Quote from maler:
Assessing a charge on cancels will not cure the fact
that you, as retail, are last in line to get filled.
Any changes to the market structure will be implemented
so that the regulators do not have to explain to Congress
why another flash crash happened,
and not for the benefit of the six pack retail Joe.
The market structure is by design dividing traders into those
who contribute to the kitty (retailers/buy side)
and those who own the kitty (BDs with order flow).
If you want to buy/sell some stock as retail, you either lift/hit the ask/bid and pay up
the spread into the kitty, or join the bid/ask, always last in line
(as time priority is a joke, easily circumvented by a BD), and get/sell your
stock when the bid/ask becomes the new ask/bid in effect paying the spread into the kitty
or missing the execution altogether if it were to go your way.
If you want better fills, tell the SEC to address the agency/principal conflict,
Someone bound by best execution fiduciary responsabilities should not trade for
their own account, and all payment for order flow received should pass through
to the end client.
Want to see fewer cancels, make time priority mean something,
make it impossible for BDs to subpenny limit orders in alternative
venues like dark pools.
If everyone were to wait in the same line to get stock, they will not
cancel and loose their spot in the queue, and as a result you will
have thicker books and more displayed liquidity.
You have nicely summarized two of the many reasons Wall Street remains a cesspool, and even proposed reasonable fixes for the conflict of interest problem and the subpenny-ing to jump ahead in the queue.
I have zero hope any of this will change for the better from the retail traders perspective. I think you just have to understand you are dealing with liars, cheats, and thieves when you deal with Wall Street. It's the fundamental nature of the beast. Recognizing that nature is essential to success as either a trader or investor.
