Thanks for comments
when I started this thread I did not know that Two Way Futures were directly linked to Interactive Brokers. I had already tried IB and when I had attempted to get started with IB's app process by clicking on the red box marked 'open an account ' nothing happened, I had mailed them and the ans came back 'just click on the red box' , so I put it down to anti virus or service pack 2 probs and dropped firewall , enabled adds etc etc all to no avail . My wife clicked on the same red box from work as we spoke on the phone and just once , we both got into IB new accounts and then it stopped working again.
Two way take details online and refer you to a standard IB application that let's you in with no probs , they also supply bolt on trade stn stuff like ninja trader that is said to be much more beginner friendly , I don't know because I didn't manage to get that far yet.
The IB app includes id proof, utility bills, the patriot act etc and is in my opinion pedantic to the extreme, anyone who has seen Tom Hank's The Terminal will identify, Last Monday after a week I tried to fund the account only to be told by Two way that the wrong base currency had been selected, US $ instead of GDP and that I would have to start the entire application process all over again!! This has proven impossible as the IB apps system keeps bumping you and when you attempt to log in again to continue the app, IB's log in does not recognise the password IT has given you!!. I have started this process four different times and got to varying stages before being bumped etc,also my email sent over 24 hrs ago to IB is, as yet un answered so I'm giving up and going somewhere else. Maybe I've just been unlucky , like Tom Hanks lol, would be interested to hear about other people's experiences and find out what the general opinion might be of the best all round futures broker
PS Another 4 days on ...Maybe IB were 'overloaded' during week as was able to complete new application very quickly and with no problems on Sunday last so have now opened an IB account through Twoway Futures, they are very helpful and have sent a step by step manual for the trading platform which looks user friendly , after you fund a new account by wire transfer, which necessitates a visit to yr bank, the account becomes live 24 hrs later
I still can not open IB's red 'open a new account' box, I'm running lots of anti Virus etc, but even with pop ups etc switched off, it won't work which seems odd , has anyone else experienced this problem?
REFCO were also helpful and gave 30 days free simulated trading trial use of their trading platform after a short registration but I found it really complicated to use , at one point i had apparently successfully executed 2 sell dow futures contracts as the price was 40 points in the money and flashing green but could find no way of getting out and closing the trades , so left it all running lol . I found refco's instructions difficult to follow, and just not at all easy to understand, where as Two way show actual step by step pictures of how to quickly find what you are looking for and open and close trades. I have read the horror stories about IB's TS going down and of a slow to respond customer support etc , you get a free fone number to Zurich that links you to an automated switchboard , I'm intending to use a trailing stop so will be depending of this to get me out if anything goes wrong , will post here again in a couple of weeks