IB vs Tradestation

I could not even use TradeStation this week. TS does not handle high volume well at all.

It is great for daily or weekly swing traders, etc. but not "fast traders" looking to pick up a few points at a time. The forum is loaded with useful trading codes and TS has great historical data. The charts are beautiful too.

TS has more generous futures margins than IB. IB is the Scrooge of the futures margin world.

You can use many different front-ends and data feeds with IB, which you may want since their TWS and "snapshot" data are both horrible IMHO.

It just depends on your trading style.
 
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Cdntrader said:
"TS does not handle high volume well at all."

That kinda defeats the purpose of trading doesn't it? Time for a new broker?
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They are not my only broker, so I did trade this crazy market last week.

TS usually works OK with the "normal" volume of the last several years.

Last week was extraordinary with something like a 13 Sigma move in the VIX.

But with the QE ending, volatility and volume seem set to return to the markets.
 
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Cdntrader said:
"TS does not handle high volume well at all."

That kinda defeats the purpose of trading doesn't it? Time for a new broker?
More...
I will be up and running this week with a new broker.

I am also dissatisfied with IB - for different reasons. But at least I could trade the VIX spike week with IB.
 
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You can do what TS does, and more with a lifetime Multicharts license, and have better data, and brokerage service. IQFeed>Multicharts>IB API is hard to beat for retail.
 
As far as a brokerage, IB is head and shoulders above TradeStation, . I love the TS platform and historical data, but the brokerage is the worst I have ever used.
 
Yes, I am looking at the LightSpeed web site right now Robert. Unfortunately, I had contacted LS in the past and was assigned another rep
 
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