| One of the innumerable ways that the internet has | | | | trades and attempt to profit from short-term |
| changed all of our lives is with online stock trading. By | | | | ownership of stock, since they do not give away |
| being able to trade stocks online, traders now have a | | | | hundreds of dollars each time they make a trade. |
| level of access to their investments and to the stock | | | | Another of the differences between offline and |
| market itself that they previously had never enjoyed. | | | | online stock trading has to do with the role of the |
| Similarly, the birth of online trading has produced a | | | | stock broker his or herself. Whereas a traditional |
| new generation of investors that are more | | | | stock broker provided a certain amount of |
| well-informed and savvy than ever before. Besides | | | | management assistance in terms of a trader's |
| these changes, what is the difference between online | | | | investments, online brokers are decidedly less |
| and offline stock trading? Is it just being able to buy | | | | hands-on, and online investors have pretty much total |
| and sell stocks with the click of a mouse, or is there | | | | control over what they do and when. |
| more than meets the eye? | | | | Part of this has to do with not being able to provide |
| Convenience is not the only favorable aspect of | | | | the individual attention that comes with the steep |
| trading stocks online. After all, the commissions and | | | | commissions that traditional brokers charge traders, |
| fees associated with making trades have changed | | | | and this is another reason why online traders have to |
| drastically since online trading became popular. Rather | | | | be very informed and up-to-date. |
| than paying sometimes hundreds of dollars in | | | | Online stock trading is not going anywhere, and many |
| commissions per trade, online traders can easily make | | | | investors absolutely love the convenience and value |
| their trades through websites and brokers that | | | | of managing their own investments from the |
| charge $10 (or even less) per trade! | | | | comfort of their homes. While it is obvious that online |
| This type of competitive pricing for trade fees has | | | | trading was an attractive option for many investors, |
| not only encouraged investors to trade online, but it | | | | what was unexpected is how much online trading has |
| has also changed the way in which people trade. For | | | | changed the strategies investors use. |
| instance, investors are now more likely to make quick | | | | |