SpeedTrader Review

If you are a frequent trader, there are two important factors that you take into consideration when choosing a trading platform, speed and cost. The higher either variable is, the smaller your bottom line can potentially be as you will find out in this SpeedTrader review.

With SpeedTrader, you have the option to execute a trade as quickly as 0.0001 seconds with a streamlined platform designed to make it as simple as possible to initiate a trade with as few mouse clicks possible.

To get the most out of the SpeedTrader platform, you will need to be an experienced active trader with a relatively high account balance.

Brief Overview of SpeedTrader

SpeedTrader is a division of Stock USA Execution Services, Inc. (Stock USA) founded in 1999. It is one of the oldest online brokerages and specifically designed for active traders that trade stocks, options, futures, and forex.

As the name indicates, SpeedTrader is big on offering high-speed trading functionality. It isn’t necessarily the cheapest platform, but, it is one of the fastest.

Who Should Consider SpeedTrader?

SpeedTrader’s primary customer base is active experienced day traders for several reasons.

These reasons include the fact that you can:

  • get charged an inactivity fee if you do not execute enough trades each quarter,
  • high initial account minimums,
  • and a lack of research and educational support resources.

If you are a typical “buy and hold” investor, the fees will make it more expensive to trade here than elsewhere, even if you only need a barebones investing platform with minimal research and charting tools.

Likes & Dislikes

Unlike some other brokerages, SpeedTrader is intended directly for a specific type of trader. Meaning you will either love it or hate it.

Likes

  • Clients accepted internationally
  • Powerful professional platforms
  • Streaming real-time data
  • Very fast order execution (0.0001 seconds)
  • Wide routing options
  • 14-day free demo account

Dislikes

  • Quarterly inactivity fee
  • Very high account minimum ($30,000)
  • No free platform
  • Not the best charting
  • Routing fees

Investment Offerings

Active U.S. stock and options traders that primarily trade online will benefit like SpeedTrader the most. This is because you can only trade U.S. stocks and options with their online platform. If you also want to trade bonds or mutual funds, you will need to execute those trades via telephone.

To further encourage experienced day traders to begin their stock and option trading with SpeedTrader, they only accept margin and option accounts and do not support cash accounts. And, there’s a minimum initial account balance of $30,000 to get started.

If you only trade U.S. stocks and options, the lack of additional online offerings will not matter much.

SpeedTrader is built for day traders and stocks and options are the main equities they trade.

For investors who’d also like the opportunity to trade other investments will be better off doing so elsewhere as there is an additional fee for phone trades if the high initial account minimum and exclusion of cash accounts doesn’t ward you off initially.

Fees

Even though you need $30,000 to open an account, your account value can go below that amount afterward. However, your trade commissions will be higher if that balance drops below $25,000.

Also, you can be assessed a $30 inactivity fee if you do not make at least 15 trades each calendar quarter.

Finally, you might also have to pay software fees depending on your monthly commissions amount.

Trading Fees

  • Online Stocks: $4.49/trade or $0.0044 per share if account balance is greater than $25,000, $6.95/ trade if account balance is less than $25,000
  • Online Options: Start at $0.40 per contract
  • Phone-Assisted Trades: $30 per trade

Account Fees

  • Inactivity Fee: $30 per quarter if less than 15 trades made
  • IRA Annual Account Fee: $35 plus $25 initial setup fee

Software Fees

  • Active Web (Equity Level 1 Streaming and basic charting data): $25/month Waived after $199+ in monthly commissions
  • Pro Level 1 (Equity Level 1 Streaming with advanced features): $49/month Waived after $199+ in monthly commissions
  • Pro Level 2 (Equity Level 2 Streaming): $104/month Waived after $499+ in monthly commissions

Routing Fees

Routing fees can vary depending on the venue. They can be as little as $0.0015 to $0.005 for online trades.

There are no additional routing fees for options trades.

Platform

Usability

SpeedTrader PRO

This is SpeedTrader’s main platform. It is desktop based and was created by DAS Inc. SpeedTrader PRO is also their most powerful platform as it provides Level 2 information, multiple screen capability, and real-time streaming.

Like other professional platforms, you can also drag the various windows to different locations on your screen. And to help make trading as quick and easy as possible, the platform also has “point and click trading” and 100+ hot key options.

You can also try PRO for free for 14 days with a demo account.

ActiveWeb

ActiveWeb is the web-based platform and is also very good. It doesn’t provide Level 2 data or some of the more advanced charting features as the desktop version of SpeedTrader PRO, however, it still has the trading capabilities you need like order routing, real-time data, and watchlists.

Both platforms are very functional for active trading.

As with any desktop version of a platform, it is designed for the most serious traders and that is the same for SpeedTrader.

Unless, you need Level 2 data and some of the advanced features, the ActiveWeb platform will be more than sufficient.

Design

SpeedTrader PRO

The desktop platform has the look and feel of a professional trader platform with the ability to customize the modular windows to fit your needs and also choose the different themes: dark, default (light), and blue.

Unlike some other platforms, this one has more of a classic feel to it that you might appreciate for its simplicity.

ActiveWeb

ActiveWeb is also very easy on the eyes as you can choose from three different color schemes: Eggplant, Vader, and Mint Chocolate to better suit your preferences.

The platform has one primary box in the center and is flanked by additional information such as stock quotes or watchlists on either side.

Customization Options

An advantage of having the SpeedTrader PRO platform is the ability to customize almost everything from the toolbars to rearranging the windows within the platform.

You can also save different layouts for future use, employ over 100 hot keys, create custom scanners, and have over 25 routing options.

As the PRO platform was built by DAS Inc., it is regarded as being one of the fastest trading platforms and these customizations help make trading even quicker in addition to being easier to navigate and look at.

Mobile

The third and final platform is the SpeedTrader mobile trading app. To the potential surprise of many, this app is very powerful as you can access Level 2 data and it has many of the same capabilities as the ActiveWeb web platform like streaming real-time data, advanced charts, and option chains, etc.

Despite all these advanced features, it is still easy to use.

SpeedTrader probably has one of the best apps for an online brokerage. Not many offer the same data and charting capabilities. As mobile trading is becoming more popular, this is one area SpeedTrader seems to be ahead of the curve.

Trading Process

Order Filling

Fast trading is the lifeblood of SpeedTrader. Their platforms have been optimized to allow you to make the most advanced trades in the least amount of time. Online, you can trade U.S. stocks and options.

You have 25+ routing options for stocks, OTC/BB, and Options. When it comes to trade can be execution, they can be completed in as little as 0.0001 seconds!

Charting

If you like using advanced charts for trading, you might find SpeedTrader’s charting capabilities lacking. This is probably their largest weakness.

You still have access to charts that a beginner investor would not comprehend as they offer various chart types, indicators, and a wide variety of time frames.

If you already have an idea of what you want to trade, their charting tools will probably be okay. But, it’s still a few notches below TD Ameritrade, probably the highest touted brokerage for the advanced charts.

Research

SpeedTrader’s primary purpose is to execute advanced trades quickly and cheaply. To remain on mission, they have very few research resources as adding more would drive up costs and potentially make their platforms more complex.

Their research platform basically consists of a barebones news feed. It’s better than nothing, but, you will need to do any amount of substantive research elsewhere.

Educational Materials

Since SpeedTrader’s ideal customer is a professional active trader with extensive investing experience, they do not offer an educational center that other brokerages offer to discuss topics like Stock Options 101 or the difference between a stock equity and a mutual fund.

They do have video tutorials on how to use their SpeedTrader PRO desktop platform and ActiveWeb browser platform that allows you to maximize the value and functionality of the trading platform for the multiple trades you might execute in a month.

Support

If you need to contact SpeedTrader for any reason, they have a live customer support team Monday-Friday. 8AM-5PM EST. You can contact them by phone or live chat during these hours for technical help, or, initiate a trade. They are also available by e-mail 24/7.

SpeedTrader Review Final Verdict

SpeedTrader clearly isn’t for every trader because they specialize in active day trading and require a high initial account balance of $30,000 to help deter those that might only do active trading as a part-time hobby.

If you simply need a cost-effective day trader platform and have the ability to research potential trades elsewhere, beyond charting data, SpeedTrader is worth considering.