fidelity

Fidelity gets the highest scores for its excellent research tools, even though its commissions are higher than some other online brokers. Its website is easy to use, with a wide range of investment tools and calculators. Its customer service scores are also among the best in the business. Fidelity's base commission rates are $19.95 per market order, but there are no handling or maintenance fees. Although that's higher than a lot of online brokers, rates drop for those with high account balances or for very active traders. Fidelity has a minimum opening balance of $2,500.It also offers numerous branch offices throughout the country where clients can speak with a trained professional.