E*TRADE Review & Ratings - Stock Broker

E*TRADE Review

Excellent selection of trading platforms
Low and competitive fees and commissions
Highly regulated
Great customer service

No forex trading
No demo accounts

E*TRADE is a well-established and diversified online trading and investment brokerage. They provide a wide array of investment and trading services for all types of investors including beginners and advanced users. The E*TRADE brokerage has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry as the brokerage was established in 1982. Since their establishment, E*TRADE has stuck true to the main principle they were founded on, innovation. E*TRADE enhances the financial independence of traders and investors through highly advanced and sophisticated digital platforms and professional guidance. The brokerage now serves more than 3.6 million customers across the United States, with their headquarters located at E*TRADE Financial Corporation, 11 Times Square, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10036-9992. As E*TRADE is a US based brokerage servicing American citizens, the brokerage is licensed and regulated by the following regulatory authorities; the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the National Futures Association (NFA), and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). With all this regulation, E*TRADE is obviously a highly regulated and competent financial services company that can be trusted to provide investment and trading services. However, how does E*TRADE stack up to other highly competent online financial services brokerages? Find out in the following review where we’ll delve deep into the aspects of the E*TRADE financial brokerage and see if they are the right broker for you.

Trading Platform

E*TRADE provides their customers with not one but three highly sophisticated and innovative trading platforms to suit each individual investor’s needs. Their platforms are proprietary and have been developed over years of experience in the financial trading industry. See them overviewed below.

OptionsHouse Trading Platform

This is E*TRADE’s most powerful trading platform that was built by traders, for traders. The platform utilizes various features that allow traders to easily spot and capitalize on market opportunities. The platform features more than 100 technical studies for traders to formulate their trading strategies and feature complete charting capabilities with an array of technical indicators, chart types, time frames, and drawing tools. Traders have access to real time data, instant order execution, customizable options chains, streamlined trade tickets and more.

E*TRADE Web Platform

This trading platform accomodates the needs of both beginner and experienced investors and traders. The platform features all the tools needed to research investments, track the markets, place orders, and grow your skill set. The platform features numerous tools such as live streaming of market news, advanced charting capabilities, a real-time strategy scanner, options chains, and more. The platform is accessible via any desktop computer via the web browser, so it’s great for busy traders who move around.

Mobile Platform

This trading platform is the mobile companion of the OptionsHouse platform and is available for download from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for iOS and Android mobile devices. This mobile platform has won numerous awards as it is highly advanced and very compatible for managing your account and trading on the go.

Exchange Markets

E*TRADE facilitates trading in a wide range of markets and investment products including stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, futures, bonds, and options. See below, an overview of what E*TRADE has to offer.

Stocks

Real-time streaming of market data
Stock screeners
Fast and easy trades
Stop and conditional order types

ETFs

Over 250 commission free ETFs
Equities, fixed income, or commodities
Buy and sell quickly
24/5 trading on select ETFs

Mutual Funds

Over 9000 mutual funds
Over 4400 no load, no transaction fee mutual funds
Diversification and flexibility

Futures

Futures listed on CME, ICE US, and CFE
XBT-Cboe & BTC-CME Bitcoin Futures
No pattern day trading rules
24 hours a day, 6 days a week

Bonds

Manage inflation and interest rate risk
Tax free income on some bonds
Part of a diversified portfolio

Options

Very low options commissions
Best in class options trading platform
Knowledgeable options specialists

Fees and Commission

The fees and commissions imposed on traders are very reasonable and even competitive with the industry standards. See below the fees for trading various assets.

Stocks and ETFs only cost $6.95 per trade
Options are base pay plus $0.75/contract and $0.50 for equity and index options
Futures are $1.50/contract
Bonds have a commission of $1.00 per bond trade
Mutual funds are free
Broker assisted trades cost $25

Security and Fairness

Security and fairness is of the utmost importance to E*TRADE and they truly are a very safe, secure, transparent, and fair online trading brokerage. The brokerage guarantees fraud protection by covering any loss due to unauthorized use of their brokerage. E*TRADE uses strong encryption to protect their clients data and funds and a multilayered network defense system. E*TRADE also utilizes “Security ID” which is an advanced two factor authentication tool and alerts users of account activity and security alerts if they suspect your account has been a target of fraud. All in all, the E*TRADE brokerage is highly safe and secure.

Support

Another area E*TRADE excels in is their high level of customer support that’s available 24/7. Support representatives can be reached via email, live chat, telephone, and through their various social media channels. Additionally, users have access to an extensive knowledge base where they can view numerous education resources and helpful information.

Conclusion

E*TRADE is an exceptional financial brokerage for both traders and investors. The broker features all the tools, features, and platforms a user needs to succeed with their financial goals. As well, E*TRADE features an extensive array of tradeable assets across various markets with low and competitive fees and commissions. The brokerage is also highly safe, fair, and secure and has an excellent reputation in the online trading industry. All in all, we would highly recommend the E*TRADE financial brokerage.