Financial Investments and Stock Market Tips from Jim Cramer

Sound, unbiased advice you can count on from Wall Street pros who aren't afraid to tell it like it is. Insight and analysis on what's happening in the markets as it's happening. Detailed recommendations on today's best investment opportunities. A team of experts on everything from growth stocks to global markets to options by your side. Take advantage of this special offer today and get immediate, complete access to the unbiased advice and first-rate analysis from the investment pros at RealMoney. Each and every trading day, all day long, RealMoney gives you access to Wall Street's best minds. No middle man, no B.S., no delays — just a direct line to you as they share their investment strategies, stock picks and market views, all in real time. After decades on Wall Street, I know firsthand how hard it is to find reliable investment advice. And it's almost impossible to find a place where you can actually interact directly with Wall Street pros. You get BOTH with RealMoney. If you are serious about investing, you simply have to try it for yourself. Click here to accept this special offer to try RealMoney for 14 days absolutley FREE. Exclusive insights and advice from me and other top investing pros. As a RealMoney subscriber, you'll get insights, recommendations and market analysis every day from me and a team of successful Wall Street pros like trader James "Rev Shark" DePorre; popular markets commentator Vince Farrell, a regular guest on CNBC and CNN; top chartist and technical analyst Helene Meisler; Jonathan Heller, who focuses on deep-value investing — plus more than 70 others. These are some of the best minds in the business. First access to videos by me and my team of experts. Get prime, actionable stock ideas from me and our market specialists first and commercial free on RealMoney TV before they're aired on TheStreet.com. Columnist Conversation. "Columnist Conversation" is unlike anything else you'll find. This is your front row seat to the action as we discuss, debate and dig deeper into our investment ideas, trades, strategies and market outlooks — often with different perspectives and opinions. All in real time. I love this dialog and you will too because as we challenge, debate and even joust, you get a wide range of viewpoints and behind-the-scenes access that can help you make the best investing decisions. Exclusive access to our RealMoney Blogs. See what readers are raving about when you check out our blogs! Tap into running commentary throughout the trading day from me and a handful of RealMoney's other most popular contributors. This is your chance to join the conversation! Respond to a blogger's commentary or to your fellow subscribers' posts and become part of the RealMoney community. Market Bulletins & Weekly Roundup. To keep you on top of important market activity and top news headlines, we'll send you bulletins twice a day — one in the morning, the other midday. Plus, we'll send you a special weekend edition that includes RealMoney's best blogs, stories and picks of the week. Exclusive 24/7 access to our complete subscriber-only RealMoney website, including dozens of new, up-to-the minute articles posted by our experts every day, extensive video from TheStreet.com TV, and much more.

But don't just take my word for it...put RealMoney to work for you today FREE! Click here now to try RealMoney for the next 14 days on us. Receive every subscriber-only alert, complete access to our interactive blogs, unlimited access to the exclusive RealMoney website...every benefit our subscribers enjoy for a full 14 days free with absolutely no risk. Regards, Jim Cramer P.S. RealMoney's advisors can help you profit in this market every day. Start with your $50 savings when you subscribe now.

Free Trading Vanguard's Shotguns

Vanguard just waived commissions for account holders who trade its ETFs. Jack Boyle must be apoplectic.

After waiving internal expenses on its money market funds, Vanguard announced today it's also waiving commissions for Vanguard Brokerage account holders who trade Vanguard exchange-traded funds. Commission-free trading has become the latest battleground in the ETF marketplace, and after Charles Schwab and Fidelity upped the ante with their own commission-free programs, Vanguard stepped in.

Of course, Vanguard didn't do this without some marketing help. You may recall the kafuffle a couple of months ago around the offer of "100 free trades" to certain high-net-worth Vanguard Brokerage clients. At the time I told you (see page 4 of the April 2010 newsletter) that, according to a source, Vanguard was testing the waters to determine whether this would increase both trading and adoption of its ETFs, or ETFs in general.

Bingo! Turns out rich folks like a deal just like everyone else. So Vanguard has, in essence, labeled its ETFs with a big fat "FREE TRADES."

Special Offer: First Trust Biotech (FBT) ETF is up 30% so far this year. Don't get left behind in tired old mutual funds. Click here for Forbes ETF Editor Jim Lowell's best buy ETFs in the current issue of Forbes ETF Advisor.

This is a great deal for those with Vanguard Brokerage accounts--and for Vanguard. They will continue to gather assets at a rapid clip, and once an investor gets a taste of "free" trades they will almost certainly be loath to abandon ship.

Meanwhile one thing that has not been reported is that this freebie should not be seen as a license to day-trade. Vanguard told me that if someone makes more than 25 trades in a given ETF over a one-year period they reserve the right to block the investor from trading in that ETF again for 60 days. Will there be an automatic shutdown? No. But again, Vanguard is "reserving the right" to block additional trades if you hit the 25-plus mark.

Real-Time Quotes

05/06/2010 3:59PM ET

• SCHW
• $18.20
• -3.24%

Get Quote

BATS Real-Time Market Data by Xignite

Jack Bogle, Vanguard founder and ETF critic, must be apoplectic at the thought of "his" Vanguard offering free trading with what he's termed "priceless shotguns." Here is his quote on the topic from a an October 2000 article in the Philadelphia Inquirer: "The problem with [ETFs] is that they're like an absolutely beautiful, priceless shotgun: beautifully designed, beautifully built in every way, with perfect sighting and all the things you want. That shotgun can be used for hunting and be successful. It can be used, I suppose, for self-defense and be successful. It can be used for murder and be successful." Bogle said, "The problem with the SPDR is that it is used about 99% of the time for what I would call murder--or suicide--by rapid trading."