Let me also add that they do have on-line trading, if you like.
Another poster (can't recall her name for sure - Linda Kaplan??,
but that's just a guess without looking and I apologize in advance
if I am wrong) also uses Brown and has been satisfied with their
on-line trading, as I recall.
I have recently bought 2000 shares of a stock, and at that level
the commission is still only $5 for a market order. BTW this
is not normal for me. I bought VLSI under 7 1/4 because I think
that one is way undervalued. I also work there. This is like
a buyback of shares I sold last year, only more. I had to check
that one, so I hope you appreciate the effort.
Their telephone response time has been good in my opinion.
I am not trying to get everyone to go to Brown, as I have no
link to them. I found about Brown through a trader who manages
some of my funds. Sometimes you will get the answering machine
hold problem, but I find them more efficient than any others in
my past experience. If they are really busy, you will get the
machine response that all lines are busy and that they will get
you to the first office in the country which can assist you.
They have offices in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, NY,
Orlando and Phillie - plus any that might have been added since
I started with them (just going by my old info card). I have
never had to wait long. No I haven't timed it, but less than
30 seconds most of the time. Now I am sure there have been a
few days in the year that I have waited longer, but it is so
infrequent that I can't remember feeling put out by the wait.
Clearly, they are an efficient order-taking operation. That's
what you get from them.
If you place a limit order they will give you an automated call
back to confirm, if you ask. Sometimes even limit orders get
filled while I am still on the line - of course that is when I
place an order at the bid or between bid/ask prices where the
spread is large.
They seem to me to do an excellent job of what they do. |
