thinkorswim acquired by ameritrade.

Discussion in 'Retail Brokers' started by gaj, Jan 8, 2009.

  1. So let’s summarize the rumors or facts we have so far:

    1) The TOS platform will stay since that is most likely the main reason for the takeover.

    2) Commissions will go up.

    3) Personalized high level of customer service will be lost to the large scale generic version of TD.

    4) TD is self clearing and not a company currently designed for active traders so speed of quotes and executions may decline.

    5) Buy and hold investors will gain some things offered by TD.

    6) According to lawsuits there are apparently security issues if you have an account with TD.


    Please let me know if there are anymore or anything is incorrect above.
     
    #51     Jan 8, 2009
  2. Even Etrade has better commercials than TD

    <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3xQLTxvDkk4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3xQLTxvDkk4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

    VS:

    <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fn-StN5yNrk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fn-StN5yNrk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
     
    #52     Jan 8, 2009
  3. gaj

    gaj

    couple things: i'm one of the people who got spammed at ameritrade-only accounts...when do i get my $2? but i'm more hopeful that they can find out what *really* happened...

    ameritrade bought big easy investor (advanced analyzer) and problems happened with it soon after; no continuing progress, minimal support for technical issues, and a fair number of bad charts.
     
    #53     Jan 8, 2009
  4. Man this really sucks.


    I have an account with TOS and have always been very impressed with their options tools. They are as good as (or better than) anything I've seen out there for retailers.

    I have been very impressed with the new Active Trader feature as well. I've been watching it develop and it looks really cool. I was just getting ready to send over some funds to trade some spreads.


    They have really been working hard to make their platform top notch.

    They answer emails within 5-10 minutes, it's incredible. Knowledgeable staff...

    Not to sound all gay about it, but it was like a dream compared to some of shit where you can't even get a SALES REP to respond to an email asking about opening an account (the one thing you would expect them to be most concerned about).

    Should have known something like this would happen. When it sounds too good to be true...well, you know.


    The only thing I could possibly imagine would be that InvesTools bought them a while back and didn't screw them up, even though InvesTools is a pedestrian scam from hell (in my opinion)...so based on that it is possible that TD Ameritrade won't screw it up...but I doubt it.

    They were the antithesis of the generic ho-hum corporate broker...good customer service, active development, responsive to feedback, etc...Sorry but I just don't see that continuing.

    TD Ameritrade is a big whale and I imagine they will buy all this functionality up and then become complacent, as it seems they do with everything else.


    As far as I'm concerned, Tom, etc at TOS got greedy and killed the golden goose.
     
    #54     Jan 8, 2009
  5. They are a small fish being taken over by a large corporation. Look at the numbers, a company worth about 8 billion is paying the paltry sum of 600 million for TOS. What TOS is or was doing, or what they want is irrelevant. TD does not have futures; they are not set up to trade futures, futures options, or FX. I am not saying they won’t add it, but there is very little incentive to do so. Every customer connects to a quote server, there is no way every TD customer could connect to TOS’s system without crashing it.
     
    #55     Jan 8, 2009
  6. Anybody know anything about TD's back trading features, specifically for equity options? I'm currently on OptionVue and its the most disgraceful bit of programming I've ever paid 3K for!
    Unfortunately, I'm stuck with it as TOS's back-trading is still lacking.
     
    #56     Jan 8, 2009
  7. Who cares , I trade with just2trade.com and IB , both are good.
    TOS is just another broker , and you people get excited about
    the platforms and the monkeys , if you're good you can make money with any broker.
     
    #57     Jan 8, 2009
  8. Great!
    <img src=http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/attachment.php?s=&postid=2251736
     
    #58     Jan 8, 2009
  9. Fee hike is the killer for me.

    TOS stock commisions were already a bit on the high side but I tolerate(ed) it due to the multiple products, excellent platform. Higher trading costs will see me flee.

    Tom Sosnoff said many times that the gap between pro traders and his customers had narrowed to zero.

    This puts and end to that. At the first confirmation of rate hikes I'll pull my money out.

    sad day
     
    #59     Jan 8, 2009
  10. Are you pinheads seriously thinking they would trash the TOS platform and only keep the customers?

    Aint gonna happen
     
    #60     Jan 8, 2009