What Are Online Brokers

Written by
Gergely K.
Fact checked by
Adam N.
Updated
Apr 2022

An online broker is a financial company that helps you buy and sell stocks and other assets, generally through a trading platform. In exchange for their services, brokers charge a fee, also called a commission. The size of this may differ greatly from broker to broker. There may be a fixed flat fee after each transaction, or a percentage of the value of the transaction, or a mixture of both.

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If you want to invest in stocks, going through an online broker is the simplest and most cost-efficient way. Of course, it is also possible to walk into your local bank branch and buy stocks there, but this is usually slower and costs more. Today, there are many very good, safe online brokers that offer services at attractive prices, so we recommend that you choose one of them. Use our broker selector tool to find the right one for you!

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author
Gergely Korpos
Author of this article
With over a decade of experience in financial markets, I've executed thousands of trades as both a commodity trader and an equity portfolio manager. I have hands-on experience in opening accounts with the brokers that are listed on BrokerChooser. As the co-founder and Chief Product Officer (CPO) of BrokerChooser, my mission is to demystify personal investing for all.
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