ThinkOrSwim

any1 use the broker think or swim....they look pretty good and u can trade everythung with them

Yep, I use them and like them. They are very very honest. Platform is not so great for charting though. Just use someone else for that

ThinkOrSwim was designed to be an options broker and I found it a little hard to try and trade forex with them.

They were one of the best brokers I have ever dealt with though. If they every re-design their platform and make it more forex friendly, I will gladly switch back to them.

Good analysis Frank, I'm in the same boat that you are.

They are first an foremost an options broker - but their Forex platform is now fully integrated into their trading software. So it's much better than it was a year ago. If you don't trade with EAs or unique indicators built for MT4 - I would recommend them. The charting program is robust and their spreads on FOREX are good. You can trade everything with them: Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Mutual Funds.

Their software is constantly evolving - they send out updates every month. Their customer service is so good - it's almost unbelievable. My only concern is they were recently bought out by TD Ameritrade - they claim nothing will change but you never know. So things my be different a year from now but right now - Two thumbs way up for me.

I've traded with thinkorswim also, good company, customer service very good. I wasn't very impressed with the software package; it just didn't gell well with me. Nothing bad to say!

This thread seem to be dead but I had to search for something with thinkorswim...they have been my broker for over a year now; as ,any have mention ed they are great with options and I'd also say stocks.

Futures: not horrible but I've seen much better, with better leverage and way better quotes

Forex: HORRIBLE, first of all they may have good spreads, but look at the quotes and compare them to another broker and you'll laugh as ToS doesnt get 1/3 of the price movement that a standard fx broker does.

Also, and this is the worst part that has me ready to close my account: their infrastructure is not there. this is the second time in 2 weeks that I had to stop trading because an order didnt go through, I longed a pair and couldnt get out..im looking at it as I write this. They do have good customer service and will work with me by filling me around where I attempted to sell, however now Im stuck not trading all day missing opportunity

Overall, theyre a good broker. For Forex, wait until yo hear a few really good reviews from actual users before using them...as for now they have major issues to deal with

Hi all. I'm new to FF so I don't know much about posting on threads. I'm guessing not many traders on here use ThinkorSwim for FX since it has received so few posts.

I've been using them for stocks, options and futures and now am testing them out on forex.

I know they have made some major improvements to their platform since the last post on this thread. I just wanted to see if anybody has any comments about them lately.

Thanks.
Shafertrade

Thinkorswim as a brokerage and piece of software is being overtaken by the competition, and other than a niche for options traders and analysis, there's little reason IMHO to be with them.

Aside from the options analysis, there is no reason to trade forex or futures with them. The charting while average, is frankly sub-par compared to what TradeStation and NinjaTrader can offer, the latter being a very robust package, that a moderately experienced (or beginner) trader can grow with, which also has solidly licensed futures brokers making it available, as well as support from the likes of MBT, PFG and many others when it comes to spot forex. TOS is java based, which adds another interpretive layer and IMO provides a speed hit to overall performance. Their DOM/futures trading is terrible. Virtually all their trading costs are more than any of the competition, most by a wide margin - this adds cost quite quickly.

While support might still be good, you are using a niche product, which will provide most traders extremely limited choices when it comes to indicators, strategies, and overall trading community support. It is an ongoing uphill battle, where only the most self sufficient will thrive; it's a bit like having a Maserati or Bugatti.

There are many (users) that have given up on the TOS mission - they keep moving the goalposts, not delivering what they said they would, too frequently break functionality from one fix to another (leading to another fix), and there are apparently major management and company direction issues every since they were bought by TD, issues that are just not going away.

Overall, the 'coolness' of their platform quickly gets cast aside by all these issues. And, when a trader's goal is to make money with properly running robust software, TOS users become frustrated. Do yourself a favour and find a NinjaTrader or Tradestation implementation - they have a far wider user base and thus broader support.

IMO don't use it for Forex. I was doing the same for about the first month before I found out what MT4 was. To beginners: Use an MT4 (MetaTrader 4) platform over ThinkorSwim when it comes to Forex.

Thank you for your comments. They are helpful. I'll begin looking at other brokers.

I like their platform, it is pretty easy.
Fees are very small.

I have 3 accounts with TOS since 2007. Very good customer support, good for options and futures but really horrible for Forex, DON'T DO IT!!

Why is it horrible?

Hi guys,

I'm new to FXFactory, great site. I have a Mac os and don't want to go through any virtual pc for a platform, which throws MT4 out.

I've been trading options and forex with TOS for a while now and like the platform, but will probably begin concentrating on FX and futures more since they are open 24/7.

This leads me to ask: Among Mac os compatible brokers, which is best for FX and futures? I think IB is an option, is MB Trading mac compatible? TOS has slightly high fees, which isn't bad for longer positions.

Any info is appreciated, I'm rather new to all the software and brokers.

Thinkorswim offers platform for Mac too

Yeah Slov,

I use the mac compatible thinkdesktop and really like it, I was just wanting to check around to see if anyone had found other solutions for mac compatible fx and futures brokers. I'll probably end up staying with TOS, all the data feeds are free and the pip spreads are not much larger than Oanda's for instance.

I might check into MB Trading or IB eventually to see if I like the platforms.

Well, what about all brokers that offer web-browser platforms?

Such as FXCM, FX Solutions, GFTUK, IG Markets

It's possible, I just assume they will be less robust. Still, for order entry, they may be good.

every trade I did had heaps of slippage. They didn't want to know about it when Iasked why so much slippage.