For the very active traders (and there seem to be quite a few hereabouts) it certainly makes sense to go with an ECN platform.
To me personally it makes little difference as I tend to focus on a multi-year perspective with my investments. E*Trade provides a number of features which I like. Also, most US online brokers won't accept non US accounts. I am actually looking for a Europe based online discount broker who would suit my requirements.
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