Recent hardware upgrades caused the problems, though Doyle says only the trading portion of the site was affected. Some complained that the company is trying to do too much for too many people. The Trading Desk is aimed at those who might be in and out of a stock several times during a day, and displays free real-time quotes throughout. This is not the solution for everyone, though. Through Ultimate Trader you can choose the market maker that will handle your trade, or let the Watley trading desk handle it for you.
Confirmations come through within one second of the trade, and holdings are updated instantly.
This is not a traditional Website with links to research and data, but is a reasonable choice for the hyperactive trader who has grown beyond the constraints imposed by the Web's slowness. Pricing is difficult to summarize here, but the commissions charged depend on the number of trades made per month. SureTrade's is actually more interesting, with its Investors Homepage filled with market information and announcements. The brokerage house also is adding a retirement planner that will help individuals focus on specific services available on the site. Schwab has announced plans to change that in the next few months.