Centerpoint Securities Review
Best Short Locates
Best for: Serious short sellers who need the deepest hard-to-borrow inventory in retail, direct-market access, and DAS Trader Pro — and trade a large enough account to justify the minimum.
Centerpoint Securities at a Glance
| Minimum Deposit | $30,000 (active short-seller focus) |
| Account Types | Margin, Cash, Corporate (US) |
| Platform & Software Fees | DAS Trader Pro / Sterling; monthly platform + data fees |
| Level 2 Data Costs | Full depth-of-book add-ons per exchange |
| Order Routing | Direct Market Access with full route selection |
| Short Locate Availability | Yes — largest HTB short inventory in retail |
| Supported Countries | USA |
Overview & Ideal Trader Profile
Centerpoint Securities is the go-to broker for dedicated short sellers. Its defining strength is access to the largest hard-to-borrow short inventory in the retail space — if a small cap is shortable anywhere, Centerpoint is one of the most likely places to find the borrow.
The ideal user is a well-capitalized short-biased day trader who shorts low-float runners and needs locates that other brokers simply don’t have. The high minimum and fee structure make it unsuitable for beginners or small accounts.
Commissions, Platform & Level 2 Data Fees
Commissions are competitive per-share pricing with volume tiers, and short-locate fees are billed separately based on borrow difficulty. Expect monthly platform and Level 2 data fees for DAS Trader Pro or Sterling.
Locate costs on hot tickers can be significant — that’s the price of guaranteed availability — so short sellers must factor borrow fees carefully into each trade’s expected value.
Order Execution, Routing & Latency
Centerpoint delivers genuine direct-market access with full route selection through the professional DAS Trader Pro front-end. Execution is fast and precise, with customizable hotkeys built for rapid entry and exit.
While the routing chain is oriented toward the short-selling workflow, latency and fill quality are strong and well-suited to active intraday trading.
Short Locates & Short Selling Tools
This is the entire reason to use Centerpoint. Its locate desk aggregates borrows from multiple sources, giving traders access to hard-to-borrow names that are simply unavailable at mainstream brokers. You can request locates, see the fee upfront, and short almost any small cap.
For a strategy that lives or dies on borrow availability, Centerpoint’s inventory is best-in-class among retail brokers.
Third-Party Trust, Safety & Reputation
Centerpoint is a FINRA-regulated US broker with SIPC protection up to $500,000. It has a strong reputation within the professional short-selling community, which values its locate depth above all else.
Feedback is very positive on inventory and routing; the recurring caveats are the steep $30k minimum, locate costs on hot names, and a platform aimed squarely at experienced traders.
The Honest Breakdown
Pros
- Largest hard-to-borrow short inventory in retail
- Multiple locate sources for maximum availability
- True direct-market access + route selection
- Professional DAS Trader Pro / Sterling platforms
- Strong SIPC-protected US standing
Cons
- High $30,000 account minimum
- Locate fees on hot tickers add up fast
- Monthly platform and data fees
- Built for pros — not beginner-friendly
Sub-Score Breakdown
Best Short Locates
The Bottom Line
Centerpoint Securities is the gold standard for short-locate availability — if a small cap is borrowable anywhere in retail, it’s most likely here. Combined with genuine DMA and DAS/Sterling, it’s purpose-built for professional short sellers. The catch is a steep $30k minimum plus platform, data, and locate fees, so it’s strictly for serious, well-capitalised shorts.
Well-funded, short-biased day traders who need the deepest hard-to-borrow inventory and fast routing.
Beginners, small accounts, long-only investors, or anyone fee-sensitive.
