Online vs Offline Stock Brokers

We live in a new digital era and an increasing proportion of the worlds stock trading is being done online. Sophisticated technology means that someone in London can buy a NYSE stock within a minute with a few simple clicks of the mouse.

While there are some situations that may make having an offline broker advantageous, here are the primary benefits that come with having an online stock broking account:

It's Cheaper to Trade Stocks Online

When a customer has a phone line and executes a trade via a live broker, it costs the company a lot of money to pay the brokers wages and have a physical location for that broker to operate from. When the same trade is done online, it's an automated process handled by a system. This is far cheaper for the company allowing it to reduce the price it charges for execution only trade.

Faster Execution

With an online stock brokerage account, execution is immediate. There is no need to call a broker and wait while the trade is executed. In addition, online broking accounts enable the user to access their account status immediately via internet connection. In the offline world, a customer would have to wait for monthly statements or phone the stock broking company to know the exact status of their accounts.

A lot of online broker houses provide key information, statistics and investment tools that can help keep the trader informed and help them to analyse stocks. Such services are rare with offline only options.

As you can imagine, there are a huge number of online stockbrokers trying to compete for your account. This high competition means that if you look around you're likely to find an online stockbroker service that has low fees, good reliability and customer service.

Low commissions aren't always low - look at the commission charges and structure of the different online broker companies. Some companies may display very low charges on their ads only for you to discover that the special unbelievable rate applies to certain sized trades, or kick in only after a number of trades have been executed. Also be on the lookout for administration and handling charges that are tagged onto some online broking accounts.

Ultimately, the category of investor or trader you fall under will decide what type of broker and service you opt for. It's best to analyse these circumstances before you commit to any online or offline broker or you may find your trading needs are not being met.