Do you need to subscribe to those quotes to trade? I don't think so. When I had my IB account a few years ago I setup a watch-list of stocks, options and futures (YM, GC and the Singapore Mini Nikkei 225 Index ) using the browser based platform. The watch-list had real-time quotes and I could buy or sell with a few clicks. I wasn't subscribed to anything.
I hate to break it to you, but there is no way you were trading with real time information. Nobody ever said that you had to subscribe to market data to place trades. Free quotes are delayed unless it is Forex.
You wish! It would be around 15 minutes. This is why most retail traders complain about slippage. They place orders that are not always filled at the same price as it is quoted on their screen. This is because either they do not have direct access and/or do not have real time market data.
So, I would surmise that you do not daytrade options or equities. 15 minutes can result in decent jumps. These jumps are more pronounced in options. If you are trading an AAPL option with a premium of $2.00 and a delta of 1.00, then if AAPL goes up $1.00/share in minutes, which is highly likely, the premium will increase by $1.00. As a result, you are likely to buy or not notice that your option has increased in value 50% if you are already in it, or buy it at a much higher price than expected if you are not. It does not do any good to place a limit order way out in left field because you do not know where the price is.
The only thing that's ridiculous is a supposedly seasoned trader who doesn't know he's not using real time market data.
You did not say "need", you said real-time data, look it up. Stop changing the topic - you didn't have any idea what you were talking about so why not just acknowledge that. He didn't ask about "few years ago" as that doesn't matter one bit what was then. Now is now. Do you know what's worse than no advice? WRONG advice. Calling yourself "OptionGuru", that's hilarious.