About eTrade and eFolios

Novice, intermediate and advanced or professional level investors and brokers are turning to eTrade and eFolio products and services as both eTrade and eFolio services expand among several key websites. eTrade, a leading site for online traders and brokers, started in 2000 and has grown to dominate all eFolios available on the Web. With the success of eTrade, international eTrade sites such as eTrade Canada and eTrade Australia have also sprung up. However, the eTrade family is not the only online trading option for investors. In fact, several other key sites offer similar services and products and perform just as well for similar fees. Whether you are a novice or an advanced investor there are a few important facts you should know about eTrade and eFolios.

Identification

eTrade is an online trading and investing company. An online portal to investment and portfolio building, eTrade offers investment products and trading stock tips to brokers and investors with an eTrade account. The eTrade financial centers allow investors to actively trade, research stock activity, manage retirement planning, learn investment trade secrets, and research banking and rate information.

Types

eTrade offers stocks for purchase and trade; options to generate income; mutual funds and EFTs for portfolio building; global trading for the purchase and trade of international stocks and currencies; options for the purchase of U.S. Treasury and municipal bonds, as well as cash and account management, including electronic transfers and real time gains and losses. Members also benefit from low pricing and low interest-rate trading and investing through the eTrade site.

Benefits

eFolios, or electronic portfolios, as they are also known, are portfolios that are managed and built online through trading and investing sites. eTrade offers in-depth and real-time views of investor portfolios with electronic statements that include gains, losses, stocks, options, and the participating broker, if applicable, for each investment or trade. A competitor site, Morgan Keegan works similarly, offering an online portfolio management product that includes asset and liability, and sector and bond management. The Morgan Keegan system allows investors to work with an investment team or broker to trade and sell stocks and other investment options through the Morgan Keegan site.

History

eTrade and eFolios are about a decade old, with TD Trade, HSBC and Forex all springing up within the last decade. As competitor sites have chased down brokerage and account maintenance fees, most of the leading eTrade and eFolio sites offer similar trading and investment products; each promising convenience, online research tools and access to professional and licensed brokers. Known as Internet Trade Solutions, Internet Trade Options or Internet Trade Services, most online trading networks provide investment, banking and retirement or savings planning. Additional services are packaged through each individual website.

Warning

Never invest more than you can afford to lose through an online trading site and always work with a licensed broker to analyze stock information and determine when and how trading and investment options should be traded, purchased or sold.

Resources

• Morgan Keegan eFolio
• eTrade