Scottrade Review: The Most Satisfied
Online Investment Service
Scottrade Review #1: Company
Background
With millions of clients all over the
world and with a staff that number to thousands, Scottrade is
considered one of the largest online stock brokers. This is the
stuff that makes the company a legend, considering that it only
started to go on providing online stock trading barely 12
years ago.
Its headquarter is in St. Louis, Missouri, and its main bulk
of business is into discount retail brokerage. The company's
360 branches in America enable people to get the help and
advise that they need at a time that they are in most need of
them.
Scottrade Review #2: Strengths
First off, it has earned its niche by being a company that
mean business.
While other companies put their reputation on research and
real-time releases for clients, it does not provide much of
this service. It eliminates handholding, simplifying trading
schemes to come out simple, manageable, and stress-free. On the
other hand, J.D. Power and Associates has ranked it
first in investor satisfaction with online
investing services.
The company has earned the title seven times in a row.
The advantages of joining Scottrade includes: no inactivity
or maintenance fees, low account minimum, and inexpensive
trading commissions. Firms like ETrade and Schwab exact penalties on
inactive accounts, as well those accounts that fall way below
the set minimum. Commission fees stand in $7 flat rate. This
means that no matter how limited your orders will be in a day
or quarter, you will not drown in so many extra fees on the
side. And the account minimum of $500 is an absolute
attraction.
To serve its clients better, it divides its customer
accounts into three: Scottrade.com, scottrader, and
scottradeEllite. Each account is tailored to people of
particular demands and expectations from their trading, as well
as the diversity they want their portfolios to have.
Reportedly, scottradeEllite combines the best features of
affordable trading package and real-time streaming on stock
data and quotes.
Scottrade Review #3: Weaknesses
While Scottrade is reputed to have made online stock trading
simple and inexpensive, it has also brought in disadvantages to
the industry. For one, its customer service in providing
real-time stock information in lower trading accounts is not
something to expect too much from.
Its biggest strength, that is to empower investors by
leaving them on their wits with little in-house help, is also
its worst weakness. Secondly, the company is also not too much
keen in improving this
aspect of the
business. Or, one may opt to enable this service upon
registration of a higher account, which in this case would
demand stiffer and more expensive policies.
Scottrade Review #4: Verdict
Scottrade is the company to go for to someone with small
startup funds, but who nonetheless is looking for a trade
earning optimum value for money. Its many services are designed
for people who need no elaborate guidance and trading advisory.
Indeed, it is appropriate for people who would rather choose to
be alone, and work dictated by their personal and instinctive
trading expertise.
|