The Brokerage Monitor Awards presented by Corporate Insight recognize financial services firms for excellence in the online user experience they offer prospects, clients and advisors. The eight slide decks in this series highlights the firms in a specific industry within financial services that received Gold Monitor Awards.

1. 2012 GOLD MONITOR WINNERS SERIES
BROKERAGE

2. Monitor Awards Introduction
The Monitor Awards are Corporate Insight’s annual reports recognizing financial services
firms for excellence in the online and offline experience they offer prospects, clients and
advisors. The awards are presented to firms across the financial services industry
encompassing annuities, asset management, banking, brokerage, credit cards, and
insurance.
Monitor Awards Methodology
Using our proprietary Website Audit benchmarking software, each Monitor Services
research teams reviews and grades the key online features offered by the firms in their
coverage group. Our experienced analysts use these results and relevant industry trends to
recognize the leaders and innovators across the industry. Firms are awarded Gold, Silver
and Bronze Monitors for a variety of categories that are essential to the user experience.
The Corporate Insight Difference
What sets our awards apart is our unmatched expertise on the intersection of technology
and financial services. Corporate Insight has been tracking developments across the
industry for over twenty years with a singular focus on the technology that has shaped the
financial lives of customers, advisors and prospective investors. Unlike other firms who
must rely on third-party data, Corporate Insight holds actual funded accounts at all leading
financial institutions. This allows us to deliver our research from a first-hand, unbiased
perspective and puts our Monitor Awards in a class all their own.

3. E-Monitor Awards
Category Overview
1. Account Information
2. Education Centers
3. News & Research
4. Online Documentation
5. Online Help
6. Product Range
7. Quotes
8. Trade Tickets

4. Account Information
E*TRADE Financial and
optionsXpress both retain
their Gold Monitors from last
year for continuing to provide
strong and thorough account
information, balances and
position details.

5. Education Centers
TD Ameritrade retained its Gold
Monitor for continuing to offer
strong educational resources
for investment products,
planning topics and investment
goals. The firm was joined this
year by E*TRADE Financial,
which rose from a Silver to Gold
for providing a similar range
and variety of resources.

6. News & Research
Charles Schwab and
Fidelity retained their Gold
Monitors for offering the
best all-around domestic
and international market
research, including specific
product markets (e.g.,
stock, fund research) and
related tools.

7. Online Documentation
Fidelity received the sole
Gold Monitor in this category
for offering an extensive
online archive for all key
documents and making the
documents easily accessible.

8. Online Help
Fidelity’s Gold Monitor is a
result of offering the best all-
around help resources,
including a universal chat
tool, targeted help content
throughout the site, detailed
site search and a strong
online message center.

9. Product Range
Charles Schwab, E*TRADE
Financial and Fidelity offer
the best selection of
products to trade online, as
well as cash management
features and managed
accounts.

10. Quotes
E*TRADE Financial,
optionsXpress and TD
Ameritrade earned Gold
Monitors for providing free
streaming quotes, as well
as strong quotes details,
functionality and tools.

11. Trade Tickets
Fidelity and optionsXpress
earn Gold Monitors for
providing functional trade
tickets with unique features,
such as skip order preview
or an all-in-one trade ticket.

12. Contact Us Connect with Us
Ankita Patel
Senior Analyst, Broker & E-Monitor Corporate Insight Blog
212-832-2002 x-117
apatel@corporateinsight.com
Follow @CInsight
Ben Pousty
Marketing Manager
Follow CI on LinkedIn
212-832-2002 x-134
bpousty@corporateinsight.com
Like CI on Facebook
CI Presentations on SlideShare

13. About E-Monitor
Launched in 1998, E-Monitor serves as the online complement to our flagship Broker Monitor service.
E-Monitor continuously tracks and analyzes the online user experience offered by 19 leading brokerages.
E-Monitor offers you a first-hand look at the online account resources, interactive tools, transaction
capabilities, education content and other features your competitors in the brokerage industry provide
clients and prospective investors on their websites.
E-Monitor Subscription Deliverables
Monthly Research Reports – In-depth reports that focus on key aspects of the online client and
prospective investor user experience including online account resources, education content, interactive
tools, industry trends and more. Reports include:
• Detailed reviews of each E-Monitor firm
• Key findings and best practice analysis to help improve your company’s offerings
• Handy matrix summarizing your competitors’ offerings
Weekly Updates – Frequent, comprehensive reviews of changes and additions to competitor public and
client websites with an emphasis on website design and usability, online product and education
resources, interactive tools and calculators, client account information and more.
Competitor Summary Matrices – Breakdown of the key features offered on the public and client
websites by all E-Monitor firms.
Client Website Videos – Go behind-the-login and take a first-hand look at the online resources being
offered to clients by competitor firms.
Analyst Support – Personalized research support from our experienced E-Monitor team.