Rating: 
- Stocks & ETFs: $5 per trade
- Options: $0.50
- Mutual Funds: $14.95
TradeStation Overview
TradeStation is an on-line brokerage firm catering to active traders, day traders, and professional investors. With an award-winning trading platform and a wide selection of investment products, this broker is well worth checking out.
New Account Setup
It takes less than 15 minutes to submit the broker's online account application. After submitting it, you have to wait for the application to be approved, which takes about 20 minutes. After establishing the account, the broker emails funding instructions. Several different funding methods are available, including wire transfer, mailing in a check, or moving securities from a different broker. TradeStation also offers ACH transfer. In order to establish ACH capability, customers need to print and fax a form along with a copy of their driver's license.
TradeStation Cost Of Trading
TradeStation offers two commission plans for trading stocks and ETFs: flat-rate and pay-per-share. Flat-rate commissions are $5 per stock or ETF
trade for non-IRA accounts and $4 per trade for IRA's. The pay-per-share commission plan is very good for clients who trade a lower amount of shares:
the first 500 shares are $0.01 per share, and $0.006 per share thereafter. There is a $1 minimum per trade.
Trading Tools
TradeStation's direct-access platform is one of the best in the industry. It offers all the sophisticated trading tools investors can expect to find in professional trading software. Equities, futures, options, and forex can all be traded from the platform.
TradeStation is one of the few online brokers that offers automated trading. The broker's back-testing software is very popular among futures traders. Order entry and execution are flawless. The platform is fully customizable.
One of the most valuable tools in the platform is the simulator, which allows users to try out their trading plans and ideas in a simulated scenario without putting real money on the line. Traders can create different custom trading strategies and back test them before placing an actual trade. Users can also follow market trends and plan strategies according to the trends. TradeStation delivers this through a comprehensive database, consisting of historical market data and analysis.
The platform has useful testing tools, powerful strategy creation, and custom-built analytics. It is very popular among futures traders because of excellent futures trading tools and low commissions ($1.20 to $0.25 per contract). The advanced trading platform is difficult to learn, and might be too complex for novice investors.
Sophisticated smartphone and tablet applications are available for Apple and Android. Users rated apps at 4.5 stars at iTunes and Google Play stores.
TradeStation app clients can access core features of award-winning desktop platform and their TradeStation accounts in real time. They can set
price and volume alerts or use their iPhone or iPad to chart, trade and monitor their portfolio on the go.
Awards
TradeStation has won numerous awards. For example, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance named TradeStation as “Best for Active Stock Traders”. Barron's gave TradeStation the highest rating for "Best for Frequent Traders" and "Best for International Traders" categories. The broker also received high ratings in six major categories in the Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities (TASC) Readers' Choice Awards. TASC readers voted TradeStation "Best Trading System for Stocks" and "Best Trading System for Futures". TradeStation has also won awards for "Best Institutional Platform", "Best Professional Platform", and "Best for Real-Time Data". For several years, we have rated TradeStation "Best for Futures Trading" and "Best for International Investors".
Alternative Investments
In addition to stocks and ETF's, TradeStation also offers options, mutual funds, fixed income, forex, futures, and over-the-counter stocks.
Brokerage Highlights
TradeStation offers webinars throughout the week to keep investors knowledgeable of market trends. For example, traders can take webinars on the
futures market or a daily stock market session.
TradeStation Review Summary
We recommend TradeStation for all customers who can avoid a $50 annual inactivity fee (simply having over $2,000 account will do it). The broker
is a great value for active stock, options and futures traders. However, considering very few mutual funds choices, mutual fund investors should look elsewhere.
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TradeStation
reviewed by TopRatedFirms.com
Rating: 3.5