Do you consider Ameritrade/QT as being a direct access platform? IF not, then how can they compete with TS or CyberTrader?
When Schwab bought Cybertrader....this helped to legitimize the direct access business...Then IB imposed favorable rates and got commissions down... What does not hurt is to have some more big name competition as more people will trade...there will be more and stronger voices to represent the interests of independent professional traders... QT has excellent charts...and TD Ameritrade is spending the money on advertising anyway...the dollars spent on QT are smarter than other types of advertising dollars...QT has proven that a limited free version creates customers and loyalty... I may be wrong...but I think that TD Ameritrade can set itself further apart from the likes of the other non boutique players in that their business is pure commissions...and that if they have a professional tier of business rather than just johnny joe public paying $7 to $9.99 per trade...this might give them a leg up... No doubt that the QT IB combination is the most competitive retail broad based product available.. And on the other hand...if TD Ameritrade does not develop an IB type category of business...then they are simply not going to attract the business...
Thanks, Mr. End. Not much there...but it's a start. Too bad, read only means no more feedback from the users, which means no suggestions, no new ideas...pity.
Not quite all doom and gloom... There is a New QuoteTracker Users group available at... www.QTusers.com Check out the forum for the latest developments