A little explanation first: I want to aggressively swing trade my retirement accounts. I started off trading at a prop shop, then left and started trading at home. I trade with Genesis securities, and I love their interface. My day trading account has a great hot-key setup where I can choose which ECN to hit, or the specialist. I like how I can hit orders quickly, choose the method, and get filled. In short -- I *love* Genesis securities. They're awesome. But they don't do 401k and IRA accounts [I don't think.] I tried the hot key setup on Interactive Brokers, and it is very lacking. I can't seem to figure out how to hit an order via NX, or hit ARCA or ISLD directly. You have to put down several rows for the different markets and you don't get a great user interface. Making me click the mouse is making me slip on pennies, and it's driving me crazy. Now, the question: I want a retail broker that gives me very direct control over order routing, plus an intuitive interface that gives me the inside quote displayed like a NASDAQ Level-2 screen, and I want a hot-key setup that allows me to pick specific ECNs from that screen and hit them. I've looked at MBTrading also. Their interface leaves much to be desired. I like IB and MB's commissions, but if I can get tight order fills and a reasonable hot-key setup, I'd be willing to switch. Can someone make a recommendation? I -hate- missed fills, or having to use a mouse to get accurate hits. I also do not like having multiple market depth windows open just to see what's on ARCA, ISLD, and BRUT instead. Can someone make some recommendations?
I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill. All you have to do is set up a hot key for buy/sell , and position the cursor on the route you want. Another hot key to send the order. Two hotkeys to do the trade, takes about 1/2 second.
A half-second is too slow. If I see a quote a like, I need it immediately. If I don't snatch shares on the book on a breakout on the stocks I trade, I'm going to end up overpaying by anywhere from 7-15 cents. That's just unacceptable.
Well, actually I exaggerated. It really, .000000000123 Seconds. The 1/2 Second assumed you were also surfing for porn and were distracted. Of course, if you don't indulge, the .000000000123 Seconds applies. Best of luck in all your endeavours.
Don't do it. What if you lose? Then you have to go back to work at Walmart as a front door greeter. You see those senior citizens standing at the front door Walmart when you enter? How sad. I bet 9 out of 10 of them daytraded their retirement accounts. Just be happy with what you have. Unless you are young enough to go back to work just in case of a loss, then don't daytrade. I know a daytrader that lost 2 million(he sold a business) and had to go back to work as a plumber and worked 2 years and saved 60,000.00 on his plumber job and now he is back to work daytrading. But my point is, that he was young enough to go back to work and make more money. I'm sure he'll lose that money too. So don't trade your retirement account. Keep it in a safe place.