 Finance as it is so easy to set it up and it automatically handles everything for you.

M1 Finance is free to trade and they have fractional shares of ETF's and individual stocks.

Highly recommend M1 Finance.