Zecco: A Little Less Free

Pioneering no-commission broker Zecco.com slashes free trades, citing a need to improve features and services
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Online brokerage firm Zecco.com took flight in July, 2006, promising all of its customers 40 free stocks trades a month, with other fees and Web advertising producing its revenue. But a little more than a year later, Zecco is backtracking, adding a minimum balance of $2,500 for free trade eligibility and cutting free trades to 10 a month. After that, each trade will cost $4.50, up from $3.50 previously.

Existing accounts will still get 40 free trades a month until the end of the year. Accounts opened starting Oct. 1 get the reduced new deal.