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ShareBuilder

*Est. $4 per trade (automatic investment)

Reviewed

July 2013

by ConsumerSearch

Pros

Includes tutorials, primers
Automatic investment plan
No minimum balance required

Cons

Market orders cost $9.95
Fairly basic trading and research tools
Narrow range of investment products

Where to Buy

Our Analysis
Specs

Our Analysis

ShareBuilder, part of Capital One bank, is geared toward the novice investor; no minimum balance is required, and there are no maintenance or inactivity fees. This online broker is noted for allowing investors to take advantage of dollar-cost averaging by scheduling the investment of a certain amount at set intervals, although the trades are made only on Thursdays of each week. Automatic investments incur a commission of only $4 each, but market orders done outside of the automatic investment program cost $9.95 each, and you have to pay for research.

We found the most credible reviews of ShareBuilder in SmartMoney magazine and Barron's. Websites TopTenReviews.com and FiveCentNickel.com offer reviews by site editors.

Where To Buy

Our Sources

1. SmartMoney.com

ShareBuilder is ranked ninth out of 10 brokers in SmartMoney magazine's 2012 survey. In the comparison chart that accompanies the review, ShareBuilder's range of mutual funds and investment products and its customer service receive 1-star ratings. On the plus side, fees are low.

Review: Best and Worst Brokers of 2012, J. Alex Tarquinio, May 16, 2012

2. Barron's

Barron's ranks ShareBuilder 25th of 27 brokers, giving the firm low marks in almost every category and rating it 2 out of 5 stars overall. ShareBuilder scores well in only one category: the usability of its website.

Review: Cut the Cord, Theresa W. Carey, March 12, 2012

3. TopTenReviews.com

Despite its name, TopTenReviews.com provides reviews of 18 brokers, with ratings and data summarized in a comparison chart. ShareBuilder is ranked ninth, with a score of 8.5 out of 10; the review says that "ShareBuilder is worth looking into if you want to sign up for their automatic investing program."

Review: ShareBuilder Review, Editors of TopTenReviews .com, Not dated

4. FiveCentNickle.com

FiveCentNickel.com is maintained by a self-described "30-something" self-taught financial adviser. This article is based on the results of his request for readers to list their favorite online discount brokers. A total of six are featured, ShareBuilder among them.

Review: Best Online Discount Brokers, "Nickel", Not dated

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