Best Online Broker Trade Platforms 2012

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In our search for finding the best trade platform 2012, we looked at both web (browser) and desktop based platforms. Platform ease of use, flexibility, depth of functionality, and charting capabilities were all in focus. Some of our top stock broker platform recommendations are as follows:

When we broke down the best trade platforms in our 2012 online broker review there were several brokers that really stood out: TD Ameritrade, ETRADE, and TradeStation.

TD Ameritrade took the overall crown for Best Platforms & Tools 2012 with both of its platforms, Trade Architecte and thinkorswim, winning individual awards as well. Trade Architect, TD Ameritrade's web based platform, is designed for casual investors and is built for to be an easy to use, feature rich product. The platform boasts the best and most advanced real-time streaming watch list out of all the online brokers. It includes not only streaming quotes but quote trends, trade trends, a relative range indicator, and a 52-week range bar to easily identify how close the stock is to its 52-week high. TD Ameritrade's desktop platform, thinkorswim, is built for active traders and is simply a work of art. Sevreal hundred studies can be added to any stock chart, scalability is a breeze, advanced options tools are standard, and even backtesting can be performed on the fly. To top it off, both platforms offer free live CNBC TV.

ETRADE also boasts an advanced platform, Power ETRADE Pro, which helped the broker take the #1 overall broker spot in our 2011 broker review. What we really enjoy about Power ETRADE Pro is how easy to use the platform is. Even while catering to active traders, the platform still makes it simple for investors to find what they are looking for and execute with precision. All tools are platform features are easy accessible with mini icons spread across the top of the platform. Real time sales, level II quotes, and the like are all standard with ETRADE's go to platform.

TradeStation is another broker that impressed us with just how advanced its platform is. The platform, TradeStation 9.1, offers tools designed for professional and instituational investors. Everything is fully customizable as the broker opens its platform up to developers to do what they wish. TradeStation's developer network, the TradeStation Strategy Network, is where developers can offer platform plugins for either free or a fee. The broker also has its own coding language, EasyLanguage, so programmers can tweak any tools to suit their own personal needs.

Overall, these three brokers and their platforms will more than handle the needs of even the most picky investor looking to conduct advanced charting, research, or place trades on the fly.