Trinity

ANOTHER UPDATE --- SOLVED MY PLATFORM DELAY ISSUE. WORKS GREAT!!!! So my issue with a few seconds delay between any order is finally fixed. In short, I installed the platform again on a completely different folder per recommendation from DAS. So I no longer have my platform freeze after every order or every time a pending order gets filled. It's a breath of fresh air....finally. Long story...my problem with seconds of delay freezing up my platform was feeling like it was getting worse....like 5 seconds where I can't do anything on my platform every time I place an order or when one gets filled. Finally I was playing around in SIM and Trade Replay and noticed the same thing happened, which is odd since it's just SIM and as far as I know, does NOT need any communication with TD. I had contacted DAS several times and tried all the usual things: updating platform, uninstall/reinstall, even changed my internet service provider for faster connection. Now that I made the connection of the delay happening in Trade Replay (I just recently signed up for replay), I knew it had to be my platform. I contacted DAS and they told me to reinstall in another folder and thankfully it now works as I hoped.

Hi All, Posting an update since I've had more time to use DAS with my TD Ameritrade account. My overall opinion that I like DAS with IB more, but I will continue using DAS with TD because commissions are free and the other differences are not big problems for me. DAS with IB seemed slightly faster and more stocks were shortable. Since there are no commissions, I have noticed that I have been taking more trades and partialing more. This is something I have to work on. Just be careful there are still some small fees and I believe some tickers may still have commission.). Regarding the DAS TD platform freezing, I updated to the latest version and seems to be better. Part of the slowness might also be something wrong with my docking station so might not be all related to DAS TD. However, I have had a handful of times where my order was just hanging out there and my montage said something like "order send pending!" During maybe 1-2 seconds, I have no idea what price I will be filled and I haven't had luck canceling my order while it's in this state. This seems to happen more early in the day. I also think that there is still some slowness in showing the filled order in the chart. It does that thinking blue circle that flickers (windows), hangs for a split second then shows my trade triangle and stop order. Hope this helps.

Sorry not purposefully trying to argue with you, but it definitely has to do with my broker. When I was with DAS IB, they did not restrict a person from closing all or part of a position when a stop order is open...no matter if it is illogical or not. When the stop order triggers for an amount greater than the current position, it would essentially be flipping the position...which should be allowed. I am only giving my comments in case anyone else may be affected since it was a shock to me at first when I switched. I was trying to partial and DAS AMTD would not allow something that DAS IB allows. Just want to let people know so that anyone that wants to be illogical can avoid the tiny panic I had trying to get out of a position. I believe this also means that if a person wants to put a bunch of target limit orders out there, they have to put OCO or range orders for each one, instead of one sided limit orders....also annoying. For me, I prefer the freedom to create orders any way I like with IB. This is a noticeable difference from TD. Anyway, the free commissions still make me stay with TD...for now. To add to my prior list of differences, I want to point out that the DAS AMTD platform has been freezing a bunch for me today and taking a bunch of my computer power. This delay was worse than the delays I had last week. Everything just stops for about a second and then continues like nothing happened most times I place/revise/cancel an order today. This did not happen when I was using DAS IB. If it continues for another week or improves significantly, I will inform this thread. (I have good internet connection, only Chrome and DAS open and have latest version of platform).

Hi PeterB, I guess I am different in that I like to partial and keep my existing stop order. I then click my existing stop order, hit position button to update the qty and hit replace. This is just easier for me. Also, I would rather have some stop in place even if it's not the correct amount in case there is some volatile movement while I am updating my stop to the correct numbers. If it fills me the opposite direction, that's not a problem for me since I will only be reversed by the amount of my partial until I replace it. I would need a partial hotkey that knows where my original stop was. I haven't been able to figure that part out, but open to suggestions. Thanks!

Hi PeterB, thanks! are you using DAS with TD? Do you like it? For the fact that I cannot put in another order when I have a stop in place, I think it is totally related to TD and not related to shortable stocks. I contacted DAS, they told me to contact TD. I contacted TD and the rep confirmed that TD will not allow me to place an order when I have a stoploss in place...no matter my position is long or short. I asked if there is anything I can do...they said no. So for example, I cannot even do it if my stop will BUY shares to close me. They asked me why I would want to do this, I gave them an example...like if I wanted to flip my position if I got stopped out. They said they only way I could do it is if I create an OCO order so that for sure one would cancel. Again I do not want that because it's still more work. I put the cancel script in my partialing hotkeys, but it just annoys me that I have to cancel my existing stop order instead of replace.. Now, when I am scalping for very quick moves, this has made me switch to mental stops when the price is moving quickly because I don't have time to set the stop after every partial (when I do not want a breakeven stop). I do not like mental stops. I am pretty sure I signed up the TD forms to trade low float penny stocks because I had an issue with that a long time ago (I have had TD a while, just not for day trading). But agree, could be some more forms or account requirements I am missing. I tried to buy 1 JUVAF this morning to see the error. DAS montage says it's rejected because "Can't trade foreign stock." So I will call TD this week and see what forms I need. I don't recall having to call IB to get access to trade these things.

I just switched to DAS with TDA. I was with IB before. So far, I haven't noticed any major problems with fills. I have had a couple instances of bad slippage, but might have happened anyway regardless of the broker because I got stopped on a breakout. I am trading small size and doing lots of scalps, so the savings in commissions is definitely worth it. When I start increasing my trade size and profits, I will probably switch back to IB. In my first couple weeks, these are the differences I noticed: Need to change all my hotkeys to LIMIT and MARKET instead of SMRTL and SMRTM. No problem. Otherwise, it was really easy to switch from DAS IB to DAS TDA It seems TDA will not allow me to close my position or close part of my position if I have a stop in place. I don't like this because I like to partial and then edit my stop after. Keeping the old stop keeps the little order marker on my the chart showing me visually where my stop was and I can click on my order and just replace my share quantity without redoing the stop. This is not a huge issue, but it is more work for me. I think TDA might be trying to protect people from accidentally forgetting they have a stop order and then get filled the opposite direction without knowing. Personally, I like that IB gives you the freedom to do anything you want even if it might not make sense for most people. When I click to buy/sell, there is a delay in DAS showing my order in the platform...less than one second, but for those milliseconds I wonder if I was filled and what price I was filled. I think it's just the delay in the data showing the platform and not the actual price filled. So for example, if I was going long, I hit buy...the price keeps moving up and after a slight delay I see the trade triangle where I was filled and it is usually better than where the price is currently trading. The delay is a little annoying since I like quick scalps, but it looks like I get filled where I expected. TD free commissions does not apply to every ticker or instrument. Honestly, I haven't figured out which stocks have commission or not, maybe the OTC ones (?). I will research this later since I just got started here. There were also some names I can trade on IB, but not on DAS TD, like JUVAF. Again, I am not sure why (not short locate problem because I was long). Perhaps it was foreign - I don't know. Hope this helps!

Hi Loluwilliams, no I havent tried it yet. I am also waiting to see if anyone else has done it first. I am hesitant because I heard there is a split second delay with TD vs IB. I tend to scalp for very quick trades so I figure the TD delay might cost me the same in worse order fills (vs IB commission). I don't know if that's true, but I am going to stick with IB for now.

Hi Mike, I also want to try this out too to save on commissions! Here is what I know as of this moment, though it sounds like they still might be working out some details. 1) Das told me people can start signing up on Monday 10/19/2020 on the das subscriptions page. 2) If I want to keep both IB and TD, I need two separate versions of the platform. The TD version is like signing up again with a different login and another DAS monthly fee. So I pretty much pay double if I want to keep both (not sure if I can get some of the discount on data fees overlapping). The support person said might work out some kind of discount.... 3) Someone in the chat posted their review...DAS with TD vs TOS that was something like this: Pros: DAS hotkeys, more Level 2 info, TDA commissions/fees if any Cons: Split second delay (I think they meant in executions) vs IB and harder to short because less availability of shares to short vs IB

An update...so I chatted with DAS support last week and they told me that this is for a beta test group right now, but we can request this starting October 15th. The support person told me there will likely be an extra fee in case you want to keep both your current broker set up and the TD Ameritrade. He/she didn't know what the charge will be. Lastly, they if I want to use both IB and TDA at the same time in DAS, I would open to different versions of the platform. My current one and one created for TDA. This is what I found last week, but I guess anything can change when they actually launch this.

Hi DP, I was trying to find how to set up TD Ameritrade with DAS and saw this post. In the chat this morning it seems some people already started trying it out. I don't know the answers to your questions, but another member said there is a split-second delay compared to using Interactive Brokers. If it helps anyone, here is the link to DAS site about TDA. I am going to set it up for myself this week. https://dastrader.com/docs/td-ameritrade-advanced-features-status/

If anyone is getting a hotkey error about invalid price, I was able to fix by updating the Das platform to the latest version. (Tools>Auto Upgrade; back up your settings etc first).

Did anyone else get an error when they use this? it seems my DAS platform will not let me write hotkey that tries to make Price = Share. I'll keep trying because this hotkey would be great.

I can’t make it after all :( have fun guys! Enjoy a pizookie for me. See you at the next one.

Looking forward to this. Thanks for organizing.

Thanks. Nice keyboard!

I also have a problem with the hotkeys that just started maybe the same day as this post. In the Sim, my hotkey buttons used to work fine (several weeks), but recently when I click my hotkey buttons is says "Error: please select route". This also happens when I actually type the standard hotkey combinations that come in DAS and in Andrews hotkey file. I have the script specifying the route (example: ROUTE=SMRTL;Share=400;Price=Ask+0.10;TIF=DAY+;BUY=Send), but it still says I need to enter the route. For the last few days, I can only send orders when I manually select the route every time. I know my montage is selected and the button is in the montage window. Another issue which happened at or around the same time is that the colors on my position and top list windows also changed which is strange. I save the default dsk the way I like it and it just changed. Thanks in advance!