TD Ameritrade is a pretty good overall broker (and back a few
years ago I used them for futures), but it really depends on what
you're looking for. I use Tradestation for futures, but I have also
heard good things about IB.
Just went through this myself. I've used (and still have
accounts with)TD Ameritrade, Tradestation, and IB. TDA has a
very good mobile platform but their executions and commissions are
terrible ($2.25 + exchange fees[another$1.19]=$3.44/lot for
ES futures as well as the pleasure of the platform freezing
when it gets really busy). Tradestation is an excellent
product for charting and programming. I have some IRA
accounts with them. Their options platform is rather good and
their fees are better than TDA. However, you CANNOT
trade
options on futures from the main platform. You
have to have a separate Futures+ account which is web-based and
terrible and not attached to your equity account. I think TS
is $1.25or $1.50/lot
+exchange fees. I recently moved to IB (in September)
and think its great. $.80+$1.24=$2.04/lot for ES futures plus
volume rebates. Don't love their mobile platform for options
or their charts but definitely the most professional desktop
product and the fees can't be beat. Hope this helps!!
PS Can anybody recommend a
Posted by stevieb294 on 7th of Dec 2017 at 04:56 pm
PS Can anybody recommend a good futures broker. Doesn't have to be cheap, just needs to answer the phone. Unlike TradeStation. thanks
TD Ameritrade is a pretty
Posted by pinguin on 7th of Dec 2017 at 07:12 pm
TD Ameritrade is a pretty good overall broker (and back a few years ago I used them for futures), but it really depends on what you're looking for. I use Tradestation for futures, but I have also heard good things about IB.
Just went through this myself.
Posted by pep8261 on 7th of Dec 2017 at 11:49 pm
Just went through this myself. I've used (and still have accounts with)TD Ameritrade, Tradestation, and IB. TDA has a very good mobile platform but their executions and commissions are terrible ($2.25 + exchange fees[another$1.19]=$3.44/lot for ES futures as well as the pleasure of the platform freezing when it gets really busy). Tradestation is an excellent product for charting and programming. I have some IRA accounts with them. Their options platform is rather good and their fees are better than TDA. However, you CANNOT trade options on futures from the main platform. You have to have a separate Futures+ account which is web-based and terrible and not attached to your equity account. I think TS is $1.25or $1.50/lot +exchange fees. I recently moved to IB (in September) and think its great. $.80+$1.24=$2.04/lot for ES futures plus volume rebates. Don't love their mobile platform for options or their charts but definitely the most professional desktop product and the fees can't be beat. Hope this helps!!
Thanks for the replies. Much
Posted by stevieb294 on 8th of Dec 2017 at 07:05 am
Thanks for the replies. Much appreciated. I.B's platform makes my head hurt. But might be OK just to make trades. thanks again.
Schwab
Posted by jlevinthal on 7th of Dec 2017 at 06:42 pm
Schwab