[CoreDumpling]

> Most online places charge about $10 per trade.

I think the OP is talking about index funds, not stocks. If you invest in the fund that your broker manages, there usually isn't such a "purchase fee" for index funds, only some of the more risky funds that want you to demonstrate that you're willing to eat some losses in hopes of a bigger payout later. The bigger fees tend to be associated with more active management, which generally doesn't apply to funds that simply track an index.

I've never been charged this transaction fee on Fidelity Spartan 500 (or whatever it is called now), for example. Vanguard also has a pretty good reputation for their low- or no-fee funds.