Stock Investment companies, also known as listed investment companies (LICs) are slightly different than investment forms or brokerage firms. Brokerage and investment firms are online trading platforms or brick and mortar companies that utilize stockbrokers to execute trades for clients. Stockbrokers are licensed professionals, qualified and certified to give advice about buying and selling stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Stockbrokers develop long term relationships with their clients and create and implement a financial management plan that meets both long and short term financial goals.

Stock investment companies invest in a portfolio of assets, such as mutual funds, stock shares, private equity stocks and municipal bonds. These companies have shares that can be traded using a stock broker on an exchange. When it sells part of their investment, they pay taxes on the profit and then they pay their investors a dividend.

A value or share price of a stock investment company is determined by the free market. Valuable investment companies make their investors’ money, while less valuable companies may lose their investors’ money. For investors, this means that the shares of stock companies can trade at a premium or at a large discount, depending on the market’s prediction and analysis of future movements.

Brokers and brokerage firms charge their clients steep fees. Stock brokers are paid on commission and the firms may charge investors trade fees, management fees, or account balance transfer fees in addition to the commissions. This makes working through an investment firm expensive. These companies have lower … Read more