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TradeKing is a discount broker that provides trading options for individual traders over both domestic and international markets. TradeKing offers equity trades for $4.95 per trade, which certainly puts them in the upper echelon in terms of price. Their trading interface is clean and easy to use. While TradeKing does not offer full access to international markets, most of the large foreign issues can be traded.

For a discount broker, there are quite a number of options available that are typically reserved for full service brokers, which was very welcome. In the last year, TradeKing switched clearing houses which was well-communicated to account holders. Their staff thoroughly explained the process to account holders and communicated and explained changes offered. However, as a result of these changes, certain features were disabled, the largest of which was the removal of certain features of the dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP). DRIP plans allow investors to purchase whole or fractional shares with dividends received without paying a commission. While the DRIP option is still available, it only allows DRIP investments for whole shares.

Before the conversion to a new clearing house, both whole and fractional shares were allowed. When discussed with the staff of TradeKing, they were exploring options for adding the purchase of fractional shares, but no timeline was offered. The staff was helpful and courteous, and even waived the commission fees on certain trades.

Overall, TradeKing is a discount broker that provides quality service at an effective price. While cheaper alternatives exist, TradeKing hits a sweet spot in pricing that is cheaper than many of the larger brokerage houses (TD Ameritrade, Fidelity), but provides better service than a lot of the smaller brokerage houses (SogoTrade, Zecco). While certain features are available that are typically reserved for more expensive full service brokers, such as better access to international markets, other options are not fully available such as DRIP plan purchases of fractional shares. Overall, TradeKing was an easy site to navigate and an excellent choice for investors who don't require these services