In the modern world of advanced technologies, stock brokers are becoming increasingly cheap. However, cheap doesn’t mean the same. Here are some of the more popular brokerages and what they charge.

The reason why many people are looking at OptionsHouse is due to its cheap stock trades. If you are looking for a trading platform that works and is cheap, look no further.

If you don’t mind the bad publicity and the fact that they might change the rules again, Zecco isn’t a bad choice. Currently, they still offer free stock trades for those that have $25,000 in assets or trade 25 times a month.

OptionsXpress must be making a lot of money off customers because their trading commissions are highest of the bunch. It’s $14.95 for most people and $12.95 for high volume traders. Pretty expensive right?

Wells Trade is one of the stock brokers I use because they provide 100 free trades. It’s easy to sign up for an account if you are already a Wells Fargo customer and I like the fact that you can transfer assets around easily.

One of the best discount broker is TradeKing, because of its amazing customer support. Their $4.95 a trade made headlines back in the days and continue to be one of the best options out there.

Etrade was once the best broker out there but with many cheaper alternative and its mortgage troubles, the company isn’t the powerhouse that it once was.

Scottrade offers seven dollar trades, which isn’t bad but not the cheapest. However, their customer support is second to none and they also have the most branches nationwide. In addition, they are the cheapest option that offers face to face interaction.

TradeMonster is new and worth a look because of their ties to OptionsMonster. The celebrity endorsement of the Najarian Boys is reason enough to take a look.

The highest end stock broker in this list is Charles Schwab. While stock trades are $12.99, they do offer a 2% cash back credit card which makes up for some of the stock commissions.

I don’t really like TD Ameritrade but it works fine. Their stock commissions are $9.99 a trade and they have no hidden fees to boot. This option is fine, but it’s not one I recommend.

Netflix coupon is not really a stock broker but with the money you will be saving with these discount brokers, you may want to use it for some great DVDs.

With the soaring prices of gold it is a good time to consider buying or selling your gold jewelry. You need to have some basic knowledge to make smart decisions. Gold jewelry seems like it never goes out of style. This is because it is beautiful and easy for most people to afford and wear.

Pure gold will not tarnish, rust or corrode and is the most malleable of all metals. Pure gold is too soft for jewelry so it is mixed with other metals, including silver, copper, nickel and zinc to give it strength and durability. The color of gold is determined by the type of metal alloys it is mix with and the percentage of each metal alloy.

Most people think all gold is yellow, but the fact is there are many variations of color that gold can be. Colored gold is just as “real” as golden colored gold. The color depends on what the gold is mixed with. Other alloys are mixed with gold to make it strong and to hold up under every day wear and tear that jewelry goes through. Craftsman learned through the ages that mixing gold with copper, silver and platinum would increase its durability. When gold is alloyed with other metals it changes the color of the finished product. An alloy of 75% gold, 16% silver and 9% cooper makes yellow gold. White gold is 75% gold, 4% silver, 4% copper and 17% palladium. Other combinations of alloys can make pink, green, peach and even black gold.

The alloys of gold have a lesser value per unit weight than pure gold. The standard in the gold trade is known as karatage which is commonly called karat. Pure gold is known as 24 karat gold and is usually marked with 24K. An alloy that is 50% gold is 12 karat gold and is marked with a 12K. An alloy that is 75% gold is 18 karat gold and is marked with 18K. High karat gold jewelry is softer and more resistant to tarnish; on the other hand, lower karat jewelry is stronger, but less resistant to tarnish.

Gold is highly valued and there is a limited supply and has been used as a medium of exchange or money for centuries. 6000 years ago is when the first transaction was done using pieces of gold and silver. The reason that gold has been used for this purpose for so long is because it has high value, durable, portable and can be divided easily. At one time the United States used a gold standard and maintained a stockpile of gold to back every dollar in circulation. It became too cumbersome and is no longer used by any nation. Gold coins were commonly used in transactions. Gold coins were issued in two types of units. Some were units of currency and some were issued in standard weights.

Today gold coins are no longer in wide use for financial transactions. Gold coins issued in specific weights are popular for people who want to purchase and invest in a small amount of gold. Gold coins are also collected and issued as commemorative coins. These types are a good investment because gold retains its value overtime. These are just some informative basic facts about gold. As you can see gold is a good investment whether it is in fine jewelry or coins.