What Zero-Commission Trading Really Changed
In October 2019, Schwab, TD Ameritrade and E*Trade cut stock commissions to zero within days. How brokers replaced the revenue and what it changed.
OTCN editorial market coverage.
In October 2019, Schwab, TD Ameritrade and E*Trade cut stock commissions to zero within days. How brokers replaced the revenue and what it changed.
On May 28, 2024, US stock trades began settling one business day after the trade instead of two. Why the change followed the 2021 meme-stock episode.
Payment for order flow pays brokers to send retail orders to market makers. It funds zero-commission trading but creates a conflict. How US, UK and EU differ.
Brokers and crypto exchanges are adding stocks, crypto, tokenized assets and derivatives under one account. Why platforms are converging and what it means.
Market depth shows how much can trade near the current price. Why large traders watch it, how thin depth raises costs and why it vanishes in stress.
Market makers quote buy and sell prices and earn the spread, plus rebates and order-flow deals, while managing inventory risk. How the business works.
Decimal prices and electronic markets let high-frequency traders compete on speed, narrowing spreads but raising new risks. A timeline from 2000 to today.
ETFs trade all day even when their holdings barely trade, so ETF prices often lead. How creation and redemption work and what bond ETFs showed in 2020.
Since January 2024, US spot bitcoin ETFs have gathered about 6% of all bitcoin. Who holds them, why custody is concentrated and what it means for the market.
Crypto never closes, and US stock exchanges are moving to 23-hour days. What longer hours change for liquidity, prices and risk, and what is unresolved.