I've been following the launch late last year of the first free stock trading site on the web -- www.zecco.com -- and have wanted to see how the company was doing pitching its "commission-free stock trades" to a public that's already swimming in low-cost trading companies like Scottrade, TD Ameritrade and Schwab.

With stock trading becoming a commodity business, the typical strategy of discount brokerages that have built an entire business on cheap trades is to now offer "financial guidance and investing services." Charles Schwab has done this as it saw the prices of stock trading plummet (thanks, Internet). With it went margins and employee commissions as well.

Some bloggers that have had bad experiences with Zecco.com are pretty adamant about the initial issues the company has regarding its communications and what it really ads to the equation besides making money on advertising on its website (how it can trade for 'free"?).

Will this business model stand the test of time? Or do most customers need that extra hand-holding they perceive to get by paying for trades?