Online Broker Recommendations

[JavaBrewer]

I am not an active trader (max 5 transactions/yr). I'm just looking for home for a couple of my holdings (currently held by Wells Fargo Share Owner Services) with some decent investment tools and low (or no) membership fees. What do you folks recommend and why?

Oh and to add...if you had $4K to invest for 1 year what direction would you go?

Thanks!

[JoshB]

Scottrade - cheap transactions - $7 - no minimum per year, quick execution and great financial info.

There will be folks that will chime in with the same opinion on ETrade and TDAmeritrade etc though....

If I was investing 4k right now it would probably be safest in my sock drawer but if you felt you had to put it into stocks I would buy Monsanto (MON).

[aways]

Wells Fargo. I get 100 free trades per year by having an account (PMA I think?) with modest minimums.

With $4K, you can't have any sort of diversification, which is essential if you want to own stocks. I'd put it in the S&P 500 index using a vehicle like the Spiders (Ticker SPY - bought and sold like a stock)
if you want exposure to the market.