Scottrade Online Stock Trading
  • Switch to Scottrade
  • Open an Online Trading Account
  • Log In
  • Contact Scottrade

Scottrade Trade Quality and Execution

Trading Execution

Scottrade monitors the execution quality of all the trading centers to assess whether the trading center is providing our customers best execution*. Scottrade uses various monitoring methods. These methods include a daily order-by-order exception report analysis. They also include a post trade date regular and rigorous review of execution quality. We perform this regular and rigorous review by analyzing statistics from Thomson Transaction Analytics and by reviewing the output of our proprietary patent-pending algorithm, the Scottrade Best Execution Index or SBI™.

* defined in SEC rule 605

Price Improvement

Price improvement refers to getting a price better than expected, or in other words getting a better price than the National Best Bid or Offer (NBBO) at the time you placed the trade. As part of Scottrade's commitment to quality executions, we seek opportunities for an execution of your order at a price better than the National Best Bid or Offer (NBBO).

The following charts represent percentage of orders at Scottrade that were executed at prices better than NBBO as compared to Industry Price Improvement percentages:.

S&P 500 Price Improvement

Price Improvement Percentage
Month / Year

NASDAQ 100 Price Improvement

Price Improvement Percentage
Month / Year
Subscribe to our RSS Feeds

Brokerage Products and Services offered by Scottrade, Inc. – Member FINRA and SIPC.

Online market and limit stock trades are just $7 for stocks priced $1 and above.

Any specific securities, or types of securities, used as examples are for demonstration purposes only. None of the information provided should be considered a recommendation or solicitation to invest in, or liquidate, a particular security or type of security.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of a mutual fund carefully before investing. A mutual fund's prospectus contains this and other information about the mutual fund. Prospectuses are available through our trading site or through a Scottrade branch office. The prospectus should be read carefully before investing. No transaction fee (NTF) funds are subject to the terms and conditions of the NTF funds program. Scottrade is compensated by the funds participating in the NTF program through recordkeeping, shareholder, or SEC 12b-1 fees.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, charges, expense, and unique risk profile of an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) carefully before investing. Leveraged and Inverse ETFs may not be suitable for long-term investors and may increase exposure to volatility through the use of leverage, short sales of securities, derivatives and other complex investment strategies. A prospectus contains this and other information about the ETF and should be obtained from the issuer. The prospectus should be read carefully before investing.

Margin trading involves interest charges and risks, including the potential to lose more than deposited or the need to deposit additional collateral in a falling market. The Margin Disclosure Statement and Agreement (PDF) is available for download, or it is available at one of our branch offices. It contains information on our lending policies, interest charges, and the risks associated with margin accounts.

Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. Detailed information on our policies and the risks associated with options can be found in the Scottrade Options Application and Agreement, Brokerage Account Agreement, and by downloading the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options and Supplements (PDF) from The Options Clearing Corporation, or by requesting a copy from your local branch office. Supporting documentation for any claims will be supplied upon request.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of mutual fund carefully before investing. A prospectus contains this and other information about the fund and is available through www.scottrade.com or through a Scottrade branch office. The prospectus should be read carefully before investing. No transaction fee (NTF) funds are subject to the terms and conditions of the NTF funds program. Scottrade is compensated by the funds participating in the NTF program through recordkeeping, shareholder, or SEC 12b-1 fees.

Market volatility, volume, and system availability may impact account access and trade execution.

Testimonials may not be representative of the experience of other clients and are no guarantee of future performance or success.