Online discount brokers for buying stocks

I hate fees. Who doesn’t? When buying stocks, however, it’s nearly impossible to avoid them. But you can keep them to a minimum, and discount brokers are the way to do it. Discount brokers charge very low fees compared to those normally associated with stock brokers. Here’s a rundown of some of the most popular discount brokers:

Sharebuilder
Account Minimum
none
Commissions
$4.00 per trade (automatic investments)
$9.95 per trade (Real-time trades) 

TradeKing
Account Minimum
none (no inactivity fees either)
Commissions
$4.95 per trade

Zecco
Account Minimum
$0 – $2500
Commissions
10 free per month with $2500 account balance, $4.50 per trade otherwise

E*Trade
Account Minimum
$1000
Commissions
$9.99 per trade (30-149 trades per quarter)
$7.99 per trade (150 – 1,499 trades per quarter)
$6.99 per trade (1,500+ trades per quarter)

Scottrade
Account Minimum
$500
Commissions
$7.00 per trade

SogoTrade
Account Minimum
$500
Commissions
$1.50 per trade ($10 monthly subscription fee)
$3.00 per trade (no monthyy subscription fee)

TD Ameritrade
Account Minimum
$1000
Commissions
$9.99 per trade