I am not affiliated with any of the brokers listed here. They are included only as a helpful reference. Traders should perform their own due diligence before deciding on a broker. (no affiliates links here)
Zecco
No minimum amount required to open an account, FREE online stock trading, 10 free stock trades per month
TradeKing
No minimum amount required to open an account. – Remarkable customer service and discounted trades.
TradeStation Securities
A former technical-analysis software vendor turned discount broker. They now lease their software platform and have a large following of developers and programmers.
Interactive Brokers
A discount broker that has a good overall reputation. Highly automated; good commission prices.
Scottrade Securities
A bit overpriced on the commissions, but they do offer the same price for limit and market orders. The website is very easy to use for placing orders, and the customer service is excellent.
Fidelity
This is an excellent choice if you want to house your trading account with other traditional investments. Offers lots of ancillary services, such as check writing and debit cards for your trading account. Also, the trading platform features advanced order handling, which makes things a lot easier.
CyberTrader
This is a division of Charles Schwab. Offers online trading for active traders and lots of tools to choose from, but the commissions are still a bit high.
Think or Swim
Rated #1 overall online broker, “best for frequent traders,” and “best for options traders” in Barron’s ranking of online brokers.