Discounts are always a good deal. Consider starting out with a full-service broker. They are often best for amateur investors who may still need to build confidence and knowledge of the markets. As you become a more sophisticated investor, you can graduate into investing more of your money yourself. Everything fits together in these situations so paying attention is key. Try hitting up the company’s website at different times throughout the day, especially during peak trafficking hours. If you don’t know these times, you may not be as internet savvy as you think you are. Watch how fast their site loads and check some of the links to ensure there are no technical difficulties. That would be a disaster on the scale of Y2K.