Summarize the following:
Don’t rely on a tip from a friend or neighbor.  The right brokerage service can make the difference between financial success and failure.  Before choosing an online brokerage, ask about details like pricing and the available investment choices.  Find out about the customer service they provide and whether or not they offer resources for education and research.  Finally, find out about their security practices. Depending on the amount of experience you have, you may require different levels of service from an online brokerage service.  Some services offer personal advice, which may be beneficial to beginners.  You may pay higher fees for these services, but if you’re just starting out, you may think the fees are worth it.  Online brokers that offer tools and advice to help beginner traders include E-Trade, ShareBuilder, Fidelity, Scottrade and TDAmeritrade. ShareBuilder also offers an ATM card that gives you access to uninvested funds. If you can do all of the research yourself and don’t need personal advice from a broker, then consider working with a discount online brokerage.  You can start with a smaller sum of money.  Also, you have access to more investment choices.  In addition to stocks, other investment choices may include options, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, fixed income funds, bonds, certificates of deposit and retirement accounts.
Interview online brokers. Decide which brokerage tools are important to you. Work with a discount service if you have more experience.