How do I trade after hours on ThinkOrSwim?

For the most part, retail investors cannot trade stocks during after-hours trading.

Of course, there are major newsworthy events that can impact stocks, such as a CEO stepping down or a earnings report. You can trade using electronic communication network, or ECNs.

That said, armchair traders will mostly be confined to monitoring the news and submitting a market order, which will be executed at the opening bell, or a limit order that allows you to buy or sell at a price of your choosing.

If a stock is down 3% to $18.61 in after-hours trading, it does not mean this will be the price at the start of the next session. So, do not expect if you place an order for 100 shares at this price that you will nab this value, particularly if it is volatile.

Put simply, you could get seriously burned if you place a market order in pre- or post-market trading.