Broker Services - Read this tutorial to understand the investment services offered by discount and full-service brokers. It contrasts the two with respect to how much they offer investors. Following this comparison, there is a discussion of assessing investor needs and how a broker can help with them.

Brokers, Specialists, and Market Makers - Learn the specific roles of the main participants in the securities trading process. Find out what brokers and dealers do (and cannot do), how they are regulated, and how investors use them to execute trades. This tutorial also describes the basic functions of registered representatives, market makers, and specialists.

Dealers - This is an introduction to the work of securities dealers. The tutorial contrasts their work with that of brokers. It presents additional facts about dealers, such as how they are paid and where they work.

Market Makers - An important player in over-the-counter securities trading is the market maker. By reading this tutorial, you will learn what market makers do, including what is required of them and how they "make markets." Making markets is how they affect the prices of securities traded in the secondary market.

Registered Representatives - To understand the process of buying and selling securities, you need to understand the role of the registered representative. This tutorial explains what representatives do, how they qualify for their jobs, and how they get paid. It also explains what you should look for before selecting a registered representative.

Specialists - Specialists play an important role in the process of securities trading. In this tutorial, you will learn what this role is and how the tasks assigned to specialists influence your investment prices and values. The tutorial also discusses the role of the specialist's book and the types of orders recorded in it.