THESE DAYS, there's a type of broker for every investment personality. To find your match, you need to decide how much help you want -- and how much you're willing to pay for it.

From dirt-cheap online brokerages to well-heeled full-service ones, increased competition has forced players at each end of the spectrum to offer more robust services and better customer care. That's good news for investors, but it doesn't eliminate the dilemma that if you select the wrong type of broker, you could find yourself either swamped with needless fees or struggling for assistance with your portfolio that the broker may not be equipped to give you.

Here is an overview of the types of brokerages out there -- along with some guidance on which type might be right for you.

Full-Service Brokers

While full-service brokers have higher commissions, minimum investment requirements and fees than the discount brokers (much higher), they do offer a range of services and amenities the others do not.

Those begin with research and advice. During a bull market, when stocks are going up consistently, good ideas are a dime a dozen. But when the markets turn choppy, solid advice can save you. Indeed, during periods of unpredictability, many investors turn to full-service shops. Some of these firms also offer a range of investment products, estate-planning services and tax advice. A broker will set up a financial profile for you -- based on your assets, income and goals -- and advise you accordingly. All of this, of course, will cost you.

If all you plan to do is buy some mutual funds and you know which ones you want, then paying a broker to round them up for you doesn't make much sense. (See Buying Mutual Funds below.) But if you want to buy individual stocks and lack the time or experience needed to do the research yourself, you might as well find a good broker. Ask around among your friends or colleagues -- you want someone you can trust. You can also consult the Securities and Exchange Commission's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure Web site, which can aid your search.

If you do go the full-service route, there are several things to watch out for. First, make sure you get a commission schedule that spells out the fees you'll have to pay. It's also important to know how your broker is paid. Will he get higher commissions for selling certain financial products -- whether or not they're best for you? Always ask. At the very least, that will clue him in that you're on your toes.

Inquire, too, about accounts that let you pay an annual fee instead of per-trade commissions. For about 2% of your total assets, a broker will set you up with an asset-allocation program and make investment decisions accordingly. This eliminates the potential problem of "churning" -- when a broker unnecessarily trades your account to ratchet up commission fees.

Discount and Online Brokers

Our view is that many investors can make investing decisions on their own. That is what this Web site is all about. And if you have a firm idea about a stock you want, why not get it as cheaply as you can?

Some discount brokers are looking less and less like the pure order takers they used to be. They've been adding advisory and account-management services and they've beefed up their "mutual-fund supermarket" offerings. The result is that they aren't as cheap as the pure online guys, but they aren't as expensive as the full-service brokers either.

Since pretty much all discounters have Web sites now, the lines have also blurred between discount and online-only brokers. True Internet firms, though, still offer rock-bottom trading costs. The low costs can be tempting, but keep in mind, with a pure online broker you won't have the option of visiting a branch office to make a deposit in person or to speak with someone face-to-face. Your relationship will be limited to e-mail and phone contact.

Buying Mutual Funds

You have your choice here. You can get your broker to pick some funds for you -- accepting both high fees and limited choice. Or you can choose your own funds and buy them either straight from the fund company or through a discount brokerage firm's mutual-fund supermarket.

If you'd prefer a broker to do the fund picking, you'll likely be offered a set of "load" funds either run by the broker's firm or a mutual-fund company it contracts with. A load means you pay an upfront fee in addition to any annual expenses charged by the fund.

Depending on your time horizon -- that is, if you plan to own the fund for 10 years or more -- the fee might be worth it. But there are plenty of no-load funds out there that can get the job done for you.

To buy a no-load fund you can either invest with the fund company directly (each Fund Snapshot provides a firm's contact information), or you can go to one of the mutual-fund supermarkets run by large brokerage firms. There, you'll pay a commission to make the trade. But you'll have instant access to literally thousands of funds of all types.