The ability to see market opportunity in real-time and act on it immediately means
you have a better chance of capturing the buy/sell price you've targeted. Through
a traditional brokerage, the lack of control after you've placed your order
can significantly impact your profits and/or losses.
In fast moving markets, order execution speed can be the difference between a gain
or a loss, between taking advantage of an opportunity and missing it entirely. Direct
access almost eliminates the time gap between execution and trade confirmation as
well.
Slippage, the gap between the estimated cost of the transaction and its real cost,
is an important factor when executing a trade. This is particularly relevant in
a fast-moving market. There are other hidden costs at non direct access brokers
as well that affect the prices that consumers receive. Direct access is the most
transparent method of accessing the markets.
Remember: Account access, trade executions, and system response may be adversely
affected by market conditions, quote delays, system performance, and other factors.
