Which brokerage?

[Broken Arrow]

I am hoping to start buying stocks in a taxable account this year, and I was wondering which brokerage would you recommend? How has yours been working out for you? How responsive is it when you make a trade? How much? Customer service? I assume there are money market funds that can you can sweep your cash and interests into when you sell or earn interest? If so, how quickly have you been able to sell and have the money in the MMF? So on and so forth.

Thanks in advance.

[atomicrc11]

If you have a Bank of America checking account, Banc of America Investments is a good choice. There aren't any fees if you have a BoA checking account and you transfer money from your checking to your sweep MMF of which you have a choice of three. Columbia Cash Reserves is default. Then you may buy stocks and many families of mutual funds for free. The main ones are Banc of America Funds, Columbia Funds and Fidelity Funds. Those are all fee free. The deal is very sweet if you have $25k in your BoA deposit accounts as you will get 30 free trades a month. If you sign up for a Money Market Savings sponsored by NEA you will get a return of 4.32% APY. A good place to put the $25k so you will get the free trades.

[PauletteGoddard]

I have taxable accounts in both E*Trade and TD Ameritrade. E*Trade because it offered me an Employee Stock Option Plan (the whole office was doing it) and TD Ameritrade back when it was largely owned by a Canadian bank.

If you want premium brokers:
I am okay with both of E*Trade and TD Ameritrade but I'd recommend Fidelity to you. I don't know that I'd be big on TD Ameritrade if I were still working to get a certain minimum level of investments with them, and their incentives for new accounts are awful (transfer $100,000 in a taxable account and we'll give you an Apple gift card for $300! If you have $100,000 in a taxable account you have enough to buy a gift card. Me, I don't even get Dubble Bubble from TD Ameritrade, but they do give me free trades now and then). Besides, Fidelity has Sir Paul McCartney in its ads... usually a sign of quality, as long as they don't use his duets with either Stevie Wonder or Michael Jackson.

If you want discount brokers:
I'd long considered Muriel Siebert. Pricey commissions and maybe not as many mutual funds available, but good interest earning on your funds. Also, Scottrade has received many recommendations from its users.