yikes! $12/month???
Ameritrade charges a flat $10 on your sells and there is NO maintenance fee. Their website is clear, easy to navigate, and their customer service is helpful.
Here's the link about the pricing:
http://www.tdameritrade.com/straightforwardpricing.html
There's mention on the home page about a 45-day FREE trading period special going on right now.
www.tdameritrade.com
Let me know what stocks you're looking at and maybe we can exchange ideas or thoughts on them.