|
|
Thinkorswim vs MB Trading
|
Thinkorswim vs MB Trading: Commissions and Investments 2012
|
|
- Stocks and ETFs: $4.95 for limit and market regular hours orders for up to 10,000 shares
- OR $0.0075 per share with a $4.95 minimum per trade (proprietary order routing through MBTX system)
- Executions on foreign stock exchange: $4.95 + 0.01 per share
- Options: $0.95 per contract, per side, and no minimum ticket charge
- Mutual funds: $12.95 for no-load funds
- Bonds: $12.95
- Futures: $0.95 per contract
- Pink Sheets & OTC BB: $8.95 per trade, no limit to number of shares
- Forex: $2.95 per $100,000 traded
- Investment products: stocks, options, mutual funds, Forex, futures, bonds, ETFs
- Minimum to open MB Trading account: $1,000 for cash account, $2,000 for margin, $400 for a Forex, $500 for IRA
- All MB Trading fees
|
- Stocks and ETFs: $9.99
- Stocks and ETFs broker assisted: $49.99
- Stocks and ETFs Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Telephone System: $34.99
- Options: $9.99 plus $0.75 per contract
- No-load mutual funds: $49.99
- Treasuries at auction: $25 flat fee
- All other bonds and CMOs, CDs: on a net yield basis
- Futures: $3.50 per contract (inclusive of exchange fees)
- Investment products: stocks, bonds, mutual funds, options, ETFs, bonds, CDs, UITs, futures and forex
- Minimum to open Thinkorswim account: $0 for cash account, $2,000 for margin account
- All Thinkorswim fees
|
|
|
- Good commissions on market and limit orders (regular hours only and below 10,000 shares)
- Excellent trading tools
- Great customer service
- No ECN and exchange fees
- No maintenance, inactivity or hidden fees
|
- ThinkOrSwim is now part of TD Ameritrade - one of the largest brokerages in US with many local branches
- No additional commissions on stocks under $2, large-size orders and extended hours trading
- Best trading platform in the industry
- Free virtual trading
- Trader community
- No-fee retirement accounts
- No maintenance and inactivity fees
- Free streaming quotes
- Independent research offered through S&P and Morningstar
|
|
|
- Surcharge of $0.005 per share for extended hours and orders
executed using the Reserve, Discretionary, or Pegged order types
- $30 annual fee for IRAs
- High margin rates
- $0.01 per share fee to exercise options contracts
|
- High commissions
- High margin rates
|
MB Trading or Thinkorswim: Comparison Summary
MB Trading (MB Trading Review)
offers lower commissions than
Thinkorswim/TOS (Thinkorswim Review):
$5 for stocks and ETFs, while in TOS stock and ETF trades are $9.99 per trade (negotiable for active traders).
However, MB Trading charges additional $0.005 per share for extended hours trading, which makes these trades
prohibitively expensive.
Both companies offer great trading tools, good customer service and plenty of investments to choose from.
There are no account inactivity and maintenance fees at either firm.
Unlike Thinkorswim, MB Trading charges $30 annual IRA fee and therefore is not a good choice for a brokerage retirement account.
If you are new to investing, you will appreciate that Thinkorswim provides free virtual trading that allows customers to practice trading
with fake money. The firm also offers online user community where one could learn from more advanced members and even get investment
ideas.
Both firms are very good. MB Trading would work great for very active traders. Thinkorswim is now part of TD Ameritrade, one of the
largest brokerage firms in US, and it's a better choice for majority of investors.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|