Best online stocks brokers for small investors?

[limerickman]

Im a small investor just starting out and want to start buying some pm stocks? im taking about 2-4000 euros what are the best stock brokers to use? are they are risks attached to using stock brokers like if a banking crisis occurs can they take down the brokers as well?

[enoch150]

Don't know who deals in euros, but this article by Kiplinger's compares 14 online brokers in various categories. Might give you an idea of what you're looking for. I seem to remember seeing something when I signed up for ameritrade a decade ago that accounts were insured against theft or insolvency for a couple hundred million.

http://www.tdameritrade.com/forms/kiplinger.pdf