One of the reasons we think it’s worth a mention is that it does offer free trading for US investors, and this might be something you want to look into since you can’t day trade from inside the US. Like IB, TradeStation is a full-service brokerage that provides trading platforms for active traders and “long-term investors.” Options trading is more expensive though it does allow you to create deep out-of-the-money options trades (don’t do this unless you know what you’re doing). It’s more of a “general investor” type of brokerage firm, which allows you to trade more than 5,000 stocks and ETFs for free if you make less than four trades per quarter. While this discount broker is based in Miami, it has a strong East Coast and Midwest presence with special offices in New York and Boston. If you’re starting as a day trader, ThinkOrSwim might be an excellent place to look. ThinkorSwim users can trade stocks, options, futures, and forex from inside their same primary platform that has been criticized as being “ugly” but quite powerful. This online broker is owned by TD Ameritrade, which runs one of the best discount brokers in the US. It allows day and swing traders to trade stocks and options and has a strong focus on technology. This well-established brokerage firm is based in Greenwich, CT, and offers over 500 international markets. If you’re looking for an alternative to the big Wall Street brokers, Interactive Brokers might be a good option. So, where can you go online today to trade stocks and options? Here’s our list: Interactive Brokers (IB)

This arrangement gives them an extra layer of protection from the SEC and allows them to do business in states like New York. Instead of being directly registered with the SEC, they are licensed by a state regulator and chartered to operate as a bank or trust company. Many larger offshore brokers have agents in the US who are authorized to trade on behalf of clients. For day trading, most offshore brokers are based either in the US or in an offshore country with favorable tax climates like Ireland or Luxembourg. Today, thanks to the web and smartphones, it’s much more manageable.

Top 5 offshore brokers for day trading in the USAīack in the 1980s, you might have been best off day trading from a boat in international waters.

Scottrade trading platform