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I have heard good things about ToS. InteractiveBrokers is also good on execution and commissions, as well as platform support. But their data and support is not as good, so if you are getting data elsewhere like IQFeed or if you are only using minute data, and are an experienced user then I would recommend them.
We have lots of reviews of futures brokers here, but I'd like to get input on recommended stock brokers. If you have experiences to share about a broker, please also post their minimum account opening requirements (for those wishing to swing instead …
Have InteractiveBrokers. I do not trade ETFs, but I have occasionally pulled charts for ETFs with NinjaTrader. As @Big Mike said, they only offer historical minute data (no tick data) and their real-time tick-data is condensed. This is not bad as it reduces CPU load for complex indicators, if you are not a scalper. For me it is fine.
TradeStation has ETFs. They also publish a list of hard to borrow ETFs if you want to short some. I used to have IB a few years ago and they also have ETFs. Some brokers also limit some ETFs to non-odd lots (multiple of 100 shares?). I ran into that issue a few times with IB trading MVV and MZZ. Check those brokers you find for issues like these if you have a list of specific ETFs you want to trade. I also have Fidelity for my 401k and they allow some of the major ETFs. However, I wouldn't recommend Fidelity. Absolutely the worse sham of an institution associated with the trading industry, but I'm stuck with it as long as I have my current job.
Regards,
-C
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” - Sun Tzu
I'm on TOS and concur. There are times when their data plant is off, or charts lag the DOM, but as long as you have a second data source you will know that before they alert you.
They actually do alert you, which is nice.
I do more ETF and options trading than futures trading in my personal account, and for that TOS is great. I can buy/sell underlying and buy/sell options on that underlying with ease. Note commish on futures on TOS is expensive.
If you believe Rithmic, they say they will be offering US equities via their ticker plant soon, which will be very, very interesting. That said they have missed a deadline or two for the rollout.
I have Interactive Brokers, and I mainly trade ETF's using NinjaTrader for charting. I set the 'save chart data as historical' option in NT in order to have real time tick data from IB stored in Ninja for historical tick data. I do hear a lot about the filtered/condensed tick data stream from IB, but I've never noticed that to affect me in anyway, and I am a scalper, I generally trade 4 Range charts, and have even traded down to 2 range charts on IB with no data issues that I could notice. I only use limit order entries. I think the condensed tick data issue would probably come into play if you are auto trading micro tick moves, and I think doing that over the internet instead of having an exchange co-located server would be foolish. So, for retail traders like us, I think IB data feed is just fine.