You mentioned SPX. It doesn't matter about the margin benefits if if the prices Tasty gives you take away all your edge. In the end it wasn't worth it as I usually only trade spy, spx, vix, etc and rarely the single names. You mention margin requirements for spreads with IB ... I can trade SPX calendars, flys, IC's etc and there's very little margin involved, so I'm not sure what you mean.
Interactive Brokers Margin Requirements for Options Spreads and Restrictive Quantity Limits...
- Thread starter Con1991
- Start date
Indeed this is one of the few less attractive aspects of IB. Note that it is not said that the (high) requirement is still the same after the trade (i.e. it could be different from the strategy builder / pre-trade window).
Note that (if you have a live account) there is a risk report where you can check the MM requirement per position. So if you have a live vertical you can see in the report if it is still the same high requirement (or lower).
Note that (if you have a live account) there is a risk report where you can check the MM requirement per position. So if you have a live vertical you can see in the report if it is still the same high requirement (or lower).
Generally speaking, if you are from the EU you are not allowed to open an account with one of the large US brokers (except IB who has branches in Ireland/Hungary/Luxemburg/Switzerland)...
IB have closed Hungary leaving one EU office in Ireland to cut costs.
I mean that IB do not apply credit received in the case of vertical credit spreads etc to margin required. The difference in strikes requires full margin. Also, the order quantities I can trade are severely restricted. When paper trading with TD Ameritrade, I never had such problems. So clearly, IB makes these rules up for their own benefit. Also the customer service is appalling.
Robert Morse
Sponsor
Can you give me one example of a spread Monday after the market opens, and the credit you expect to receive? I can enter that order on Lightspeed Trader to see the requirement.
Hi Robert. I can give you an example now if you like. Take the SPX for instance. Vertical credit spread, strikes 3000/3100, width 100 points. On IB margin required is 10k for one spread(difference in strikes times 100).
On TD Ameritrade (Thinkorswim), Tastytrade, Tradestation etc, basically any other broker I have come across the following would be the case...
3000/3100, width 100 point wide spread.
For arguments sake, credit received is $400. So, as should be the case, credit received is applied to the margin for this spread. Trading One contract, margin required with these brokers is $600 ($1000-400).
Apologies, I made a mistake in my calculations during previous post. Here is a screenshot of a 3000/3100 strikes spread from my Thinkorswim paper money account. I know the market is closed, but I have an example of a limit order set at 97. So the same concept still applies.
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Robert Morse
Sponsor
The detail make a difference. I need to know the month and real prices to enter the order and get a pop up. The December spread is almost worthless. You could never sell the 3000/3100 SPX spread for 40 points. As the spread is worth about $0.05, with SPX about 4514, it makes sense to charge the max loss and give you almost no credit for the $0.05.
That screenshot is for the November 22nd 3000/3100 SPX strikes. So only a few days out. As you can see the margin required here is only $300, a far cry from what IB demands as collateral.