Something new - US stocks

I am planning to trade US stocks as well as Singapore Stocks.  Another day, I will tell you why I am taking on country risk, and currency risk, in trading stocks from the opposite end of Singapore (clue: legally allowed to short). 

After more than a year of trading spot forex and forex futures (mainly AUSUSD, EURUSD, USDCHF), asian stock future indices (SIMSCI, HSI, TW), US equity indices (Dow Jones, E-mini, Nasdaq), Crude Oil futures, Gold futures, Singapore stocks, I feel that it is time I specialize and increase the position size in my trades.

My plan for 2013 is to focus on equities - Singapore stocks for longer term investing, US Stocks for long term trading, and Dow Jones futures for short intraday trading.

I have been using VectorVest to test my mechanical strategies for US stocks and it seems to work.  As such I will be opening a US brokerage account this couple of weeks.   Putting my money in a foreign brokerage will be subject me to counter-party risk - much like the "investors" who parked their hard-earned money with Genneva.  Hence, I am quite wary of the consequences.

Found a web site that really helped me.  http://www.stockbroker.com

They have a ranking of their many online brokerages in US.

If I cannot go too far wrong in parking my money with the world's strongest bank, i think i can comfortably trade using the "strongest" brokerage.  Think I will open an account with ThinkorSwim (TD Ameritrade).