Trading platform?

[Clarkstondude]

I requested my funds from scottrade as I had a 1200 gain yesterday but a realized gain of 393.93. today I cashed out with a nice morning gain of 940ish with a real gain of -27.00. Technical says I'm logging out after the trades but the screeners and little bells and whistles are constantly active. place a trade and it doesn't get executed for over 4 minutes (thus the losses). Tech says to me "whattya want me to do about it?" I have the screen as a jpeg he tells me it's not going to do a thing.

Now I wait for settlement and need to find a new broker so I'm out of the game at least a week! I am so happy I could tear off heads and ... well I'm very very unhappy.

Sorry I have NOTHING to do now for a long time and had to vent a bit. Looking at the scottrade elite I could have made another 500 but that would be what, another negative in my account?

What other platforms are decent with good execution?

[skiracer]

i like options express and have been with them for several years now. their tech stuff is more than adequate and their realtime quotes are excellent and never down. everyone who has an account with them regardless of size has all of this stuff. You could open an account with $100 and get the entire online realtime trading platform and everything else. i trade a decent amount and the trades are always executed within seconds.
If your account is going to be under 25000 there will be "pattern daytrader restrictions" regarding the money in the acct clearing to cover trades before it has cleared plus margin requirements.
many here would say try InterActive Brokers. I've heard they are good by a few people. I have my own reasons for being with options express. over hundreds/thousands of trades i have never had a problem in any fashion with them and never a problem with any of my money.

[billyjoe]

Clarkston,

I had the same problens with them a few years ago and dropped them. I'm told they've corrected those "delayed execution" troubles. Your story confirms my distrust.

--------------billyjoe

[Clarkstondude]

Thanks skiracer!

After looking at a lot of brokers I decided to try options express. All I want is a margin and to be able to short stocks. When I press sell it means SELL!

A few times I had lags of execution but contributed it to this machine or my other machine, even seen it on my laptop. Today I have time stamps proving it is on scottrades end. Any money lost due to their system is inexcusable.

google: scottrade sucks

[skiracer]

Thanks skiracer!

After looking at a lot of brokers I decided to try options express. All I want is a margin and to be able to short stocks. When I press sell it means SELL!

A few times I had lags of execution but contributed it to this machine or my other machine, even seen it on my laptop. Today I have time stamps proving it is on scottrades end. Any money lost due to their system is inexcusable.

google: scottrade sucks

you need a min of 2000 in your account with them for margin. put up 2000 and trade 4000. the margin interest is so minimal that I don't even know what they charge me or how much it comes to. I never even look at it. concentrate on finding winners and the rest of it takes care of itself. you're going to be happy with them and never have any problems. trades are executed within seconds.

[Clarkstondude]

screener

http://www.thecitypress.com/asia/screen%20020708.jpg

[IIC]

http://www.thecitypress.com/asia/screen%20020708.jpg

You can expect delayed trades on many ETF's a lot more often than on regular stocks....I attribute it to being on the Amex

[Clarkstondude]

maybe being bought by the NYSE will help, some of my ETF's move real fast like DXD, lost a whole bunch when the trade hung over 5 minutes. A couple days ago it seemed to be instant. My aapl short hung just under 6 minutes too so I don't think it was just the ETF's.

You can expect delayed trades on many ETF's a lot more often than on regular stocks....I attribute it to being on the Amex

[IIC]

maybe being bought by the NYSE will help, some of my ETF's move real fast like DXD, lost a whole bunch when the trade hung over 5 minutes. A couple days ago it seemed to be instant. My aapl short hung just under 6 minutes too so I don't think it was just the ETF's.

Don't know what happened w/ AAPL...But the ETF's are notorious for late fills...and even fills that you don't even know filled until you either try to cancel the order and can't or you check back later...One time I went to bed thinking a sell on QID had not filled...Next morning I see that I don't own it.

I missed QID and QLD 1x each today and I saw trades under my limits...Bunch a crooks.

Here is an interesting article posted at another forum:

http://www.forbes.com/2008/02/06/croesus-chronicles-darkpools-oped-cz_rl_0207croesus.html?feed=rss_news

[Clarkstondude]

WoW!

This would explain why I forgot how to trade conventionally...

"More and more of the world's trading is done by spraying dark orders across multiple destinations using deliberately complicated patterns and algorithmic models that can't be discovered or duplicated. No one knows who's doing what to whom anymore," Mathisson explains. Nasdaq has morphed into the best market to hide information about buying and selling. It is the largest arena for anonymity, traders claim.

Don't know what happened w/ AAPL...But the ETF's are notorious for late fills...and even fills that you don't even know filled until you either try to cancel the order and can't or you check back later...One time I went to bed thinking a sell on QID had not filled...Next morning I see that I don't own it.

I missed QID and QLD 1x each today and I saw trades under my limits...Bunch a crooks.

Here is an interesting article posted at another forum:

http://www.forbes.com/2008/02/06/cro...?feed=rss_news

[IIC]

This would explain why I forgot how to trade conventionally...

"More and more of the world's trading is done by spraying dark orders across multiple destinations using deliberately complicated patterns and algorithmic models that can't be discovered or duplicated. No one knows who's doing what to whom anymore," Mathisson explains. Nasdaq has morphed into the best market to hide information about buying and selling. It is the largest arena for anonymity, traders claim.

Reminds me of something Toni Turner told me years ago...She said she talked to a Market Maker and he told her..."Where you think I am...I'm not"

[Clarkstondude]

how bout "you cant see me, but i am here"