What is the Best On-Line Discount Broker for Options?

[def]

Quote from rrisch:

I gather that IB is the winner in the price per contract department. Optionsxpress and ThnkorSwim have analytic software so you can do delta analysis and other such things on your portfolio.

Does anyone know if you can use the IB programming interface to give a 3rd party options program access to ones portfolio? If so, you could take advantage of the better prices at IB and analyze your portfolio without having to copy it into the program by hand.

IB does have an options analytics module that might suit your needs.

Go to the user guide and search on analytics, then click on "about interactive analytics"

 

[rrisch]

I wrote him, asking why he didn't include Interactive Brokers among the best for Options.

"While their rates are low, I have had a few messages about lousy executions, and last I knew, they did not allow option spreads in an IRA, which most of my subscribers seem to want. Thanks for your thoughts, however".

 

[def]

Quote from rrisch:

I wrote him, asking why he didn't include Interactive Brokers among the best for Options.

"While their rates are low, I have had a few messages about lousy executions, and last I knew, they did not allow option spreads in an IRA, which most of my subscribers seem to want. Thanks for your thoughts, however".

He's wrong on both accounts (although options spreads in IRA's are new). I thought self-proclaimed gurus with PhD's would do a little homework on their own.