Comments on: ShareBuilder Review – Online Brokerage for Long Term Investors

By: Lina

Lina — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 05:54:54 +0000

I invested with mutual fund NTF…( no transaction fee..) this is good for busy people…no time to real time..lol

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:02:52 +0000

Hi Toni, Government bonds are an extremely low risk investment, but they don't typically bring in high returns. You can read more about savings bonds here: A Primer on US Savings Bonds. Additionally, we have an article you might find helpful: Best Investment Strategies For Beginners. You didn't state your desired investment goals for your grandchild, but you may wish to consider a 529 College Savings Plan, which is a great way to save for your grandchild's college. I recommend keeping it as simple as possible when you start - the less complicated your investments, the better. For now, it would be a good idea to read as much as you can about the basics of investing so you understand how and where your money is invested. Additionally, you want to make sure that you are investing enough for yourself and your future before investing for someone else. Your grandchild has a much longer time frame to invest, you will need the money much sooner. Best of luck!

By: Toni

Toni — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 01:01:04 +0000

I’ve read that government issue bonds aren’t a very valuable investment. My grandchild is 2 years old and I’d like to do something for her future. I had originally planned to buy EE savings bonds. I know absolutely nothing about investing. What’s a good way to start?
Thanks!

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:50:09 +0000

Hi Dan, yes, ShareBuilder offers free Dividend Reinvestments.

Once logged in, go to Accounts > Portfolio > Dividend Reinvestment. Click Edit next to a security to make changes to its reinvestment settings. There is no charge and they will track when the shares were purchased (for tax reasons).

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:38:09 +0000

Hi,

Is there a fee for the DRIP program with Sharebuilder? For example, if I owned 50 shares of a company and received .3 additional shares during a dividend payment, would that amount automatically be applied to my total holdings at no cost, giving me 50.3 shares? Or is there a charge to reinvest the dividend into more fractional shares?

Thanks,

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:37:19 +0000

Erinn, your next step would be to determine the time frame/goal of your investment. For example, if you want to invest for retirement, you should consider an IRA (read this article on deciding which IRA is best for young investors: Traditional IRA or Roth IRA for Young Investors?). If this investment will potentially be used in a shorter time frame, for example, 5-10 years, then consider a taxable investment. Then research which stock, fund, or other investment you wish to contribute to, and initiate the investment.

By: Erinn

Erinn — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:13:06 +0000

I am 18 years old and researching stock investments. I had a finance teacher I really trust who does a lot through ING. I think this is the best option for me. At the moment I have around 1500 to invest but I can easily put in around $100 a month. Say I open an account in Sharebuilder, just an individual account. What happens next?

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 24 May 2010 10:56:03 +0000

Kate, yes, the $4 is a transaction fee, which applies to most stocks, ETFs and similar investments. However, the free ING Fund are free to purchase and there are no recurring transaction fees for those funds. That said, there is probably a fee associated with the fund, but there is no way around that (those are fund management fees, which are usually very low for index funds and they are found on virtually all index funds and mutual funds).