Think your online broker is just an order-taker?

Think again.

Gone are the days when discount brokers competed for your business on the basis of commissions alone.

Today, online stockbrokers use a variety of weapons, ranging from extended customer service hours to fancy research tools to get you to invest with them.

And those research tools are increasingly becoming more important to online investors.

“We definitely have seen a major shift in how investors use their online investor web sites,” says David Lo, director of investment services at J.D. Power and Associates, which surveys investors on their satisfaction with stockbrokers. “Now, online investors expect to get everything they need from their brokerage firm’s site.”

Common Online Broker’s Research Tools

The most common research tools are stock screeners that help you identify stocks or mutual funds. Real-time quotes are also common.

And many online brokers offer research reports and market commentary from leading organizations like Standard & Poor’s, Zacks, Morningstar and Argus.

But some online brokers go beyond the basics to offer research tools that actually help you make investment decisions.

Which ones are the best…

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