Traders: Preferred “Real-Time” Apps Used?

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open an account at Schwab and download the think or swim app on your phone or computer or both. That's the best I have found.

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Good to know. I've started working on setting up a biz acct with Fidelty as I have a personal one with them to connect the 2, so was trying to avoid starting another acct. At least for now.

Was looking to see if there was something in the Apple Store or even a really good website. If the TOS is that good I'll definetly look into it though.

Thanks again.

TradingView

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If you're with Fidelity, you probably want to look into Active Trader Pro if you're looking for real time capability.

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Thanks. Its on my list of things to look into, once i get my Corp Biz acct finalized. Do you (or anyone else) use it?

If there is a thread on it on here already I'd love to read it. I searched for it, your msg was the only one that popped up, so not sure if the search function picks it up right.

Don't really know if there's anything on here about it, but here is the product page on Fidelity's site. I don't use it or any platform like it myself because of general restrictions regarding my job function and employer.

They have fairly thorough training aids, might not be perfect, but a good place to start.

Fidelity ATP

Awesome. Thanks for the info. I'll look into it for sure.

Interactive Brokers is best a retail person can get. Level II, but as importantly dark pool (at least the ones retail investors can get to). Algo trades, etc. Not as much recently, but in the past some of my options were very lightly traded, and hiding large trades is pretty important. Once upon a time their dark pool access was the best kept secret in active trading. That’s changed a lot. More people do this, still not a lot of people, but you just can’t get to some dark pools unless you’re an institutional trader.

It’s the best platform a retail trader can get to. A lot of hedge funds, etc. use it.

The trades are cheap, the liquidity rebates are generous, and margin rates )which are account size and account specific) are the lowest you can get. It’s ala care though, so you pay for whatever feeds etc. you want.

Level II isn’t real time, it’s market depth. You can get closer to real time depending g on what feeds and what exchanges you route trades to.

IBKR is certainly a fine, highly rated brokerage. And it does have some features that more advanced traders can make use of. My point to the OP, being that he’s a beginning trader: the tools are not nearly as important as learning the basic mechanics of trading. Unless one has extensive experience trading “size”, dark pools and Level 2 vs Level 3 are not something that a beginner needs to worry about.

IMO, he should stick with securities and products that are highly liquid, not thinly traded and again (mostly) learn how to manage risk. A custom built six monitor rig running on IBKR won’t make him any more money than an old MacBook Pro setting beside an iPad Mini running on Robinhood if he doesn’t get the basics down. Don’t get lost in the weeds worrying about the peripherals of trading. I watched a friend of mine from years ago torch his account (and almost wind up in divorce court) because he had the tools and toys, but didn’t have the necessary fundamental foundation.

This young fellow seems to have what I’d call a temperament for trading (no big ego, data driven and a desire to learn). I hope that some of what’s posted here is useful to him.

I don't disagree. Especially now when you can use algorithms, but you're competing against more advanced algorithms and supercomputers. You're competing against hidden pricing and depth. My position is one can't really day trade using the former traditional definition of day trading.

You can trade, whether that is using fundamentals, technical trading, or whatever you choose, but I do believe one needs to go into any trade understanding Level II is not real time, and Level II is used to deceive and rip the heads off of retail investors. If you're going to do it, you need to do it in a manner not setting yourself to lose to the extent possible.

In the present environment I'd advise against most frequent trading. I don't really trade much, and haven't for a long time, but I can still see the retail guys get their heads ripped off trying to be too cute.

I'd say TOS, etc., aren't the platforms for this gentleman. This said, learning IB would take in my opinion several months before anyone should ever attempt to place a trade. I'd say something similar for whatever platform one is going to use, except less time.

All this stuff is easy on paper. What's the methodology? What's my risk management, etc.? That's stuff is easy to say and write down, harder to do. Same with the platform. It takes a while to learn it. What very few ever do is practice. It's like anything else, you have to practice.

@Jag_Warrior, you especially know what I'm referring to. Warren Buffet lied to his shareholders about derivatives. I'm a shareholder FWIW. You know derivatives can be some of the most conservative trading strategies available, and are usually the least expensive way to hedge, or insure most of your assets downside.

We constantly hear buy and hold. We almost never hear buy, hold, rebalance and insure. So essentially we're told to buy, hold and get slaughtered. Or in practice that's what a lot of people hear and do. I get tired of it. A guy on here told me I couldn't short a short due to carrying cost. Another financial guy on here talked about shorting a bank stock. I tracked that trade, and looked for the odd lot he mentioned since he's stated on here what platform he sues, I knew exactly where to look. It was a bad, bad trade. Or I should say it would have been a bad, bad trade, becuase the guy never made the trade.

I'd personally not actively trade stock in the present environment. I not against trading like most of us on here do from time to time, but when people post about actively trading I don't think they have a clue how difficult it is, and what they're up against.

Had International Broker now use Trading View.