Two years ago I switched over to Fidelity from another Brokerage. I have been using there Active Trader Pro platform. Overall I would say it is just OK but what shocked me to my core was when I found out they did not offer a mobile version of the platform! I have talked to there Technical people at least a dozen times asking them when are they going to join the 21st century and offer a mobile version of there trading software. I mean come on! This is Fidelity Investments we a talking about! I can't tell you what a pain it is to haul around my laptop to other meetings and even family events during the day because if something happens and I need to make a trade I have to have a desk top or laptop available to make any trades. Now I have to say they claim to have come out with a version that can run on a Ipad but it still only on runs there there "Big Platform" Fidelity.com and not Active Trader Pro. Has anyone else out there encountered this same frustration with Fidelity or any other Brokerage that doesn't offer a mobile trading version of there platform?
I wonder why you even wonder^^ It's called "investments" for a reason. If you want to trade, chose a brokerage that caters to traders, not a fee hover for mom&pop 401k investors
Use a broker that specializes in investments, pensions, retirement just for that. Use another broker that specializes in active trading just for that. Thus, you should have two different brokers...one for investing and the other for active trading. In fact, I will go as far to say that you should keep the two separate (diversification) as another way to prevent risk of ruin. wrbtrader
Absolutely!!! I find it crazy that a multi billion dollar company like Fidelity doesn't have something you can do on your smart phone. When I ask them about it they give me the standard "Active Trader is to complex to be on a mobile device" Is Fidelity the only major brokerage that doesn't have a mobile platform or are there other Major Brokerages out there that also does not provide mobile device access?
Active Trader Pro is written by Wealth-Lab creators at around 2007-9 if I'm not mistaken. It's in C# and not easily portable to iOS or Android. No serious trader trades with a phone anyway. If carrying around a super light laptop is too much for you then you might be in the wrong business. Is your laptop from 2003 or something? Modern ultra class laptops are only a bit more size and weight than an iPad. Something that you can carry around with two fingers shouldn't be a major problem. I think I've used IB's mobile app once in 12 years. Fidelity is not far off, the capabilities are far superior than any mobile platform can offer. I suppose they could offer a website where you can only place simple trades, that makes sense but converting the whole platform for mobile is silly.
Thank you for you response! At least now I understand better why Fidelity doesn't have a mobile application.
I'm clearly in the wrong business....when people still pay 3.5$ per trade, why am I even working to find an edge in the market?? Your post is the proof that the homo oeconomicus doesn't exist.