what are your experiences with DA software that either offers or does not offer risk management features, specifically on Nasdaq stocks, namely trailing stops, stop limits, buy stops and stop orders?
My personal experience, stops are absolutely necessary. It reduces stress level, i.e. you wont need to stare at the screen all day. and it frees up your precious time to focus on discovering other trading opportunities, and profit potentials of your open positions. There have been lots of problems with IB's NAZ stops, and these days using stops with BEST_ECN routing seem to work OK... need to try few more days to make sure.
see my comments regarding Redi+ software and the utter lack of concern for the end customer's protection of their principal, by providing server side stop orders on Naz stocks. You'll find it interesting and satisfying. Also, look at the comments by Gene, who uses Redi heavily for his prop traders, hence not a true end customer. Funny how, being above 20 or 40+ traders gives you a middleman's perspective, while the actual traders are slogging it out on the beaches of Guam or Mindano'. Funny how McArthur never seemed to actually get his feet wet. I don't know about IB's stop issues, and perhaps you will enlighten us all, by being as verbose as your typing fingers can tollerate, however, I certainly know about NOT having Naz stops, and what it can and has done to my principal. You're right, its absolutely necessary.