It is worth to pay $125-per month for DasTrader having a small account?

Discussion in 'Trading Software' started by Mpas, Jul 15, 2019.

  1. I wasn't clear enough I guess. I meant 3 intra day round trips. I am aware that it is a 5 day rolling period but most of the time I will re enter at some point in the morning, and so I usually just figure on making three trades on my trading day. Wasn't thinking about a single trade in a day. So yeah you are right.

    The way IB does, is when you attempt to enter a 4th possible day trade, the order is not accepted and that's it. Somehow one day I got off balance and ended up with a position still open, but orders refused. Don't remember exactly how that happened. I decided to click "close all positions" and see what would happen. The order went in, but I got the dreaded PDT notice and my account was frozen. Still is, but I will be funded at $50k late next week and I will get the freeze lifted.

    Me, I don't trade futures. I don't know futures. I don't know my futures from my pasts half the time. Confusing and scary. Stocks are comforting and familiar. I buy something, then I sell it. Or I sell something I don't have yet, then buy it later. I am good with all that LOL. GF trades futures. I leave that to her.
     
    #21     Aug 4, 2019
  2. bbpp

    bbpp

    If you

    If you trade stocks, open an account at TDameritrade, their platform thinkorswim is very good, and it is free as long as you have an account.
     
    #22     Aug 4, 2019
  3. Indeed it is. In fact I think TOS is maybe a slightly better platform than TWS, but I think maybe IB is a slightly better broker for day trading than TDAmeritrade. So for me it was kind of a tossup but I went with IB/TWS in the end. Being a Linux user, IB or TDAmeritrade were really my only viable choices. Nobody else gives two shits about Linux users because they are a small market share. I started with IB and for now I will stay with IB, at least for stocks and ETFs.

    Anyway I don't think the OP is going to find DAS Trader to be money well spent, with an account that small. And he wants to go with IB. So that kinda points to IB's free platform, TWS.
     
    #23     Aug 4, 2019
  4. bbpp

    bbpp

    You don't need to trade with tdameritrade.Just have an account with them and use their platform, and trade with IB.
     
    #24     Aug 5, 2019
  5. Oh I never would have thought of that. Surprised that either brokerage would allow it, actually. I might have to take another look at TOS, then. Kinda miffed that TWS does not have a proper VWAP indicator, among other minor irritations, though overall it is a good platform.

    So I could just put a couple thou in a TDA account and maybe just buy and hold something there, and use TOS to day trade on IB? No minimum commission or other fees on the TDA end? Where is the profit for TDA? Have you actually done this?
     
    #25     Aug 5, 2019
  6. bbpp

    bbpp

    I have less than $20 in my TDameritrade account. I never made any trade for several years, yet I used TOS for several years.
    I heard some guys who didn't put any money in their accounts, but still were able to use TOS.
     
    #26     Aug 5, 2019
    GrowleyMonster likes this.
  7. Way cool. Thanks for the tip.
     
    #27     Aug 5, 2019
  8. Mpas

    Mpas

    #28     Aug 16, 2019
  9. Well, I set up an account with TD Ameritrade, downloaded and installed TOS, and here I am... I can't figure out how to hook it up to IB.
     
    #29     Aug 16, 2019
  10. MotiveWave

    MotiveWave Sponsor

    MotiveWave is another option now for Linux, and we are broker and data neutral with 30+ supported broker and data feed connections.
     
    #30     Jan 30, 2020