what is most itneresting is routing and spread, if the bid/ask spreads are that tight, commissions are nthe issue ? whats the OTM spread say with a +10 delta like with your current order book during regular market hours for ES futures options say June expiry ?
I am using think or swim for charts, option research, on demand , ..etc I am also using options house for the big lots because of their prices
http://www.eoption.com/commissions_fees.html e option is another option if you're doing crazy volume b/c it's only $3 per trade ( know i hate per trade fees too) but it's only $0.10 per contracts
I've been an option trader for over 25 years. We all get frugal when it comes to commissions. Once the commissions are reasonable, the trading platform and services from the broker will do more to allow you to run a trading business then the cost. If you're an active trader, you want to be able to quickly and accurately enter your trades without errors. You will want access to both smart routes and DMA. And, you will want a broker that is accessible and knowledgeable on the phone when there are issues. Some traders here are more investors. You trade less often and look for a return on assets rather than trading income. For those traders the ability to do research on the platform will provide more value than easy to use or low commissions. IMO, broker neutral platforms like Silexx Obsidian and Sterling Trader will be a better choice for active traders. Retail platforms like TOS will be better for investors needing research from their broker rather than an outside source, which can get expensive. 1245
I guess I don't do that kinda research. What can you pull on the platform that you can't get for free on the Internet, perhaps though Yahoo Finance? I use IB, but wish their app was more like TOS.