E-trade is an online broker that offers brokerage accounts for stocks and other trading options. With E-trade, you can view, monitor and manage your accounts at your convenience. The self-directed brokerage account keeps you in control of your investments, allowing you to bypass the middleman and hefty fees. With E-trade, you are in control of your money and the amount you choose to invest.

Opening an Account

You can open an E-trade brokerage account with as little as $500. There is no maximum deposit limit. Promotions and incentives are commonly available for opening an account with a higher initial deposit or maintaining a certain amount in your account. In addition to brokerage accounts, E-trade offers a variety of other accounts, including checking and retirement account options. You can also roll over your existing retirement assets into an E-trade Individual Retirement Account.

Trading Limits

The amount you can trade is limited to the amount in your account. There are no trading limits as long as you have enough funds available to invest. Maintenance fees do not apply to brokerage account. E-trade trading fees are based on the number of transactions. At the time of publication, it is $9.99 per trade for stocks, until you trade 150 times in one quarter, then the commission changes to $7.99 per trade thereafter.

Funding an Account

At the time of publication, you have 45 days to fund your e-trade account with your initial deposit. A brokerage account can be funded by making an electronic or wire transfer from your bank account or by writing and mailing a check. You can also transfer your existing brokerage account from another bank or trading service to an E-trade account.

Asset Protection

When trading stocks and other securities, there is always a chance you can lose your entire investment. E-trade offers fraud protection to cover any loss that results from the unauthorized use of your account. Your cash deposits into your account are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. In addition to the FDIC coverage, E-trade protects securities up to $500,000, including $250,000 for claims for cash. The coverage is designed to protect your assets in the event of bank failure and does not protect against a decline in the market value of your investments