Investment companies are trusts or corporations involved in the business of investing in financial securities using capital from a pool of investors. In the U.S, it is a requirement for an investment company to be regulated and registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). When it comes to investing, choosing the right investment can give you additional income. However, without the right guidance, you could lose your money and this where investment companies come in. For you to be in a position to choose an investment company to work with, you need to know some of the investment companies that can work for you. Below are the top 4 investment companies in the US:
1. E*Trade
Known as TradePlus upon its founding in 1982, E*Trade launched an initial public offering in 1996. This financial investment company has more than $250 billion of assets deposited in bank and brokerage operations for clients. This company has more than $1 billion in revenue annually and employs 3,400 people. Its associates are available throughout the day over the phone to ensure good customer service. E*Trade offers a wide range of investment opportunities to investors.
This company allows investors to trade different securities like ETFs, stocks and mutual funds. The firm provides bank products, financial planning, and managed accounts. Portfolio management starts at 0.30 percent for a balance of $10,000, which includes EFTs at a low cost. Also, E*Trade offers two types of checking accounts, of which one features unlimited ATM fee refund with a debit card from Visa. This company continues to offer a variety of financial services and assistance and has the potential to grow more.
2. Ally Invest
This is a brokerage company with signs of strong and rapid growth. Also called TradeKing, Ally Invest was created in 2005. This company has grown from being unknown to having 260,000 accounts and has achieved this with minimal advertising. At the moment, the company’s customer assets are valued at $4.5 billion. Emphasizing on low commissions and fees has seen many investors join Ally Invest. The company charges $4.95 for ETF and stock trades, making it one of the companies with the lowest cost in the industry.
The company does not provide mutual funds that have no transaction fees and no loads. However, it offers load fund free and a transaction cost of $9.95 for no-load funds. Aside from different securities, Ally invest has a dedicated forex trading system available to traders at no cost. This allows investors to trade major currency pairs like USD/JPY and GBP/USD among others.
3. TD Ameritrade
TD Ameritrade has client assets valued at more than $600 billion and its customers place close to 400,000 trades daily. Founded in 1975 in Nebraska, this company started a business with small operations. It is at the beginning of the 2000s that TD Ameritrade started buying other firms, leading to its growth. Its acquisition of Thinkorswim in 2009 allowed TD Ameritrade to own one of the top trading platforms in the financial industry. The software has great charting tools, incomparable to any other. Besides, it has a good number of drawing tools and 400 technical studies.
These impressive fintech tools keep investors coming back to this company. Aside from these platforms, this brokerage company has mobile applications that feature powerful charting tools and real-time reporting of business news. It is a surprise TD Ameritrade does not charge for these technical offerings. In addition to investment services, this brokerage firm offers customers the ability to attach Visa debit cards and checks to trading accounts.
4. Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab is a brokerage company with strong potential. Incepted in 1971, the firm went public in 1987 as The Charles Schwab Corporation. By 1997, Schwab had more than a million accounts and doubled the amount after a year. At the moment, this brokerage firm has close to 10 million accounts. Customer attention has led to the company’s consistent growth. Customer service is available round the clock and a chat function is provided on its website. Furthermore, Chinese speaking investors can reach Cantonese or Mandarin-speaking associates over the phone.
The company’s website features an intuitive user interface for easy navigation. With a good selection for funds, investors keep coming back. Charles Schwab has the biggest number of EFTs with no commission, and over 3,000 no-transaction-fee and no-load mutual funds and products. Investors can get a checking account from Charles Schwab, which is linked to their securities account.