Determining which broker best meets the needs of of an individual trader remains a matter of personal choice. Where one trader might determine lightening fast executions matter more than low commissions or superior customer service, another trader might feel low commissions or software integration best suits his / her needs. I have switched brokerage firms a total of ten times over the years, and I feel I made my last change when I moved to MBT. Although I do not need significant amounts of hand holding when trading, should I experience a problem, I want someone from the brokerage firm to handle the situation quickly. I want to have the ability to dial a phone number and near instantly speak to a human to resolve my concerns. I don't want to send an email, open a trouble ticket, or post to ET in order to resolve the situation. I have held an account through MBT for a little over a year. In that time, I have only experienced one problem. A phone call to MBT's customer service desk quickly solved the problem - without a single penny lost by the delay. In addition, when using MBT's Smart Routing Software, I receive price improvement so frequently I stopped counting long ago. As I result, I feel MBT's combination of superior customer service, lightening fast executions and low commissions create a scenario which is difficult to beat. Another trader might feel differently based on their own needs as a trader, and I do not discount the validity of the difference in opinion. For me though, the choice was crystal clear. Good Trading to you. - Spydertrader
Tradestation has pretty much the same com schedule as IB and the best charting platform in the industry, but there is a monthly fee unless you meet certain trading requirements. I have been using IB and TS for many years and never had a problem getting a good execution.
www.sogoinvest.com Has $1 trades for 90 days I opened an IRA account, unfunded at "Banc of America", and get a data feed from the login and pw there for QT. I was approved for IB, but haven't funded it yet. Acct also at TradeKing and SogoInvest, and Sharebuilder (for promos) Anyway, good luck!
Rental assets? Like if someone decides not to pay rent then you have zero $$ coming in? I have seen it happen...