The fact of the matter is that, unless you are using real-time, streaming data in your trading, you can miss out on important trading opportunities. Saving an eighth or a quarter of a point on a trade here and there can add up to hundreds if not thousands of dollars of additional profits in your trading account, even over a short time period.

Real-time, streaming quotes empower you to take advantage of intraday market moves, whether you are a short-term trader or someone with a longer-term perspective who is looking for short-term hedging or buy-and-sell opportunities.

A good streaming quote tool allows you to see each and every trade updated throughout the trading day. Of course, you'll want a feature that automatically highlights updates without the need to refresh your browser.

You will also want the tool to provide streaming, real-time charts to value your portfolio(s) on a real-time, streaming basis. That way, you will be able to see how every trade is affecting your bottom line, whether you're managing your own account or multiple client portfolios.

In conjunction with real-time, streaming quotes, another useful tool is customized real-time alerts. So, the instant your stock, option, future, index or fund hits your target purchase or sale price, you can react quickly to place an order and profit, or buy in at your target price. Alerts will be discussed in a future issue.

The answer to the question, "Why do I need real-time quotes?" is simple -- because without them, you aren't really trading in real time.