What Works: Schwab Leads Pack for Foreign Stock Trading

In this online world where convenience and cost are considered the be-all and end-all, it's important to recognize that these factors aren't the end-all, all of the time.

Trading foreign stocks is one of those times.

For my ongoing series on international investing (it started Wednesday with this column), I've studied some of the various ways to trade foreign stocks through discount brokers. The What Works assessment? Unless you're extremely savvy about the precise security you're looking for and the vagaries of its particular market, trading foreign stocks through your PC is probably not worth the benefit of a cheap, point-and-click commission. ...