The delay in data and connection will kill you. Emini NQ is impossible to chase with a system delay of even 1/10th of a second. DON"T TRADE NASDAQ OR FUTURES with REDI!
Why do you discourage the trading of eminis? Like anything, there are sucessful traders who can trade their markets of choice. You are forcing a bias for traders away from futures. Is that because your firm gets no margin charge?
My brother and I have been futures traders for year, and still own a seat on the CME. We learned a long time ago that the there is no real "edge" with "trading" the leading indicator. We have a dozen or so who trade the e's (ex floor guys), and even they aren't doing very well, and have stopped bothering with them. It has nothing to do with costs or firm benefits, simply part of our business model to encourage successful trading and discourage trading that is more difficult. I realize that some do well trading e's, but when equities are so much simpler to trade successfully, we prefer the equities. Don
There are plenty of ways to make (or lose) money trading. Do you discourage your traders from trading the QQQ and SPY by charging a higher rate?
We probably would if we could, but because they are a listed security, it's impossible to differentiate. We can use basket hedging with other securities that allow full use of capital and haircut, which we cannot do with e's. I am not against trading anything, and I even trade the e's myself once in a great while. We simply like trading equities and use the futures for indicators with our "live squawk box" from the floor of the CME. I figure "to each his own." Don