I'd say 30% is a very reasonable, fair price to pay for having ALL functions other than trading taken care of for you. Managing the portal (website) itself, advertising, billing, subscription management, performance track record, customer service, message boards, ITM (Instant Trade Manager), and so on. It'd be either impossible or very time-consuming / costly for any trader / system vendor to do all those things, rather than outsource them. It's mostly custom software- and programming-driven, hardly your typical trader's core competencies.
A few months ago, Matthew Klein (C2 owner) mentioned on the message boards that over 1,000 subscriptions have been processed. It could be much more now, I don't know. Those message boards have certainly been growing lately. Fixed vs. incentive fee structure: each has its own pros and cons, as you know. My guess is that most people are probably more comfortable (or too risk-averse) with a known quantity, the ubiquitous fixed monthly fee subscription model.
Beside what the other poster already mentioned, here is a comparison: I have a relative who is a business prof by the way, but started his own advisory service. He made his own website and publishes a monthly newsletter. He has 3 other people helping him. So beside paying for his own website, he has to give a huge part of his profits to the other partners. Paying taxes too, but that is unavoidable for everybody. Compared to that, it costed me $100 to start a system on collective2, and since I already have subscribers, I am already in the green. Since this is just a sidebusiness for me, any amount from there is extra money, and I don't have to worry about creditcards charge, paying the server, etc. Just like in any business, early birds get the worm. By the way Collective is not older than 3 years, I think, but again this is an advantage. As for the pay as you go service fee, a vendor can have lots of small profitable trades and a few big losers. So he would get big money in fees, but his subscribers would actually lose money, so I don't like that way of paying...
Good idea, I wouldn't mind to join the race as well. Perhaps C2's main income would be the systems hosting fees - probably more than enough to collectively promote the site on magazines.
Looks like soon we would see a lot of honest and decent vendors in the trading industry - all the others will be gone.
(referring to the "sh*t-slinging post" about Covel above) well hey, dont get me wrong here as well - i'm not here to promote Covel - just point out some of the problems that i see with Hill.
Look, I merely pointed out there is 30% cut, beside the listing fee. Reasonable or not, I could not care less.
BUMP dose any one know of any sites that can be used to create a track record of Interactive Brokers? maby also sell signals...?