Many people buy sports cars even though they never intend to race.
By the same token, our Online Broker Survey suggests many TSC readers have switched their accounts to direct-access brokers, even though only a small percentage see themselves as daytraders. Survey participants say direct-access traders offer key features that give them an edge over customers of traditional brokers. Above all, direct-access traders want speedy executions. Other extras, like real-time portfolio management, let them trade with more confidence. In a nutshell, respondents say they really like their direct-access bells and whistles, whether they use them to daytrade or just to make a handful of position trades each month.