Hedge Fund - Initial Planning & Brokerage Selection

Project Overview

Programmatic trading platform for algorithmic investing.

Brokerage Selection

Alpaca Markets selected as broker:

• SEC-registered, SIPC member (up to $500K protection)
• API-first platform designed for algorithmic trading
• Commission-free, no minimum deposit
• Won "Best Broker for Algorithmic Trading 2026" (BrokerChooser)
• Good execution quality with minimal price drift
• Supports fractional shares, paper trading for testing

Key Differences from Traditional Brokers

• Not full-service (no retirement accounts, financial planning)
• "Brokerage as infrastructure" vs consumer app
• Revenue: interest on uninvested cash + payment for order flow

Project Ownership

Bob (Chief of Staff) owns all projects including this one. Mark available for research support when needed.

Next Steps

• Define trading strategies
• Set up Alpaca API integration
• Build backtesting infrastructure
• Paper trading validation