IB – How to contact to go flat when the internet goes down?

D

dholliday

Hi,
If I am in some trades and enough goes wrong (power, internet, backups, etc.) so I no longer have a connection to Interactive Brokers, how can I contact them to go flat? I see that they have a mobile platform so that should work if I can get a signal, but what about a regular phone. Do they have any brokers you can call? Also, some brokers used to have a touch-tone phone interface, does IB? Any other possibilities?
Thanks,
-David
 
Quote from dholliday:

Hi,
If I am in some trades and enough goes wrong (power, internet, backups, etc.) so I no longer have a connection to Interactive Brokers, how can I contact them to go flat? I see that they have a mobile platform so that should work if I can get a signal, but what about a regular phone. Do they have any brokers you can call? Also, some brokers used to have a touch-tone phone interface, does IB? Any other possibilities?
Thanks,
-David
More...


I know it might seem so last-century, but if you can find a telephone somewhere, why don't you use it and call them?

Duh.
 
Quote from dholliday:

Hi,
If I am in some trades and enough goes wrong (power, internet, backups, etc.) so I no longer have a connection to Interactive Brokers, how can I contact them to go flat? I see that they have a mobile platform so that should work if I can get a signal, but what about a regular phone. Do they have any brokers you can call? Also, some brokers used to have a touch-tone phone interface, does IB? Any other possibilities?
Thanks,
-David
More...
yep, I've done it. You just call them and tell them to close out everything. (It makes a lot more sense when it's thundering and lightening out side and trees are falling down on your house) But yes they very calmly do it for you at a nominal charge.

And furthermore all my heirs have all the info, and I tell them, if I ever die, just call up IB and tell them to close out everything.
 
Quote from oldtime:

yep, I've done it. You just call them and tell them to close out everything. (It makes a lot more sense when it's thundering and lightening out side and trees are falling down on your house) But yes they very calmly do it for you at a nominal charge.

And furthermore all my heirs have all the info, and I tell them, if I ever die, just call up IB and tell them to close out everything.
More...


Do you have to go through all the security questions to flatten positions?
 
Quote from Nick29:

Do you have to go through all the security questions to flatten positions?
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you do if it's you, I don't know if it's someone else

they were not very shitty with me, I told them the power was out and I needed to get flat and they were pretty accomodating

I don't even remember if they asked me any security questions.

they can look at your account and see what kind of a trader you are

now I have a laptop and a cell phone so hell can rain against the barn door and I can get flat before the batteries run out
 
Thanks, I went to the "How Do I Trade at IB?" page and they made no mention of phone orders. I have been trading at IB for years but am usually hedged, relatively long term, or if day trading, small dollars. I'm going fully automated next week and need to be more prepared.

Good advice about the heirs oldtime, thanks.

>>"And another great thread goes into the archives.........."<<

Just trying to do my part.
-David
 
Every broker will accept telephone orders to exit a trade when systems or communications go down.

It is usually the first item on the their telephone menus: "To place or exit a trade, press 1.....".
 
Dude - get 2 UPS backups for your router & switch and computer. If your FIOS or CABLE is above ground, flatten your positions BEFORE the storm hits.
 
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