Best short locates and crummy charts and service...
This is my primary broker. TWS is buggy and old style. It does have good third party tools by outside developers. It also has the BEST short locates of any broker for a small time player. Also, they supposedly have a better deal on that IF you have at least a 100K+ balance.
They have their own clearing firm, not the overused Penson, so that might explain matters on obscure penny stock short locates and numbers of share available, which is also the best there is for the sub 100K balance set, like your truly.
They can and WILL liquidate positions on margin when you are in arrears without consultation or warning, I have heard, but I have never been in trouble so I cannot comment here.
Their charts are terrible. Just miserable. Poor screen captures follow, for the record.
They do not allow share reservation for shorts as does Think or Swim.
But they are the cheapest for active traders per share, AND on some obscure exchanges, the price does not scale up as in the bundled terms as you buy many more shares, which is the case when trading NYSE stocks, etc.
What I also find troubling is their poor customer service, and their hidden inactivity fees. I realize most will generate 30 USD per month in commissions, but NO BROKER should be able to charge inactivity fees, it is just wrong!
Recently, they raised the fees to 20 per month if failing to make at least 30 USD in commissions per month, up 100% since I joined as it used to be 10 USD!
This means they charge commissions whether you trade or not, whether you have a 25K+ balance or not.
So why am I keeping them and suggesting them?
I am a penny player and their borrows and locates and amounts for shorting are hands down the best of any broker I have seen, that is why. Also great fills and direct access routing and configuration of that, order types and combos are supreme like no other.
Use third party apps like Quote Tracker for charts, data feed, etc. and get an acccount now!
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