• Wireless trading
• Access to analyst rankings.
• 40+ independent expert stock strategies.

Fidelity's Trading Knowledge Center - Not only does it teach beginners the basics of online stock trading, it also provides access to informative industry articles and industry expert interviews. Already in-the-know on all things trading? Check out the Tax Center for helpful hints.

Fidelity is one of the most prominent and well-established financial service firms, having been founded in 1946. No wonder everyone has heard of them! In addition to offering customers the ability to buy and sell stock online, Fidelity Online Stock Trading offers powerful research tools, extensive financial resources, annuities, insurance, and much more.

We were pretty impressed with the Fidelity Investments website, as its navigational functions and search mechanisms were pretty high-tech. It is well-organized, but it isn't really set up for novice users. If you're familiar with investment lingo, however, and you know what you're looking for, Fidelity's website will be easy to work with. First of all, all important links are clearly displayed along the top and side margins. When clicking on headers, you are given subcategories under each one, which was definitely an added bonus. You are also given the option to search by keyword or by quote, which we found to be resourceful. Nothing is too difficult to find here, and we thought the website interface was very pleasing on the eyes.

When we clicked on ‘Open Account,’ we were fond of the three choices we were presented with: ‘Already know which account,’ ‘Not sure which account,’ and ‘Already started an application.’ We had no idea what kind of account to choose, so we opted for the second choice. Fidelity asked us a few questions about our spending patterns and produced an account they felt would be right for us. We filled out the application for the Fidelity Investments Account and found it only took us 15 minutes. Before we started, Fidelity gave us a list of documents we’d need to have next to us. After filling out personal and employment information, we made an investment profile, chose account features and completed the beneficiary designation. After verification, we were all done and could start trading! It was that simple.

There is so much available on the Fidelity website, that it can be a bit overwhelming. However, their stock trading platform and tools are very advanced, as well as intuitive. There is a trading demo, so any nervous beginner can see firsthand what they can expect from this stock trading service. Expect professional features such as streaming market data, customizable layouts for easy viewing purposes, conditional orders, direct trading, Dow Jones news, trailing stops and tech filters.

If you’re one of those brokers who is constantly on-the-go, you can choose to use Fidelity’s wireless trading, Fidelity Anywhere,? that allows you to get stock quotes, price triggers, account snapshots and even trade…right on your cell phone. Talk about convenience.

Fidelity Features:

• No annual account fee.
• Advanced functions for active traders.
• Comprehensive research tools.
• Automatic investing options.
• Check writing privileges, ATM card access and online bill payment features.

• 1 and 36 trades per year, trades are $19.95 each, options are 75 cents each and bonds are as low as fifty cents each.
  
• 36 and 120 trades per year, trades are $10.95 each, options are 75 cents each and bonds are as low as fifty cents each.
  
• 120 trades per year, trades are $8.00 each, options are 75 cents each and bonds are as low as fifty cents each.

Special Incentives:

• Rollover a 401(k) or IRA and receive up to a year’s worth of commission-free trades!

Customer Support:

Fidelity Investments offers customer support via a toll-free phone number, instant messaging, email and an extensive FAQs section. The instant messaging support put us on hold for about five minutes, but when we were given assistance, we liked what we saw.  Our instant message rep Joseph was very helpful, friendly and even gave us an account sign-up tip we might not have received elsewhere! Thanks, Joseph!

The FAQs section was very impressive, with many interactive features that online stock traders, both novice and experienced, would find very helpful. Email support was also efficient, replying to our request within 2 business days and providing us with a detailed and informative response. The phone support was just as resourceful. Our hold time was minimal and the rep we spoke with was very cordial and helpful. Fidelity’s customer support is tough to beat!

Upside:

Competitive fees for active traders, great customer service, extensive research tools.

Downside:

Fidelity’s fees can get pricey for infrequent traders. Not too many special bonuses for signing up.