do you actually negotiate commissions with your broker at high volume

[Dean]

i trade enough volume now that the commissions add up to a real number monthly. is it normal to actually ask the broker for a better commission rate or a rebate at higher volume, and do they entertain it for individuals, or is that strictly an institutional thing?

[darkhorizon]

yes, and more brokers entertain it than people assume, you just have to actually ask with numbers. i emailed my account manager with my monthly traded volume and current commission cost and asked for a volume-based rate. they offered a tiered rebate that meaningfully cut my costs. the worst case was a no. high volume is leverage in that conversation and most traders never use it.

[Ethan]

asking with hard numbers is the key. 'can i have a discount' gets nothing, 'i traded this many lots last quarter, here is my cost, what volume rate can you offer' gets a real response. brokers have rebate tiers they dont advertise. you only access them by demonstrating the volume and requesting directly.

[lostsignal]

negotiating a commission rebate so you can afford to overtrade more efficiently is a very retail kind of optimization. cutting the cost per trade feels like progress while the real question is whether all that volume is even profitable before costs.

[bluedreams]

fair caution, a rebate on unprofitable volume just loses money slightly slower. but assuming the strategy is genuinely profitable, lowering cost per trade is pure edge improvement and absolutely worth pursuing. the discipline is to confirm the volume is profitable before costs first, then negotiate the costs down second. do both in that order and the rebate is real money, not a consolation prize.