Best option trading broker review

Best Option Brokers. Choosing which broker to use when trading options is without doubt one of the single most important decisions you will ever need to make in your trading career. Using a good broker can save you money, increase your profitability, save you time, help you find trading opportunities, and it will generally improve your overall trading experience. The following is a list of the overall best online brokers that we recommend. If you are looking to sign up with a broker now, then we would advise that you take a look at any of the below online brokers. For advice on choosing an options broker, plus further recommendations in specific categories, please see read on. Competitive Commission Structure Easy to Use Platform for Traders Allows for a Fully Customizable Experience. Competitive Fees Interaction with a Community of Traders Educational Resources for Beginners. One of the Best For Trading Features Top of the Line Trading Platform Extensive Customization Available. You'll see from the above table that we provide reviews of the brokers that we recommend. For a list of all our reviews, plus information on exactly how we go about reviewing brokers, please visit this page. These reviews can help you make a decision about which of our recommendations is the right one for you. Despite the importance of choosing a broker carefully, many traders sign up with any old broker and simply join the first one they come across or the one that offers the best sign up incentive.

Not putting any thought into what broker to use is a big mistake because, this really is a decision that is well worth spending some time on. If you are lucky enough to know an experienced trader that you trust then asking them which broker they use is a good way to find a decent broker, but that isn't a course of action that is available to everyone. Alternatively, you could try out a range of different brokers, compare them, and decide which one is best for you. However, this would be pretty time consuming. We have produced this section specifically to help you choose a broker. As well as the list of our top rated online brokers above, we have also produced a number of other lists. Each one of these contains a number of recommended online brokers that are particularly suitable for a specific purpose. You can see each of the broker categories that we cover linked over to the right. We have also provided some brief details about each category further down this page. Full Service Brokers vs. Discount Brokers. The first page in our section on the best options brokers is a comparison between the two main types of brokers: full service brokers and discount brokers. The distinction between the two is quite important to understand, as the services offered by the two is substantially different. In very basic terms, a full service broker will provide clients with advice and guidance in addition to executing orders as instructed while a discount broker will simply carry out orders on behalf on their clients. Both types have their advantages, and we explain more on the following page: Full Service Brokers vs Discount Brokers.

Best Brokers For Beginner & Small Traders. When you first begin trading, the chances are that you will be starting out with a relatively small amount of capital, and indeed you may be planning to only ever make small trades. Beginners and those trading with a low budget should be looking for fairly specific attributes before signing up with a broker. An appropriate commission structure and low minimums for both the size of your deposits and value of your trades is essential. Any sign up incentives being offered could also be significant too. If you are a beginner when it comes to options trading we suggest taking a look at what we have found to be the best brokers for people just getting started. Best Brokers For Stock Options. As you probably know, contracts can be based on a variety of different underlying securities which give you many choices. Probably the most commonly traded are stock options those contracts where the underlying security are stocks in publically listed companies. It isn't particularly difficult to find brokers that are suitable for trading stock options, but it's still important to choose your broker wisely. If you are planning on trading mostly stock options, then please visit the following page for relevant recommendations.

These all do an excellent job when it comes to trading stock options. Best Brokers For Forex Options. Forex options are contracts where the underlying security is foreign currencies. These are also very commonly traded, so finding an broker where you can trade forex options is not too much of a challenge. However, there are certain brokers that particularly stand out and that we believe are worthy of our recommendation. It's very important to find a forex broker that can meet your needs. For a complete list of these recommended brokers and more details on what you should be looking for when deciding where to sign up, please visit the following page. Best Brokers For Binary Options. Binary options are a unique form of contract that work a little differently to most others (please see our page on Binary Options for more details) and they are ignored by many traders as they often perceived to be a bit more complicated than the more standard type of option. In fact, the basic principle of binary options is relatively straightforward and trading binary options is becoming increasingly more popular among traders.

Not all brokers will deal with binary options, but for a list of recommended brokers that do please visit the following page. Best Brokers For OTC Options. OTC options are those contracts that aren't listed on a public trading exchange but are instead traded over the counter. Those options tend to be highly customized contracts that have complicated terms that include many of the exotic options that exist. Because OTC options are not traded on the public exchanges they are not generally as accessible to the public and are more typically traded between large financial institutions. Many traders do like to trade OTC options though, in which case it's important to use a broker that is suitable for the purpose. Please visit the following page for recommended brokers in this category. Best Brokers For Active Traders. Traders that use active trading styles, such as the day trading style, typically make a large number of transactions on a daily basis. As such, one of the most important attributes that active traders need to look for when choosing a broker is a commission structure that is very competitive and ideally provides for a discount when making a lot of trades. However this isn't the only consideration that active traders need to take into account and choosing a broker purely based on the commissions charged is rarely a good idea. For more advice on this, along with recommendations of suitable services, please visit the following page. Best Brokers For Auto Trading.

An increasingly popular way to try and profit from options is by using auto trading services which basically involve a trader signing up with an organization that will find opportunities for trading and then automatically place the relevant orders with the traderЂ™s broker. There are a number of services around and although they aren't necessarily the ideal way to trade, they can potentially be profitable. One of the biggest problems facing traders that wish to use auto trading services is that not all brokers allow it. For a list of the top places that do, please visit the following page. Brokers with Best Trading Platforms. The quality of the trading platform is something that many traders overlook when choosing an online broker, but it really is something that is very important for anyone that is trading options. A decent platform should be well designed with a user-friendly interface as brokers that make it easy to place orders will generally enhance your overall trading experience. This isn't something that should be ignored if you are going to be spending any sustained length of time trading options each day. For a list of recommended brokers that meet these criteria, please visit the following page. The Best Options Broker. Latest Update October 28, 2016. The best options trading platform isn’t going to be an afterthought tacked on to an existing suite of products: it should be robust and easy to use. Beginners need enough support to learn the ropes and experienced traders are after low fees and powerful tools. We signed up, assessed the fees, took the tools for a spin, and narrowed it down to three top picks.

The one that's best for you depends on what you’re after. Tons of online and in-person support, plus a practice platform that lets you try everything out with “paperMoney.” The downside? Higher fees. Rock-bottom pricing, but no research or method support. Unrivaled tools & research with pricing that favors active traders. There are a lot of brokers that are perfectly capable of trading options — nearly all of the big (read: old-school) names have an options platform integrated into their suite of offerings. But for those looking to really dive in, whether as a beginner just starting out or an active trader looking to level up, the best platform won’t be something that’s just tacked on. How We Found the Best Options Broker. To find the brokers that cater specifically to options, we looked at 36 choices and analyzed their products. We prioritized the most important aspects: Cost matters a lot when it comes to trading options. It’s the very nature: part of the appeal of options is that the returns can be major even if you don’t fork over a lot of cash up front, and many traders use options as a cheaper alternative to going long on a high-priced stock. Fees can add up and even wipe out the profits from any profitable trades.

Granted, slightly higher fees may be worth it if a broker can provide other perks (say, excellent resources and education for beginners), but we wanted all our picks to have competitive pricing. We also wanted to avoid minimum balance requirements, or a set number of trades per month. Easy-to-use interfaces are a make-or-break for most platforms. The price of options contracts can swing a lot over the course of a trading day poking around a clunky options chain can literally cost you. Education and resources are important, especially for investors who are getting their feet wet. Sure you’ve got a handle on multi-leg options trades, but do you know when it’s the right time for a bull call spread? What’s an iron butterfly? Not all traders will need hand-holding, but we wanted to find at least one excellent options broker we could recommend to newcomers. Flexibility can be interpreted a few ways. For us, it meant the robustness of the platform (could we research and purchase stocks and ETFs in addition to options?) its flexibility (could we streamline a multi-leg options trade, or did we have to input them all separately?) and whether or not we could customize it to our liking.

It was quick work to eliminate the most expensive platforms, as well as the ones that had absolutely no resources or reports. To test ease of use and flexibility, we signed up for accounts and simulated making trades on all the rest. Three brokers rose to the top, and each brings something unique to the table. Our Picks for Best Options Broker. TD Ameritrade Higher fees on an ultra-easy platform. Plus, tons of support and education. TD Ameritrade is one of the largest online brokerages in the market today, with over 7 million funded customer accounts and over $700 billion in total client assets, and despite its slightly higher prices, it provides the best platform for a beginner trading any product, options or otherwise. For more novice traders, the platform supports the jump from trading stocks with the funds in an IRA to more sophisticated products like options. It’s robust, plus it has the customer service and educational resources to make the transition. There are webinars and hours of on-demand videos that’ll teach you about options strategies and how to literally execute those strategies on the platform. TD Ameritrade is a full-service broker, and that full service (we’re talking 247 customer service and 100 branches for face-to-face consultations) does come with higher fees. Barron’s agrees, awarding it “best platform for novices” five years running.

We can anticipate its service only getting better too. In 2016, TD Ameritrade started the process of acquiring Scottrade, another platform known for it’s in-person customer service offerings. In fact, TD Ameritrade is one of the best platforms for all levels of investors, serving up two discrete products: thinkorswim and Trade Architect. Thinksorswim is a desktop platform designed for an all-around trading experience: charts with real-time data, news tickers, 300-plus technical studies, alerts and alarms, heat mapping, options screeners, securities scanner, and more, all accessible in a single click. It’s definitely for seasoned investors — newcomers will likely be overwhelmed — but it’s worth bringing up because a virtual playspace called paperMoney allows even total novices to cut their teeth without risking even a single penny. We recommend beginners stick to TD Ameritrade’s web-based platform Trade Architect. It is nowhere near as robust as thinkorswim (and has nowhere near as jazzy a name), but it provides everything a new investor would want and it’s ultra-easy to use. It’s not bogged down with all the bells and whistles and live-streaming CNBC. Tabs at the top are simply categorized under jargon-free headings: account overview, watch lists, alarms, idea generators, and heat maps. Unlike thinkorswim, the platform is customizable. If you want more widgets, like say, additional stock tickers or video, they’re there for the adding.

If beginner investors use TD Ameritrade’s education library to learn the ropes, practice using paperMoney in thinkorswim, and then easily execute trades with Trade Architect, the slightly higher fee may suddenly seem worth it. OptionsHouse The lowest fees and no minimum balance requirements. OptionsHouse isn’t the most recognizable name in the industry, and that’s probably because this online broker hasn’t pursued an aggressive marketing campaign like some of the other brokers out there (remember E*Trade’s old Super Bowl ads?). The company was founded in 2005 and was established to specifically provide options traders who demanded lower fees from the then burgeoning online brokerage industry. Those low fees are still what makes OptionsHouse so popular. There’s a $0 minimum deposit to join and options trade at $4.95 + $0.50contract (stocks trade at a flat $4.95 fee). This is the lowest price in the industry. Only TradeKing comes close — matching that $4.95 options base fee, but charging $5 more than OptionsHouse for the exercise fee. The OptionsHouse platform is striking if a bit chaotic — there are buttons, tabs, and menus all over the place. It’s intuitive and there’s a tutorial to walk you through, but to a beginner it might seem more like sitting in front of the controls of an aircraft than is comfortable. Beginners take note: OptionsHouse does have a virtual platform that’s great for practicing. And, the tradeLAB makes dissecting options spreads simple — the green smiley face is good the red frown is no good.

What you won’t get for those low fees is method and research: OptionsHouse has about 30 technical studies TD Ameritrade has 300. It’s important to note that E*Trade purchased OptionsHouse for a whopping $725 million in 2016. It is still unclear how any pricing structures or account features and perks will change after the sale is completed, but an OptionsHouse blog post suggests that E*Trade’s tools and services will become available after the platforms merge. Best Tools and Research. optionsXpress A one-stop shop within a major firm, with an options-native platform. OptionsXpress was purchased by Charles Schwab back in 2011 to enhance Schwab’s competitive edge in options trading. The result is a one-stop shop with an options-native platform that’s pretty whiz-bang. Everything happens through the desktop platform, Xtend, but all the trading tools are also on the optionsXpress web platform. It’s fully customizable, and it’s easy to find real-time quotes and market data, news and reports, and company background information. The Idea Hub scans the market for volatility, earnings, and income-based strategies and offers new trade ideas.

With Walk Limit, you can set a few parameters, and it will scan updated market data and re-create an order you may have made at a higher price in the past. Sign up for the Xpresso newsletter and you’ll get a daily email alerting you to the day’s risks and opportunities. Add to that an impressive library of educational resources, as well as access to all of Charles Schwab’s investment research (and free access to its seminars and meetings at local branches), and a virtual trading platform that helps beginner investors practice all types of trading with $25,000 in fake cash. If you need help from a broker — to calm your first-timer nerves or to walk you through a complex method — they’re ready to help and totally free, too. The standard rates are steep, so we don’t recommend optionsXpress to the casual trader. Make more than 35 trades a quarter and you’ll click into “Active Trader” status and your fees will go down. Trade in volumes and there’s another discount trade contracts under a nickel and there’s another discount. This is all to say the price structure favors the active. And while optionsXpress has a $0 account minimum and does not charge any annual or inactivity fees, if you leave, there is a $60 full outgoing transfer fee. The Best Options Broker at a Glance. Options are contracts that allow an investor the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an asset on or before a set date. Here’s an example: Say you are a buyer looking for a specific vintage car and you end up finding one you just have to have. When you find it, however, you know you won’t have any cash to buy it for another six months. You then negotiate with the owner to give you an option to buy the car in six months for a specific amount.

If the owner agrees, you pay him a percentage up front for that option. The same scenario applies in the stock market – just for financial assets instead of vintage cars. If you were trading stocks, you’d be actually buying the car. Or, rather, not buying it since you didn’t have the money. Because options are simply options and not promises, if something happened to that vintage car — say it was sitting in the driveway and a tree fell on it — you wouldn’t have to buy it. You’d still be out the price you paid for the options contract, but at least you wouldn’t have lost all that money on a now-worthless pile of steel. And, if in those same six months something happens that makes the car go up in value, well, hey, you’ve already locked in your price. If you’re new, you should prize learning tools. If you’re experienced, you’ll need to choose between low cost or amazing tools. No matter what, options trading shouldn’t be an afterthought tacked onto your platform. Best for Beginners. TD Ameritrade TD Ameritrade fees might be higher, but sometimes you get what you pay for. Consider your entire investment method.

Don’t make your final decision solely based on options trading if it’s not the only kind of trading you’ll be doing. These online brokerage firms all offer a variety of investment opportunities. You may want to take into account their extra perks or the price of their mutual funds, for example. Know your expirations. Options are contracts that expire if they’re not acted on and an expired contract is worthless. Make sure you understand your expirations and set reminders using your broker’s platform, or on your calendar if you’re not trading every day. We find the best of everything. How? We start with the world. We narrow down our list with expert insight and cut anything that doesn't meet our standards. We hand-test the finalists. Then, we name our top picks. Options Trading Brokers 2017. Tuesday, February 21st, 2017.

Options Trading Best Brokers. Based on over 100 different variables, here is are the top five brokerages for options trading. Next to active traders, there is arguably no client more valuable to an online broker than an options trader. Options trades offer much higher profit margins for brokers than stock trades, and, as a result, competition is fierce in attracting these clients. This type of market atmosphere is great for investors because with healthy competition comes innovation and competitive pricing. OptionsHouse not only offers highly competitive options commissions, but also a fantastic platform. Our winner again this year, OptionsHouse (acquired by ETRADE in 2016), understands what it takes to succeed in this niche. OptionsHouse not only offers highly competitive options commissions, but also a fantastic platform. Options trades are a flat $4.95 + $.50 per contract. Only Interactive Brokers offers better all-around pricing for options trades. Options Trading Tools. Platform wise, OptionsHouse’s web-based platform offers all the tools an options trader could want and displays them in magnificent form. Attention to detail, like automatic alongside custom spreads groupings, effortless scanning through strategySEEK, and easy-to-understand riskreward data through tradeLAB, make OptionsHouse a truly unique experience.

The OptionsHouse platform is the best in the industry. Keeping the spotlight on high-octane platforms and tools for options traders, TD Ameritrade’s thinkorswim and TradeStation cannot be left out. method Roller from thinkorswim allows clients to create custom rules and roll their existing options positions automatically. The number of settings and depth of customization available is impressive, and something we’ve grown to expect from thinkorswim. Not to be outdone, TradeStation’s OptionsStation tool makes analyzing potential trades a breeze, and even goes as far as including 3D P&L charts. Investors note, however: Popcorn and 3D glasses are not required, and while visually appealing, we did not see any distinct advantage over the traditional 2D P&L chart. If unique features and functionality matters to you, Charles Schwab offers the “Walk Limit” order type, which will "walk" your order to try to get the most favorable price within the National Best Bid or Offer (NBBO), is really impressive. The broker also offers Idea Hub, which uses targeted scans to visually break down new possible options trades. There are a lot of great brokers to choose from in the world of options trading. In 2017, investors should expect their broker to include scanning, P&L analysis, risk analysis, and easy-order management. Position management functionality and tying the experience all together is where platforms like OptionsHouse and thinkorswim really stand out and distinguish themselves.

Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and weighing priorities, such as cost per trade versus ease of use and tool selection. Options Brokers Summary. This broker does not currently have a special offer. Trade on over 100 market centers in 24 countries - Learn More. Trade free for 90 days + get up to $600 - Learn More. All-New Pricing. Now Only $5Trade + No Software Fees. Learn More. This broker does not currently have a special offer. Best Options Trading Brokers and Platforms.

NerdWallet offers financial tools and advice to help people understand their options and make the best possible decisions. The guidance we offer and info we provide are deeply researched, objective and independent. We spent over 300 hours reviewing the top online brokers before selecting the best for our readers. And to help you find the one that’s best for you, we’ve highlighted their pros, cons and current offers. Who is the best options broker today? The answer depends on whom you ask and what they value. For some investors, the best broker for trading options is the one with the cheapest commissions. Others prioritize trading tools, platform design, research, customer service or all of the above. While most of the brokers on our best-of list below would be a good, all-encompassing choice for many investors, we’ve also highlighted the standout candidates in specific areas that matter most to options traders. Unsure what you’re looking for?

See how to choose an options broker for more on what can make or break an options trading experience. Summary: Best online stock brokers for options trading. Best for low-cost. Best options trading platform. Best for research and education. Best overall for options trading. Our top picks cover all the option trader needs — access to high-quality research, analytical tools, a user-friendly platform — at reasonable prices. TD Ameritrade and Interactive Brokers earn high marks for options investors for their advanced trading platforms, deep bench of research and tools, plus their high-caliber options trading capabilities. TD Ameritrade handily serves option traders no matter where they are on the learning curve. The broker’s thinkorswim platform offers a robust options trading experience for active investors seeking professional-grade tools to identify trading opportunities, analyze potential risks and rewards, test trade strategies and quickly place even the most complex options trades. The broker’s web-based Trade Architect platform is for investors just getting into options or those who don’t require a high-octane platform. Its stripped-down, easy-to-use interface won’t overwhelm newbies. And although Trade Architect isn’t as fully stocked with tools and data as thinkorswim, it’s no slouch, either. Intermediate investors will find advanced features like a marketoptions heat map, screening and tradefinder tools, and streaming news.

Get details in our TD Ameritrade review. For cost-conscious, active options traders looking for low costs and a platform with a lot more meat on its bones, Interactive Brokers may be more your style. Interactive Brokers charges just 70 cents per contract with no base fee ($1 minimum order), plus discounts for larger volumes, if you can manage the $10,000 account minimum. Its Trader Workstation platform (with an options method lab) is considered one of the best and most sophisticated around. But watch other fees to ensure that the lower commissions pay off. Both brokers allow prospective clients to test-drive the goods without putting any real money on the line. TD Ameritrade offers a paperMoney virtual trading account to test out the thinkorswim platform. At Interactive Brokers, once customers open a real account (which has a $10,000 minimum funding requirement), they can set up a paper trading account that offers them hands-on practice using IB’s Trader Workstation platform and tools. Best brokers for low-cost options trading. These brokers offer competitively priced options trading commissions and have eliminated or dramatically capped minimum trading fees. In early 2017 most of the mainstream online brokers slashed commissions to levels once reserved for their deep-discount peers.

That doesn’t mean that they’re the best deal in town for every investor. For active options traders, eOption earns five stars from NerdWallet for its low options trade commissions. The company charges a fixed $3 base plus 15 cents per contract. Another plus: eOption is known for having some of the lowest margin rates available. Although eOption charges a $50 annual inactivity fee on accounts that have placed fewer than two trades in the past 12 months or have less than $10,000 in credit or debit balances, the minimum trade workaround isn’t onerous, even for infrequent traders. Charles Schwab’s trade commission of $4.95 base rate plus 65 cents per contract puts it within spitting distance of deep-discount peers. Schwab recently fully took over the old OptionsXpress and incorporated that broker’s options experience into its own platform, with both web-based and mobile functionality. Commissions aren’t the only costs associated with trading options. Platform, data and other fees can quickly cancel out what you save on commissions. See our full reviews of Charles Schwab and eOption for details on what they offer. For those simply looking for a cheap way to execute options trades, Charles Schwab and eOption get the job done. Best options trading platforms. These brokers offer some of the most powerful trading platforms available for a reasonable price. Judging a broker’s trading platform by the number of features it offers is like buying a car based solely on what you read in the dealer brochure.

While all investors have their must-have features, what’s more important is how the platform feels when it’s in their hands. The trading platforms at Ally Invest and TradeStation offer a wide variety of analytical tools, provide stable and speedy trade execution, and allow investors to customize the tools and design to best suit their needs. Unlike TradeStation, Ally Invest (formerly TradeKing) is technically a deep discount broker as reflected in its commissions (options traders pay a $4.95 base plus 65 cents per contract with only one base charge per spread), $0 account minimum and free access to research and data. Frequent traders (those who place 30 or more trades per quarter or who carry a balance of $100,000 or more) pay a discounted $3.95 base and 50 cents per contract. But don’t be fooled by the lower prices: Customers get a lot of platform power for free. Ally is suitable for newer options investors. The browser-based platform resembles the offerings of its pricier competitors and comes with free options trading tools for screening and advanced charting. Navigation is easy and streamlined. Customers can create a custom dashboard with movable modules with the data and features they want to use. The setup extends to what users see across all devices, including mobile and tablet. TradeStation is best left to more experienced, tech-savvy investors who want to experience options trading using the same tools as pro traders. The broker provides all the tools needed to design, test-drive, monitor, automate and speedily execute the most complex trades via direct-market access (no pesky middleman to slow down the process).

Its OptionsStation Pro platform is fully integrated into TradeStation’s regular trading platform. An added bonus is the broker’s active investor forums, where traders discuss ideas, ask questions and get help. Access to all of TradeStation’s bells and whistles used to come at a steep $99.95 monthly platform fee for those who didn’t meet account balance or trading activity minimums. But in March 2017 TradeStation eliminated the service fee, lowered its trade commissions for stocks and options and tossed in free real-time market data and free access to its market-monitoring and portfolio-level back-testing tools. Educational tools and platform tutorials are plentiful, which is a plus: Because of the sophisticated nature of the platform, it may require some time to become familiar with all that it offers. See more in our TradeStation review. Best research and options trading education. Both offer extensive research and data for free, as well as live classes and webinars for beginning and advanced options traders. If you’re new to options trading or want to expand your trading strategies, a broker that devotes its resources to research and customer education is a must. Because Schwab and Fidelity each have offices across the country in addition to their online options education libraries, they’re able to offer in-person guidance and free seminars on how to trade options, as well as one-on-one guidance on using the tools each platform offers. Fidelity’s constantly refreshed library draws from more than 20 providers, including Recognia, Ned Davis, S&P Capital IQ and McLean Capital Management. The full suite is available to customers when they sign into the broker’s web-based platform. And you don’t have to stop digging when you’re away from your computer: Fidelity has a strong mobile app that lets customers access the company’s full suite of research through a mobile browser.

Charles Schwab’s options trading capabilities and lineup of trading data and research got a big boost as the company integrated its purchase of OptionsXpress. In October Schwab re-launched its online platform under the StreetSmart name, with both web-based and mobile functionality, though for now only former OptionsXpress clients have access to the new platform. In the first quarter of 2018, Schwab will begin rolling out the new platform to all clients. While the platform name is changing, Schwab still provides a fully realized suite of offerings for options traders, including trade assessment tools, customizable screeners, access to Schwab analyst options-market commentary, live online webinars and pre-recorded seminars. Best brokers for beginner options investors. These brokers provide ideal conditions (educational resources, user-friendly platforms, customer support and low minimums) for investors just learning the options trading ropes. TD Ameritrade — one of our top overall brokers — ranked highest in this category, too. But since there are many types of beginners with many different preferences, instead of highlighting the category champions we’ve focused on brokers that are excellent candidates in three key areas: Low minimum opening balance requirements. Ally Invest, TD Ameritrade, Merrill Edge: If you’re not yet ready to devote a lot of your capital to options trading, you don’t want to tie up much in an account to meet the minimum. Many of the brokers on our list require no money to open an account. However, industry regulations require that traders maintain a $2,000 minimum to trade options. Strong customer support.

Scottrade and TD Ameritrade: On-call help is particularly handy when starting out. One way to test a broker’s level of service is to contact the company with any questions you have about its option trading offerings before you even open an account. Scottrade is known for its standout customer service and huge physical presence of 500 branches. So is TD Ameritrade, with around-the-clock phone and email support and 100 branches where clients can attend seminars and meet with investment associates. At the end of 2017, TD’s acquisition of Scottrade will be complete, increasing each broker’s ability to serve clients. User-friendly platforms. Ally, Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade: There’s nothing better than test-driving a broker’s platform before you commit. Check to see if the broker you’re considering offers paper trading (virtual trading on a platform that mimics the real deal) or contact customer service to see if they will set you up with a demo account. As for brokers discussed in this review, Ally Invest’s browser-based platform is intuitive and easy to customize. And both Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade have multiple platforms customers can use to start learning the ropes, then graduate to more sophisticated tools and trades if desired. Best options trading brokers: summary. Updated June 30, 2017. Disclaimer: NerdWallet has entered into referral and advertising arrangements with certain broker-dealers under which we receive compensation (in the form of flat fees per qualifying action) when you click on links to our partner broker-dealers andor submit an application or get approved for a brokerage account. At times, we may receive incentives (such as an increase in the flat fee) depending on how many users click on links to the broker-dealer and complete a qualifying action.

Best Binary Trading Sites 2017 – and the Rest. Maybe you’re still learning about trading, or perhaps you feel ready to take your first step into the trading market as a beginner. We’ve researched the binary options trading market extensively to help make your task of choosing a platform simpler. As you may have heard, trading with binary options is one way to get into the markets with minimal trading experience but with the real possibility of ending up with some great returns. Of course, before you can begin trading, you will need to find the best binary option broker for you. There are a LOT of brokers in the giant binary options trading industry. Naturally, a single broker cannot necessarily be said to be outright “the best” one versus another. However, we do our utmost here to review all aspects of the best binary options sites to help you decide. Our site’s role is to act as a guide in this sometimes overwhelming task of yours. By following these helpful tips and recommendations, you’re just a click away from the best binary trading brokers. So, let’s get started. Recommended Trading Platform.

Top Binary Options Broker. What is trading with binary options? Before moving to the particular part of our research for the best binary options brokers, it is a good idea to make a quick revision of your binary options knowledge and to be more specific – of the binary options trading activity. To understand trading with binary options you should know, at first, what binary options are. In general, a binary option is a class of an option where the payoff comes with only two final possible results. The first result is the fixed amount of money of the asset you have chosen, while the other one (the negative or the loss) is nothing at all. As you can see trading with binaries is different from trading on regular Forex markets, like the top forex brokers are different than the binary options ones, where in most cases some continuous range of payoff might appear. Trading with binary options is usually quick and simple, which makes this way of trading extremely interesting and quite suitable for beginners. Moreover – binary options trading results in comparatively speedy payouts, while the risk may be quite low. The fact that you either win, or don’t win anything means that trading with binary options can be considered as child’s play.

However, do not underestimate the necessity of proper prediction, constant following of the latest news from the market and the analytical skills, because binary options trading still requires you to think and consider, rather than to gamble. Best Binary Options Brokers. What are binary options brokers? When it comes to best binary options trading sites, looking at the essence of what the binary options brokers actually provide is a must. Like all things in life, one always needs to research a topic before being able to compare apples with apples. In brief, binary options brokers are ordinary brokerages which either solely provide features for binary options trading, or include different ways of trading – including binaries. However, it would also be accurate to say that when it comes to the best binary options trading sites, they are usually entirely geared to binaries without dealing with other markets (e. g. Forex) at all. You should be aware that binary options brokers are also brokerage firms that are in most cases operated and owned by large financial services providers or companies. Their size and reputation provides the feeling of assurance to their users and you would rightly expect these aspects to appeal to people looking to join binary options brokers. We strongly recommend that you follow our guide in order to give your trading experience the highest levels of security and safety. How to select the best binary options brokers? If you think that we will list for you a single binary options broker that is considered the best binary options site, don’t. The truth is that the large number of websites and the good trading environments that most of them offer makes it impossible to name one particular best binary trading site.

Moreover – as you know different traders prefer different things. If you are a beginner in trading with binaries, features like user-friendly interface and reliability are the top things you are looking for, but others – more advanced traders – will probably try to look for good bonus systems or even intuitive platforms. But since we are here to help you in improving in trading with binaries and in finding the best binary trading sites, we cannot just pass you by without giving you some hints. What we are about to do is to show you how to select the best binary options brokers. Such a task won’t be difficult at all, if you follow our advice. To find out the most beneficial platforms for trading with binaries, make sure the binary options brokers you review or take under consideration have the following (or at least most of them) features: Outstanding reputation. They say reputation is everything, and when it comes to business with binary options trading sites the same thing applies. If a broker is mentioned by the critical institutions that are involved in the financial field, then it is probably worth checking. However, such formal recommendations aren’t the only sources for binary options brokers with a good reputation. Different forums, where the trading community gathers, can give you some directions in finding the best binary options brokers, too. Alternatively, some binary options trading sites have a section on their official page with feedback from their users. Last, but not least, there are many rating websites that exist to compare the different brokers, as well. Excellent reliability.

Until you actually start using them, you cannot be 100% sure that certain binary options brokers are reliable although, there are a few features that might lead you to the conclusion that these websites for trading with binaries are actually reliable. In most cases, reliability consists of two main things. First of all, it is mandatory for one of the best binary option brokers to be officially licensed by the national authority from the country it is based in. Second of all, a reliable broker for binary options trading is supposed to provide protection, not provide a scam. The protection covers both – personal data and financial transactions – and many of the binary options brokers today are even double protected. Such an example is any of the binary options brokers that are based in the European Union. In this example the platform is regulated by the national financial services regulation body and by the EU as an additional controlling body. Other Brokers ( Warning: Unverified ) Functional customer support services. A website without customer support representatives becomes non-functional at all. And binary options brokers are not just websites, but platforms, where money is in constant use. This means that the customer support services are mandatory and the best binary options brokers offer them 247 and in multiple languages. Most of the websites these days cover the entire day, however, as to the availability of different languages, it is generally provided by the brokerage firms that operate among the entire international market by covering larger and more diverse audience. The ability to reach the customer support representatives via several communication methods – for example, phone calls, emails, fax, live chat and etc – additionally provides you confidence while being in the trading arena.

The platform is a thing that makes ordinary binary options brokers either one of the best binary options trading sites or one of the completely bad sites that will not bring you anything, but nerves and a bad mood. Make sure that the software a broker uses is easy enough to learn, so that you will not lose any time studying how it works. The intuitive feature is also very important, because once you become more advanced, good organization of your binary options trading activity will be considered as a plus for you. And last, but not least, the best binary options brokers provide platforms with various features and useful conveniences. We cannot list all of them, but the more they are the better and the easier it will become for you trade. Attractive bonus system. There`s an unwritten rule among the trading audience, and according to this all of the best binary options sites have the most attractive bonus types. It is logical that good bonuses are really great, but this concept is definitely not something that many of the most advanced traders will agree with. Wondering why? Well, the answer is actually simple.

The thing is that many newly established or not so popular yet (and scams, too) binary options brokers usually need a method to attract more customers. The beneficial and intriguing bonus system appears to be a great tool to get a traders attention by any means. However, not all of these binary options brokers are as reliable and good as their bonus system is. So what we are trying to tell you is that in case you come upon unbelievably huge bonuses offered by a binary options broker, don’t fall for the trap to immediately sign up for it. There`s no guarantee that the rest of the broker features are ok. Still, binary options brokers bonuses remain one of our favourite parts of trading. Additional conveniences. Speaking of bonuses and their correlation to the rest of the features of the best binary options trading sites, it’s important to mention some conveniences that you should look for too. Features like an education centre for beginners in trading with binaries, as well as extras like personal account managers or possibilities to trade with dozens of assets are also quite important. And if they appear on the website you are a member of, then be assured that you are a customer at one of the best binary options brokers. Where to find the best binary options broker? Our ultimate guide for the best binary options trading sites continues with some practical ideas and tips you can use in order to find the best binary options trading sites. Review them to see if they could help you for your research. Become aware of what you are looking for – Different traders look for different things in a broker for binary options trading. For example, if you are a beginner, then you might prefer a simpler platform with an intuitive interface and maybe, a good education centre to help conduct your method with expert tips for advancing in binary options trading. Though, on the other side, if you search for certain binary options – one touch binary options, 60 second options etc – then, your research filter changes. Undertake your own research – Start your own research for the best binary options brokers.

It`s not hard or tough and usually it does not even take too much time. Since you already know what you are looking for – the best binary options trading sites with particular option types and features – use them as keywords and insert them in your browser search engine. The results provided will definitely have some of the best binary options brokers! Recommendations are always preferable – Having recommendations for the best binary options brokers is also a useful alternative you can take advantage of. You can be recommended by a friend of yours, who has been on the binary options trading market for longer and who can be aware of the most suitable website for a beginner. This recommendation will come with the advantages of a particular platform, saving you some research. Read our helpful reviews – Binary options brokers reviews are many and you can come upon them in forums for trading communities and for informative websites – like ours. Feel free to read our helpful reviews that will point you the pros of each reviewed website (at the end of the article review). Considering these pros, you can determine if you have finally discovered the best binary options trading sites. Test a few binary options brokers – And finally, there`s one more alternative for you to find the most reliable and promising binary options brokers. Even though a little bit risky, you should try this method, too, because after all getting used to taking risk is a part of your trading job, as well.

What we recommend you do is test several binary options platform. Make a list of your favorites that might be the next best binary options brokers. Begin with the first titles and see if you can find the most profitable among them. Attention – avoid investing a lot of money until you can make sure that the binary options broker is really your type of platform. How to compare the best binary options brokers? Last, but not least, when you are done with your list of the best binary options trading sites, you will need to compare them. Being a member of too many websites for trading at once is not a very good idea – especially if you are a beginner – so it’s better to continue filtering your list of top binary trading favorites. Consider the next features as the keys for your comparison process of the desired brokers you want to visit and become a member of: Minimum deposit amount – This is the minimum amount of money you are obliged to invest in order to start trading on a certain binary options trading site. If it is too high for you, keep searching for another, more budget-friendly option! Assets – The more assets a broker offers the better and the bigger its chance to be one of the best binary options brokers. The standard amount of assets is usually above 30, so try to avoid platforms that have only 10-15 assets only, because they will limit your activity.

Acceptance of particular traders – Some brokers have the policy not to accept certain traders according to their current residences. In most cases these users are either USA, or Canadian-based citizens. However, this is only the general rule and there are many other countries that might be excluded from the list of customer types in binary options brokers. Always read this information before considering making a registration on a trading platform. Maximum trading amount – Remember, you are still a beginner and your first investments – both, the deposit and trade amounts – will probably not be high enough to reach this limit. However, consider the future – your future growth is a sign of smart trading. Who knows, maybe you will become skilful in trading with binaries very soon! Don’t hesitate to use our useful tips to discover the best binary trading brokers. We wish you the best of luck. Best Binary Options Brokers. Best Education Broker.

Your capital is at risk. Trade with caution, these products might not be suitable for everyone so make sure you understand the risks involved. Best Online Brokers for Stock Trading 2017. NerdWallet offers financial tools and advice to help people understand their options and make the best possible decisions. The guidance we offer and info we provide are deeply researched, objective and independent. We spent over 300 hours reviewing the top online brokers before selecting the best for our readers. And to help you find the one that’s best for you, we’ve highlighted their pros, cons and current offers. There is no single best online broker for stock trading. But among the dozens of financial firms vying for your investing dollars will be one that’s best for you. Are you just starting out and looking for a friendly place to learn the ropes? Really into trading options and futures? Seeking access to sophisticated investing research?

A cost-conscious frequent trader? Below are the brokers that earned NerdWallet’s highest marks based on the breadth and quality of their offerings in the areas that matter most to individual investors. To find a suitable online broker, read on for highlights (and links to our in-depth reviews on each). Best Online Brokerages For Stock Trading. TD Ameritrade : Best overall & for beginners Charles Schwab : Best overall, for beginners & investment selection Merrill Edge : Best for research Fidelity : Best for research E-trade : Best for investment selection Ally Invest (formerly TradeKing) : Best for low cost Interactive Brokers : Best for low cost. NerdWallet’s top online brokers. Merrill Edge offers high-quality customer service, robust research and low commissions and fees. Customers of parent company Bank of America will love the seamless, thoughtful integration, with a single login to access both accounts. Low commissions and fees. Robust third-party research. Ongoing promotions.

Integrated with Bank of America. Free trades for eligible Bank of America customers. No commission-free ETFs. Minimum balance requirement for active trading platform. Ally Invest may be a deep-discount broker, but its robust trading platform and lineup of free research, charting, data and analytical tools puts it in line with some of its more well-known — and higher-priced — competition. Low commissions. No account minimum. Strong web-based platform. Robust research and tools. No commission-free ETFs. No no-transaction-fee mutual funds. TD Ameritrade makes up for higher-than-average trading commissions with better-than-average service, research and trading tools that will make everyone from beginner investors to active traders happy. Large investment selection.

Free research. High-quality trading platforms. No account minimum. Good customer support. Higher trade commission. Costly broker-assisted trades. High short-term ETF trading fee. E-Trade has long been one of the most popular online brokers, largely because of its easy-to-use tools. They offer a tiered commission structure that favors frequent traders but can add up to high costs for casual investors. Easy-to-use tools. Large investment selection. Excellent customer support.

Access to extensive research. Advanced mobile app. Reduced commissions for frequent traders. Higher commissions for low-volume traders. Minimum balance requirement for active trading platform. Charles Schwab has earned its strong reputation: The broker offers high-quality customer service, two robust trading platforms and a wide selection of commission-free ETFs and no-transaction-fee mutual funds. No inactivity fees. Two platforms with no minimum or fees. Above-average mobile app. Extensive research. Strong customer support. Higher trade commissions.

Higher account minimum. Fidelity may be known for its retirement accounts, but active traders shouldn’t overlook the brokerage’s low trade commissions, wide investment selection, large scope of research and strong trading platform. It’s a well-rounded broker suitable for nearly all investors. Low commissions Large selection of research providers Strong customer service. High account minimum Trade minimum for active trading platform. Interactive Brokers is a strong option for advanced, frequent traders: The broker offers international trade capabilities, low commissions and a quality trading platform. New traders might be turned off by inactivity fees, high balance requirements and a lack of educational resources. Low commissions Quality trading platform Advanced tools Low margin rates Wide investment selection. Inactivity fees High minimum balance requirement Complex pricing Minimal educational resources. More guidance to help you pick the right broker. Here are more NerdWallet resources to answer other common questions about online brokerage accounts.

Do I have enough money to get started investing? You don’t need much to get started. Note that many of the brokers above have no account minimums. One easy way build a diversified portfolio for little money is to invest in exchange-traded funds. ETFs are essentially bite-sized mutual funds that trade like stocks: Like a mutual fund, ETFs contain a basket of similar assets (e. g., stocks in the S&P 500 index or shares of companies that operate in the technology sector). But instead of having to qualify for a mutual fund investment minimum, investors can buy and sell individual shares of ETFs just like individual stocks. Is the money in brokerage accounts insured? Are there different kinds of accounts? What paperwork do I need to open a stock trading account? For answers to all these questions and more, read the what is a brokerage account and how do I open one guide. How do I determine if a broker is right for me before I open an account? Some key criteria to consider are how much money you have, what type of assets you intend to buy, how frequently you plan to transact and how much service you need. Our post about how to choose the best broker for you can help to arrange and rank your priorities. Summary: Best online brokerages.

Ally Invest. per trade volume discounts. up to $600 ($250,000+ deposit) per trade volume discounts. Fidelity. min. $1, max. 0.5% of trade value. Dayana Yochim is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website: Email: dyochim@nerdwallet. com. Twitter: @DayanaYochim. Updated June 30, 2017.

Disclaimer: NerdWallet has entered into referral and advertising arrangements with certain broker-dealers under which we receive compensation (in the form of flat fees per qualifying action) when you click on links to our partner broker-dealers andor submit an application or get approved for a brokerage account. At times, we may receive incentives (such as an increase in the flat fee) depending on how many users click on links to the broker-dealer and complete a qualifying action.