For many investors, the trading platform is the brokerage. They may never visit a branch or speak to an adviser. Every impression they form of the firm comes from a screen, which makes choosing that platform one of the most commercial decisions a broker takes.
Speed is the first test
Active investors notice delay immediately. Market data has to arrive instantly, and sending an order has to take as little time as possible. Optimum Trader, the OTS online trading platform, is built around exactly that: it delivers market data instantly, processes the signals and messages of the trade engine and the order management service, and gives clients a workspace designed for sending orders quickly.
The basics, done properly
- Placing, editing and tracking orders, with order status and the order book.
- A list of trades for each order, so clients see exactly how it was filled.
- A portfolio view with gain, loss and efficiency calculation.
- Account reports and online payment in the same place.
None of these is unusual on its own. What matters is that they work together in one place, so a client does not have to leave the platform to understand their own position.
Helping clients decide
Clients trade more confidently when they have good information. Optimum Trader adds processed financial data, buy and sell signals from market experts, technical analysis and personalized alerts. Brokers that want to go further can pair it with a portal such as Daily Insight, which brings analysis, news, daily reports and education together.
Room to practise and room to grow
New investors often hesitate to place their first real order. Virtual trading inside the platform lets them practise first. For more experienced clients, support for credit trading and strategic trades keeps the platform useful as their activity grows.
What sits behind the screen
A trading platform is only as good as the controls behind it. Orders still need to pass through the broker’s order management system, where buying power, credit lines, position limits and price bands are checked before anything reaches the market. Choosing a platform that is designed to work with the firm’s OMS and back office avoids gaps between what the client sees and what the firm records.
For many investors, the trading platform is the brokerage.
A short checklist
- Is market data instant, and how quickly can a client send an order?
- Can clients see trades per order and a full portfolio view?
- Are analysis, signals and alerts built in?
- Does the platform connect cleanly to your OMS and back office?
- Was the user experience designed for online trading, or adapted from something else?