I trade 2000-10000 shares at a time, so something like Scottrade with a flat rate makes way more sense for me (and a lot of people I talk to) rather than a per share basis. Also, I’ve been using ScottradeElite for over a year now, and I have never experienced any lag, my trades always go through at the exact price I bid or ask, and because of it I’ve made a ton of money. Also remember ScottradeElite is more for trading, not investing, so that is where a flat rate also saves you money (although the platform definitely helps investors who use it properly).