I'm not happy with my current IRA brokerage firm and want to switch. How do I select a new one?

Question

I've had a couple of bad experiences with their customer service. I want to stick with a large firm...Schwab, Vanguard etc. How do i go about comparing them? Is their a site for this?

Answer 1

As long as you do a broker transfer you should be just fine to move it.

If you are interested in protecting your investments from downside risk (not losing your principal in a bear market) and making good returns, there are some pretty great annuity products out there.  A lot of people don't know much about them, but they guarantee your principal, may pay up to 15% in bonuses for depositing into the account, and can pay double digit returns in robust markets.

If you want to trade and play in the stock market, they are obviously not the right choice for your money.  And any choice needs to be made after fully understanding the pros and cons of each option.

I suggest them simply because after coming to understand them in comparison with the other better known investments, they've become my favorite.

Answer 2

I personally use Vanguard and their customer service is superior. You may have to pay ordinary income taxes on the rollover if it isn't done within a specified time period. If your IRA is through an employer sponsored 401k plan, there may be time requirements for vesting prior to rolling it to somewhere else.

Answer 3

Sure ... try

http://www.money-and-investing.com/

This is an educational site for investors and they feature ratings on the most popular on-line brokerage houses.  They also compare them.

Good luck!

Uppity Wench