NEW YORK, NY (02/07/11) - Active investors who trade stocks online could be missing out if they have their retirement savings parked in a traditional brick-and-mortar account, according to experts at Firstrade, https://www.firstrade.com, a leading online brokerage. Instead, they suggest moving funds online to a self-directed IRA, where investors can better control and manage their nest eggs.

"Throughout our 25-year history, we have been empowering investors to take control of their finances and make smart decisions both now and for the future," said John Liu, President and CEO of Firstrade.

Firstrade offers multiple self-directed retirement plan options including Traditional and Roth IRAs as well as SEP and SIMPLE IRAs, all of which have no set-up fees or annual fees, and have a low per-trade fee of $6.95. In addition, Firstrade will absorb any transfer fees incurred by switching accounts from another broker.

Firstrade's comprehensive trading tools, including broad research functionality and exceptionally fast trade execution, allow investors to quickly discover and act on trading opportunities. All brokerage accounts, including IRAs, can be accessed via Firstrade's next generation online platform or its new iPhone App, launched in December.

"Through Firstrade, clients can access their retirement accounts anytime, anywhere, giving them ultimate control over their investments to achieve their financial goals," said Liu.

Firstrade offers trades at $6.95. Customers can invest in stocks, options, over 11,000 mutual funds, exchange traded funds, bonds, treasuries, agencies and CDs online. There is no minimum deposit to open a Firstrade account and no inactivity or maintenance fees.