How do I contact TCF Investments?
How do I apply for an account?
How do I access my account information?
What are cash accounts?
What are margin accounts?
What is margin buying power?
What are margin interest rates?
What are options accounts?
What mutual fund families are available?
What types of orders can I enter?
How do I place an order?
When are orders processed?
How do I cancel an order?
When do I pay for a transaction?
How do I deposit money into my brokerage account?
How do I deposit stock certificates into my account?
How do I transfer from other brokerage accounts?
In what name are my securities held?
How do sweep accounts work?
How do I withdraw money from my account?
When are order confirmations sent?
When are statements sent?
How do I change my password?
What is the Securities Investor Protection Corporation?
What are the system requirements?
What are some common risks of trading in volatile markets?
What are some common risks of a margin account?

A summary screen provides information about your account as of the previous business day's close.

In addition, current balances and positions are shown based on a 20 - minute delayed quote.

You can also check cash and money market balances, the market value of your holdings and your margin loan balances.

A cash account is the most common type of account.

In most cases, you must have sufficient cash or securities in your account - called "equity" - before placing an order.

In some cases, a trading representative may allow up to 3 business days after the purchase date for you to pay for your transaction.

You can buy securities on credit when you are approved for a margin account. You make partial payment for the security and borrow the rest of the purchase price "on margin".

Example:
You would like to buy 100 shares of XYZ stock that sell for $80 per share. The current market value of your purchase is $8,000. To complete the purchase on margin, you must have a minimum of 50%, or $4,000 in your account - called the "initial margin requirement." Your brokerage firm loans you the remaining $4,000, so you now have a $4,000 loan balance in your account and account equity of $4,000.

To buy on margin, the securities you purchase must be approved for margin credit. And, on an ongoing basis, you must maintain required minimum equity of generally 30% - called the "maintenance margin requirement." Please note that margin accounts also require minimum equity of $2,000.

Our clearing firm, Pershing LLC, establishes margin requirements. Initial and maintenance requirements can vary by security and can change without notice.

To learn more about which securities are approved for margin, and the initial and maintenance margin requirements, phone a registered trading representative.

All securities purchased on margin are held in street name as collateral for the loan. Margin accounts require a separate margin account agreement.

Before entering an order to purchase securities on margin, always check the margin equity requirements, particularly if you are buying volatile stocks or thinly traded stocks.

Always check your margin buying power before entering a margin trade.

If you have any margin-related questions, phone a registered trading representative.

"Margin buying power" is the amount of securities you can buy on margin.

When entering a margin order, you must have sufficient buying power in your account. Check the buying power in your account daily - it fluctuates with the market price of the stock.

Buying power is generally calculated as:

Excess Equity x 2 = Buying Power

To calculate excess equity, take the total value of cash and securities in your margin account and subtract your margin debt to get your equity. Your securities positions as of the previous market close are used for the calculation. If your equity exceeds the Regulation T requirement (generally 50% of the market value of the securities in your account), the excess is your "excess equity."

The Special Memorandum Account (SMA) is a notation on your margin account. Funds are credited to the SMA on a memo basis, and the SMA is used much like a line of credit with a bank. The SMA preserves your right to use excess equity. If your SMA as calculated under Regulation T is higher than your excess equity using the above formula, then buying power is generally equal to two times your SMA.

Only securities you buy in your margin account count toward buying power. Securities held in your cash account are not considered for margin buying power. You can transfer securities from your cash account to your margin account by phoning a registered trading representative.

Securities that are not eligible for margin can only be purchased in a cash account and cannot be transferred to your margin account or counted toward buying power.

If you have any margin-related questions, phone one of our registered trading representatives.

Competitive interest rates on margin loans are available from TCF Investments.

Note: Pershing LLC provides margin credit. The Broker Call rate is published in the Wall Street Journal under "Money Rates."

Rates shown apply to the entire balance.

An options account allows you to buy and sell put and call options, which can be a useful way to invest or manage financial risk. But, options can be highly speculative investments.

Most options transactions settle the next business day.

For an options account application or to apply for options trading authority, phone us.

You can place options orders by phone to a registered UVEST trading representative at TCF Investments.

Note: Options may not be suitable for all investors as the special risks inherent to options trading may expose investors to potentially rapid and substantial losses. A current fee schedule for options transactions and Options Disclosure Document issued by the Options Clearing Corporation is available by contacting us or at the Chicago Board Options Exchange website.

Hundreds of mutual funds from leading fund families are available through UVEST Financial Services.

Mutual funds are a convenient and cost-effective way for you to diversify your portfolio and obtain access to professional money management services.

You should consider a mutual fund's investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses carefully before investing. Contact your UVEST registered sales representative, located in most TCF locations, to request a prospectus, which contains this and other information about a specific mutual fund. Read it carefully before you invest.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value of a mutual fund will fluctuate causing shares, when redeemed, to be worth more or less than their original cost.

You can enter several types of orders, as described below. For more information about a specific type of order or order qualifier, click on the link below.

For more information about a specific type of order or order qualifier, click on the link below:

• Market Orders
  A market order is an order to buy or sell securities at the best available price. Market orders usually result in immediate execution - although delays can occur. Market orders to buy are executed at the lowest price sellers are asking at the time. This is the "asked" or "offering price." Market orders to sell are executed at the highest price buyers are bidding at the time. This is the "bid" price.

• Limit Orders
  With a limit order you will buy for no more, or sell for no less, than a price you specify. With limit orders, you are speculating that the stock price will move in your favor. If this does not happen, your order will not be executed.

• Stop Orders and Stop-Limit Orders
  To protect a profit or limit a potential loss, you can place a sell stop order. A sell stop is placed below the current market price. With this type of order you are instructing us not to sell the stock if it keeps going up, but if it falls at or below your specified "stop" price, sell it immediately. When a stock trades at or through the designated level, it then becomes a market order and is sold at the next best price. A sell stop order does not guarantee an execution at or better than your specified price.

  Buy stop orders are placed above the current market price, allowing you to purchase a stock after it has exceeded a specified price. Investors who believe further growth is probable only if a stock breaks that specified price barrier use these. When a stock trades at or through the designated level, it becomes a market order and is purchased at the next best price. A buy stop order does not guarantee an execution at or better than your specified price.

  You can also enter a stop limit order. A stop limit order becomes a limit order when triggered by the stop price. The order would only be executed at or better than the specified price limit. A stop limit order can be filled completely, partially, or not at all, depending on how many shares are available for purchase or sale at the time of the order.

There are several types of "order qualifiers:"

• Good Until Canceled
  A "good until canceled" order remains in effect until executed or canceled. However, we reserve the right to cancel the order if the limit price becomes unrealistic in relation to the market price. If this occurs, we will send you a notice. We will send you an acknowledgement of "good until cancelled" order the day it is placed, and it will be reflected on your brokerage statement. If you want to change a "good until canceled" order, you must cancel the original order. Subsequent orders for the same security do not cancel your original order.

• Do Not Reduce
  If you place a limit order to buy or a stop order to sell a listed stock, the limit price is automatically lowered by an amount at or near the projected dividend. To avoid this reduction, simply enter the order with a "do not reduce" stipulation.

• All or None
  Limit orders placed on relatively thinly traded stocks (low volume per day), run the risk of partial execution. Because commissions are calculated on each day's activity, your limit order could fill over the course of several days. If you do not want this to occur, specify "all or none." This instructs us to fill the entire quantity or not at all.

  Example:
  You wish to buy 1500 shares of XYZ at 25, but only 500 shares become available to buy at this price. An order marked "all or none" will not receive the 500 share execution. The order will not be filled until all 1500 shares become available.