Trading Platforms

[KGTrader4]

I use ThinkorSwim at TDAmeritrade. Costs me nothing and is very robust.
I’m sure other trading platforms like Scwab, IB, etc are similar. Yet I see some using paid platforms like Trading View, TrendSpyder, TC 2000 and others.

am I missing something?

 

[Robert Morse]

You might be missing a cost that is hard to put a value on, fast order entry, fast execution, choice of order types and Exchange/ECN and trading from 4am to 8pm. To name a few. This is what we offer but nothing is free.

 

[KGTrader4]

I’m really talking about charting capabilities, maybe trading platform is the wrong word. I’m not day trading and I’m not trading size. So I don’t think fast execution means much to me. (I press buttons fast lol )

 

[smallfil]

I use ThinkorSwim at TDAmeritrade. Costs me nothing and is very robust.
I’m sure other trading platforms like Scwab, IB, etc are similar. Yet I see some using paid platforms like Trading View, TrendSpyder, TC 2000 and others.

am I missing something?

I also, have ThinkorSwim as my trading application which I think is good enough for trading. Also, have stockcharts to more closely, look at stockcharts of individual stocks. Have a subscription to IBD to get list of stocks already, screened as to fundamentals. Finviz.com is free too and can provide a very good screener as well as looking for the strongest and weakest sectors from which to look for stocks to trade.

 

[KGTrader4]

I also, have ThinkorSwim as my trading application which I think is good enough for trading. Also, have stockcharts to more closely, look at stockcharts of individual stocks. Have a subscription to IBD to get list of stocks already, screened as to fundamentals. Finviz.com is free too and can provide a very good screener as well as looking for the strongest and weakest sectors from which to look for stocks to trade.

I also have IBD and FINVIZ.

what do you get from stock charts that you can’t get on TOS?

 

[smallfil]

I also have IBD and FINVIZ.

what do you get from stock charts that you can’t get on TOS?

Since, I don't day trade, I find I like that I can enlarge the stockcharts where my eyes can more clearly see it. We reach the point that the older you are, the hardest it is to look at small print. The trends, support and resistance levels, candlestick patterns, etc. Stockcharts has a rating system too for the tickers you look at. Have not backtested it as I do not use it. I am fine with the swing trading and trend following systems I use that I have already backtested and found works for me. There is also, the annotation function I use in stockcharts which I can save. Of course, each day, one new candlestick is added to the StockChart. I do update my stockcharts then, revising the annotation as needed.

 

[tomkat22]

If you decide to start shorting stocks the availability of shares to short becomes an issue. IBKR does a "fair" job of having shares to short. I understand Centerpoint also does a decent job in that area.

 

[M.W.]

I had a trial for IBD and never got what value they add. It was the worst service ever. Even lower value than most free finance websites. Did I miss something?

I also, have ThinkorSwim as my trading application which I think is good enough for trading. Also, have stockcharts to more closely, look at stockcharts of individual stocks. Have a subscription to IBD to get list of stocks already, screened as to fundamentals. Finviz.com is free too and can provide a very good screener as well as looking for the strongest and weakest sectors from which to look for stocks to trade.

 

[TheDawn]

I use ThinkorSwim at TDAmeritrade. Costs me nothing and is very robust.
I’m sure other trading platforms like Scwab, IB, etc are similar. Yet I see some using paid platforms like Trading View, TrendSpyder, TC 2000 and others.

am I missing something?

The same sometimes cannot be sai of IB. It might cost nothing but it is not very robust and has failed many times. I dunno about the other paying trading platforms but many times paying trading platforms provide extra features or proprietary tools of functionalities that might be of value to traders. Everything depends on how useful it is to you in terms of its cost. There are even data providers that charge a high premium price for the same price data that you can otherwise get for free and yet people still gladly pay for it.

 

[KGTrader4]

I had a trial for IBD and never got what value they add. It was the worst service ever. Even lower value than most free finance websites. Did I miss something?

I like the stock lists, and updates throughout the day. They also feature a stock each day in the Stock of the day” column, which is usually a technically strong stock, so it’s a good source of ideas.
But that’s me, we are all different