Is TradeStation a cash account?
What account types does TradeStation offer? TradeStation offers two types of equities accounts: margin and cash.
At TradeStation, you can day trade in a cash account with settled funds only, therefore avoiding the free-riding prohibition.
Accounts tailored to your needs
Which is why we offer a variety of account types to meet the needs of individual traders and investors including, Individual, Joint, IRA, Entity, Institutional, and Custodial accounts.
| Available Platforms | |
|---|---|
| TradeStation Desktop | Free |
| Mobile Apps | Free |
| Real Time Market Data | Free |
| Funding Requirements | No Minimum |
TradeStation is a US stockbroker regulated by FINRA, a top-tier US regulatory body. TradeStation has great web and mobile trading platforms, which are user-friendly and well-designed. Trading fees are average across the board, and we also liked TradeStation's research and educational tools.
Day Trading Rules and Cash Accounts
Day trades can occur in a cash account only to the extent the trades do not violate the free-riding prohibition of Federal Reserve Board's Regulation T. In general,...
Yes, you can trade options at TradeStation.
Some riskier types of trades, like selling call options on stocks you don't own or writing an uncovered put option, can be made only on a margin account. However, less risky strategies, such as buying a call option, are allowed on cash accounts, too.
TradeStation is a self-clearing broker dealer and futures commission merchant (FCM) with offerings that include hundreds of charting, analysis and testing tools which, together with numerous advanced order placement functions, are designed to build discipline and confidence for the self-directed trader and active ...
Many brokers now offer meaningful interest on your idle cash. Unfortunately, TradeStation doesn't pay any interest on uninvested cash. You should not leave too much money lying around here for too long: consider finding a broker that pays interest.
- Click the Withdrawal button.
- Under Withdrawal Currency, select a Currency from the drop-down list.
- Go to your external wallet or external account and copy/paste its address into the Wallet Address box on your TradeStation Crypto Transfers page.
- In the Withdraw box, enter the quantity you want to withdraw.
How much does TradeStation cost per month?
| Equities Accounts | |
|---|---|
| Service | Fee |
| Account Service Fee | FREE for TS SELECT Pricing Plans, and per-trade plans (funded on or after 3/3/2017). $149.95 per month* for per-share, per-trade plans (funded prior to 3/3/2017), unbundled plans (FREE if account meets minimum activity) |
Click the My Account button near the top right of the TradeStation Crypto application. Select the tab for information on your preferred method of funding: Smart Transfer, Wire Transfer, Check Deposit, or Electronic Transfer (ACAT). tab. Follow the instructions provided to fund your account.
As an additional safety precaution, TradeStation maintains funds in excess of the required amount to be segregated from its own proprietary funds. Your TradeStation equities accounts are further protected with SIPC insurance.
TradeStation is a member of New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), and Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), and it's regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
With options trading, TradeStation has a cheaper per-contract fee, but E*TRADE isn't too far behind: $0.60 vs. $0.65. And if you make at least 30 trades a quarter, E*TRADE's per-contract fee becomes cheaper than TradeStation ($0.50), unless you have the TS SELECT plan, which would then make them both equal.
Our experts rated the trading platform of Fidelity as somewhat better than the platform of TradeStation, found that clients have access to slightly more markets and products with Fidelity, while TradeStation provides just about the same quality of research and education.
Defining a day trade
Pattern day trading restrictions don't apply to cash accounts, they only apply to margin accounts and IRA limited margin accounts. This means you can trade stocks, ETPs, and options in a cash account without worrying about your number of day trades.
FINRA's margin rule for day trading applies to day trading in any security, including options. Day trading in a cash account is prohibited. All securities purchased in the cash account must be paid for in full before they are sold.
A cash account is not limited to a number of day trades. However, you can only day trade with settled funds. Cash accounts are not subject to pattern day trading rules but are subject to GFV's. Pattern day trading (PDT) rules only pertain to margin accounts.
TradeStation is a top choice for day traders and serious investors. Its trading platform is widely used by institutional investors, such as hedge funds, family offices and investment bank proprietary trading desks.
How much margin does TradeStation give?
| Less than $50,000 | $50,000 – $499,999 | $500,000+2 |
|---|---|---|
| 13.5% | 12.5% | Negotiated* |
TradeStation's account minimum is $0.
Only settled funds may be withdrawn
After signing in, navigate to My Money>Withdrawals, or for a shortcut click here. If you just closed a trade and see a $0.00 Available to Withdraw, then chances are your position has not settled yet.
Because of the many features and tools available on the platform, TradeStation can be a good choice for investors at all levels. But it seems to be designed especially for active traders and options traders.
You can use only bank transfers to withdraw funds. In most cases, you can get your money back within 1 day. TradeStation Global charges $0 for basic withdrawals, but some methods may cost more.
