answer:I use Fidelity. There’s no minimum balance in your cash account, nor to they have minimum trade value. But they do have a maximum number of trades you can make each month before you have to pay a hefty fee for each. And they charge a commission on every trade. And these vary depending on the type of account you have (which essentially varies depending on how much money you have in it). But keep in mind that the stock market isn’t investing. It’s gambling. And if you do make a profit, it makes filing your taxes EXTREMELY complicated (though you do get a statement each year). If you’re not an insider, it’d be more efficient to simply send a donation to various corporate CEOs each month. I haven’t used any other brokerages like e*trade, so I can’t compare Fidelity to any of the others.