Read up on the online brokers before you pick one. When you are dealing with your investment portfolio, it may be worth it to pay higher commissions for a better level of service.

We have a few suggestions to help you pick an Internet broker:

Look for alternate trading methods. Is it important for you to trade when you don't have access to the Internet or the broker's site is down? Do you remember October 27, 1997? On that day, the Dow dropped by more than 550 points. As the Dow dropped, Internet traffic spiked. Many Internet brokers exceeded capacity and could not execute trades quickly. Most brokers are now prepared for spikes in demand with higher capacity, but its much safer if they have alternative trading methods available.

Look at all their fees. Do they charge extra for real time quotes or limit orders? How much does it cost if you place your order over the phone?

Pay attention to customer service. Can you call a customer service agent toll-free? How quickly do they respond to e-mail?

Finally, the Internet makes trading so simple that many people get hooked. Remember it is not a game. Unless you are an expert, avoid short term trading.

We have not reviewed Internet Brokers ourselves, but we do provide a great list of reviews and hot sites. Good luck!