When it comes to stock trading, I'm a premier customer at Fidelity and TD Ameritrade because of asset size. Fidelity charges me $8 per trade and TD Ameritrade charges me $9.99 per trade. Since I typically by in the amounts of $10,000 or so, the trading cost is less than 0.1% of my principal -- not too bad given the first-class customer service I received at both firms.
But there is still money to be saved. Introducing Zecco, an online-only brokerage firm that boasts 10 zero cost stock trade per month for everyone who has $2,500 to invest.
To experiment it, I just opened an account at Zecco with $10,000 to start with lately. The application process is pretty streamlined and I like the simple transaction interface. I haven't completed a real trade yet, so it is hard to say I'll commit to it and move all my money in individual stocks to Zecco, but if it works out, I can probably save $150 to $200. That'll add a couple basis points of gains to my portfolio's annual performance :-)
Better later than never.