TD AMERITRADE is an excellent source for opening an online brokerage account. They're currently offering a $100 bonus when you open a new "Save Yourself" account.

Visit http://bankmode.com/td-ameritrade-100-save-yourself-bonus/ to learn more about this promotion.

-Bankmode.com

I started with Ameritrade and have been with TD Ameritrade since 1999. Trades are cheap and they execute quick enough for me. They don't have much in the way of research but there are so many free sites for that anyway. Their stock screener is pretty good though. I've been very pleased with their service.

TD Ameritrade is the result of a merger between Ameritrade and T.D. Waterhouse. I was a Waterhouse customer who was shifted into this new company after the merger. Trades are cheap at only 9.95 though are not as quickly executed IMO as the old Waterhouse firm. Also the interest rate for cash balances is ridiculously low.
Service is great though and they are open 24 hours for your convenience.
Also they offer free quotes and customer research after you are a member. I do recommend it for stock traders who do their own trading and research.

TD Ameritrade does everything right but falls flat with poor trade execution for limit trades. If this flaw was fixed I would gladly recommend the service but as is, it is a fatal flaw in my view.

I've had a TD Ameritrade account for 6 years and as I've gotten more familiar with all it has to offer I've steadily become more impressed. You can't beat having the Gainskeeper program (under the "Accounts" tab, then click "gain/loss" to simplify your end-of- the year trading history massively. Now I'm migrating to their affiliated service Izone which now also has Gainskeeper and has only $5.00 trading fees. I've looked at similar low cost online brokerage but always felt uneasy about how established they were. Happy this is now available.

I opened my first online broker when I was in college. Over the years, one acquired another after another until I became a TD Ameritrade client.

What I like about TD Ameritrade? The transaction fee is one of the lowest out there. The customer service is always helpful and courteous. I have never had any problems with my account.

What could be better with TD Ameritrade? The site doesnt allow me to be as independent as I want. For example, I wanted to set one of my stocks to reinvest the dividends automatically. With Fidelity, I did this myself online. With Ameritrade, I had to call into customer service. The limited functionality means I need to call in to do something that I rather do myself.

If you want a great brokerage account with a reasonable fee, I think TD Ameritrade is great for you!