Trading Platforms & Tools

Brokerages from all over the world offer hundreds of different trading platforms, each with their own set of markets and tools to trade with. Get to know which platform and brokerage is right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
  • How do beginners trade stocks?

    The first step anyone new to the stock market needs to take is determining how you want to invest (i.e., being very hands-on with your portfolio, hiring someone to manage your investments, etc.) and what kind of investing account will best suit those needs (i.e., brokerage vs. robo-advisor). Once you’ve made both of these decisions and picked the financial institution you want to open an account with, you shouldn’t have much left to do other than setting up the account itself, allocating your stock budget, and possibly putting down a minimum deposit. After that, your broker will handle the actual investing process in accordance with your wishes.

  • What kind of trading is the safest for beginners?

    The ultimate goal of any trader is to buy low and sell high, so the buy-and-hold strategy is likely a beginning investor’s safest bet. Buy and hold is a passive strategy wherein an investor holds the stocks they’ve bought regardless of market volatility. While an active investment strategy allows for better risk management, there’s also a danger of missing out on long-term returns in favor of short-term gains.

  • What is a trading tool?

    A trading tool, as the name suggests, is anything that allows a trader to invest effectively. Trading tools can include physical items with which one would need to operate in the financial markets, such as a computer and Internet access. However, what most people may think of when they hear this term are digital services that enable a trader to make smarter investments, such as a trading simulator.

  • What tools do you use for trading?

    The only thing that is absolutely necessary for trading (outside of physical hardware like a computer, phone, or tablet) is a trading platform. Beyond this, one of the most valuable tools investors have when making stock trades are stock screeners, which make it possible to quickly sort through the hundreds of stock options available. There are also stock charting programs, which can be used to analyze a particular stock and/or market sector over periods of time.

Key Terms

Explore Trading Platforms & Tools

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What Is a Blotter? Definition, How It Works, Uses, and Example
Direct Access Trading – DAT Systems
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An Introduction to Dark Pools
Because the stock market is an auction made up of buyers and sellers (including individuals, corporations, mutual funds, and more) of shares of publicly traded companies, fluctuations in stock prices is nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, the price of company’s stock can vary drastically from one day to the next. Before adding shares of stock to your portfolio, it is important to understand what causes stock market fluctuations and its risks.
MEMX
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What Is a Bloomberg Terminal? Functions, Costs, and Alternatives
What Is Bloomberg?
Interactive Brokers Warroom
The Importance of Backtesting Trading Strategies
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Disadvantages of Stock Simulators
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Pros and Cons of Paper Trading
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How to Set Up Your Trading Screens
Backtesting and Forward Testing: The Importance of Correlation
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Stock Screener: Definition, How It Works, Example
Industry Classification Benchmark (ICB)
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Currency Trading Platform
Stimulate Your Skills With Simulated Trading
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Quote-Driven Market
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Tips for Stock Charts That Enhance Your Analysis
Third Market
Forex Charting Software
Electronic Currency Trading
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Dark Pool Liquidity
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One-To-Many
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FactSet
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Better Alternative Trading System (BATS): Definition, Acquisition
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Direct Access Trading (DAT)
Filter
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Bourse
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Deep Market
Trading Software
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Mobile Trading
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Entity Trading Account
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NASDAQ Global Market Composite
Goldman 360
Nasdaq-100 Pre-Market Indicator
Archipelago
Big Board
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Nasdaq Intermarket
Conditional Listing Application (CLA)
NEX Definition
Enterprise Application Integration
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