Q: I request that this should not be treated as a question as it is general information I need to provide everyone.
I would advise everyone to be with reputed discount brokerages especially the ones offered by banks. Their commissions are usually higher but their customer service and execution is much better. Also, being with these brokerages is preferable for investment purposes as you end up trading less and that is always good investment strategy. Personally, I had recommended people to go with Virtual Brokers in the past due to their low commissions, but horrible service and unnecessary fees (which I personally encountered) makes these accounts much more painful than paying a few more dollars in commissions at the bigger ones managed by the banks.
I would advise everyone to be with reputed discount brokerages especially the ones offered by banks. Their commissions are usually higher but their customer service and execution is much better. Also, being with these brokerages is preferable for investment purposes as you end up trading less and that is always good investment strategy. Personally, I had recommended people to go with Virtual Brokers in the past due to their low commissions, but horrible service and unnecessary fees (which I personally encountered) makes these accounts much more painful than paying a few more dollars in commissions at the bigger ones managed by the banks.