Best Thread Interactive Brokers

Why is IB's website locking up?

IB's website has always been very slow because they load too much into their menus. I've logged into my account and clicked on help chat and the chat window has been locked up for 4 minutes. I then tried to generate an account statement for yesterday. That window's been churning for 3 minutes.

They have great rates, but I don't think I can live with this slow response time any longer. I've got to find someone with real programmers (and that's a real programmer talking). I come home and I see that the two trades I placed using TWS executed, but I can't find any execution information because it looks like TWS has closed out the day. When I finally find the statements they probably won't make any sense.

This is too frustrating.

Steve
 
Change your ISP provider. If you are serious about trading, you cannot sit on a telephone line modem.
 
Am having trouble getting the hang of the different order types available through TWS. Can one of you experienced guys help me out here.

I've moved from spreadbetting to US stocks with IB and simply want to place a sell or buy order and have an automatic stop loss at about a dollar away. I understand i can use a market or limit order for the initial trade, but once this is placed how do i go about adding my stop loss price ?

I have been using the paper trader but find it very complicated indeed. I couldn't find the P&L column for my open trades...is there a reason for this?

I would use the webtrader, but want to get used to the order types. Pity there is no paperwebtrader!

Cheers in advance for your help guys, really appreciate it....

Jesse
 
JesseLivermoreII said:
Am having trouble getting the hang of the different order types available through TWS. Can one of you experienced guys help me out here.

I've moved from spreadbetting to US stocks with IB and simply want to place a sell or buy order and have an automatic stop loss at about a dollar away. I understand i can use a market or limit order for the initial trade, but once this is placed how do i go about adding my stop loss price ?

I have been using the paper trader but find it very complicated indeed. I couldn't find the P&L column for my open trades...is there a reason for this?

I would use the webtrader, but want to get used to the order types. Pity there is no paperwebtrader!

Cheers in advance for your help guys, really appreciate it....

Jesse
Click to expand...


Jesse,

One option is to use a 3rd party trading front-end to simplify things - they support OCO bracket trades, scale in/out, etc.

www.bracket-trader.com
www.zerolinetrader.com

HTH
c6
 
Thanks c6, these look interesting. Have watched some TWS/IB webinars and am getting the hang of it, I think. Will try your suggestions if i'm still stuck though.....cheers,
Jesse
 
Hi

I have traded CFDs with CMC since March 01 to March 06 and from then been trading with Cantor Index spreadbet.

I preferred Cantor to CMC initially as the overnight interest on longs and cash dispersion on short FTSE100 trades was getting annoying. Also being able to trade foreign markets in GBP made life easier.

Now my trading has evolved that I seem to be trading more and more often with better results, I guess I'd be described as a scalper or day trader now.

I am wondering how much people feel I might save moving to someone like Interactive Brokers.

At the moment on a daily FTSE bet I pay a £2 spread on £1pp. Am I right in thinking that one contract on Liffe is £10pp with a 0.5 spread? This is a 1/4 of Cantor's daily FTSE.

Then it will cost me £3.4 to buy and sell the futures.

This makes the cost of doing business £8.4 on a £10pp trade versus £20 with someone like Cantor.

In February I've placed around 250 trades (open and closed) and paid £1,164 in spread making around £500.

If the cost of doing business was halved I would have made £1,100 versus £500 all at £1pp (or £11,000 at £10pp / one contract).

Even taking account of Data feeds etc it must be worth me moving over?

If anyone has any suggestions let me know and if anyone can work out if from that sort of trading behaviour I should be bundled or unbundled with IB please let me know.

Thanks

Stephen McCreedy
 
advantage futures has round turn for$5 ,[email protected] ,tim is one of their sales v.p. s,email him and ask,won't cost you anything,but if your paying u.s.dollar versus euro or pound its got to be a substantial savings
 
Thanks idetkov

So if I'm looking to be flat at the end of the day I'm probably best being unbundled?

I am looking for each FTSE Fut. (0.28 Ex fees + 0.55 IB comm + 0.2 clearing = £1.03 each way or £2.06 for a round turn versus £3.40 bundled?

That diff seems to large I must have missed something off.

Also any idea which I need to subscribe to, the page you linked too is different to the options I have actually in my account page.

I don't have the indices mentioned at all in the options in my account, only commodities and interest rates or do the index futures get bundled in with the equity derivatives?

It's so hard to get your head round. I can see why so many people don't make the jump to direct access it is confusing compared to how easy spread bet and CFD companies make it for you.

Any guidance from anyone (particularly someone at IB looking at this would be great)

Thanks

Stephen McCreedy
 
noob question >:)

Hi everyone,
Been trying to learn using the demo account, but still find it a little difficult. So I would like to setup some hotkeys to my life a little more comfy. Would someone be able to walk me though the process of setting up some hotkeys that achieve the following:

1). Place a buy or sell order for 1 contract, with an S/L of 12 pips, a T/P of 50 pips and a trailing S/L of 8 pips.
2). Ability to scale in or out 1 contract.
3). If the trade starts go to against me, a ‘panic’ hotkey, that will close the position sharp.

I hope the above is possible, and thanks in advance for any help.

Thanks
-A8
 
Dear Client

Please refer to the following link for more details on how to configure Hot Keys

http://www.interactivebrokers.com/php/webhelp/webhelp.htm


Altern8 said:
Hi everyone,
Been trying to learn using the demo account, but still find it a little difficult. So I would like to setup some hotkeys to my life a little more comfy. Would someone be able to walk me though the process of setting up some hotkeys that achieve the following:

1). Place a buy or sell order for 1 contract, with an S/L of 12 pips, a T/P of 50 pips and a trailing S/L of 8 pips.
2). Ability to scale in or out 1 contract.
3). If the trade starts go to against me, a ‘panic’ hotkey, that will close the position sharp.

I hope the above is possible, and thanks in advance for any help.

Thanks
-A8
Click to expand...
 
Jesse

Please refer to the following link for more details about order types.

http://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/trading/orderTypesMatrix.php?ib_entity=uk

For your reference, we are holding a in person Workshop regarding our order types in our London office (in the City) on Wed., 25 April at 18:00 to 19:30.

For more information and an invitation send an e-mail to [email protected]




JesseLivermoreII said:
Am having trouble getting the hang of the different order types available through TWS. Can one of you experienced guys help me out here.

I've moved from spreadbetting to US stocks with IB and simply want to place a sell or buy order and have an automatic stop loss at about a dollar away. I understand i can use a market or limit order for the initial trade, but once this is placed how do i go about adding my stop loss price ?

I have been using the paper trader but find it very complicated indeed. I couldn't find the P&L column for my open trades...is there a reason for this?

I would use the webtrader, but want to get used to the order types. Pity there is no paperwebtrader!

Cheers in advance for your help guys, really appreciate it....

Jesse
Click to expand...
 
Here are the facts if you trade directly on Euronext LIFFE and trade the FTSE future through IB

USD 5,000 minimum initial deposit.
USD 10 minimum brokerage fee
Market data varies per exchange

GBP 1.70 per side, FTSE future brokerage fee (= GBP 3.40 roundtrip) ALL IN
Nil = To use over 40 order types
Nil = To use Chart Trader, Spread Trader, Book Trader, Vol Trader, Alerts, Market Scanner, and any of the our other features our Trader Workstation supports.
Nil = To view our webinars or attend our Workshops in London
Nil = Software upgrades
The products you trade are completely regulated.
We offer up to USD30 million in account protection.
GBP 1,138 Inner Day Margin
GBP 910 Maint., Margin

Winner of Trade2Win members poll in the following categories

- Gold for "Best Futures Broker".
- Gold (1st prize) for "Best professional Trading Platform".
- Gold for "Best Software for Options Traders".
- Gold for "Best Portfolio Managment Software".
- Gold for "Best Stockbroker".
- Gold for "Best Direct Access Broker".
- Gold for "Best Options Broker".

IB only offers direct market access, i.e., you trade as if you were a professional member at the exchange; We do not get in the middle of your spread.

Hence,

- FTSE future, unit of trading Contract Valued at £10 per index point (e.g. value £65,000 at 6500.0)
- FTSE future, minimum price movement (tick size and value) 0.5 (£5.00)
- Average spread on the FTSE future .5 to 1 tick wide.

IB Commissions to trade FTSE 100 future:

- £1.70 per side (£3.40 roundtrip); This includes, brokerage, clearing, exchange, technology and regulatory fees.

If you trade and make one tick on the FTSE future:

+£5.00 Trader makes one tick (0.50 = £5.00)
Less, IB commissions £3.40 IB roundtrip commissions (£1.70 x 2)

Equals, +1.60 Net Profit when using IB i.e., if you make one PLUS tick on the FTSE future.

We always suggest to prospects to compare us and compare us again. That is, if you find a broker that offers better technology, lower transparent fees, and more account protection, we suggest you take it;Otherwise visit our website for more details www.interactivebrokers.co.uk











smccreedy said:
Hi

I have traded CFDs with CMC since March 01 to March 06 and from then been trading with Cantor Index spreadbet.

I preferred Cantor to CMC initially as the overnight interest on longs and cash dispersion on short FTSE100 trades was getting annoying. Also being able to trade foreign markets in GBP made life easier.

Now my trading has evolved that I seem to be trading more and more often with better results, I guess I'd be described as a scalper or day trader now.

I am wondering how much people feel I might save moving to someone like Interactive Brokers.

At the moment on a daily FTSE bet I pay a £2 spread on £1pp. Am I right in thinking that one contract on Liffe is £10pp with a 0.5 spread? This is a 1/4 of Cantor's daily FTSE.

Then it will cost me £3.4 to buy and sell the futures.

This makes the cost of doing business £8.4 on a £10pp trade versus £20 with someone like Cantor.

In February I've placed around 250 trades (open and closed) and paid £1,164 in spread making around £500.

If the cost of doing business was halved I would have made £1,100 versus £500 all at £1pp (or £11,000 at £10pp / one contract).

Even taking account of Data feeds etc it must be worth me moving over?

If anyone has any suggestions let me know and if anyone can work out if from that sort of trading behaviour I should be bundled or unbundled with IB please let me know.

Thanks
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
GBP/USD API strategy

Hi

I have developed a trading strategy for the GBP/USD and I am looking to automate it. The strategy has been written developed on the Prorealtime charting software but they do not have an API so my question is:

What is the best software combination for running an automated stragety through an API with IB? The calulations in my strategy are not complex and it runs on the one minute chart.

Many thanks

Charles
 
Charles

We can only provide you a link so you can view for yourself the various commercial partners that have written to our API and may meet your needs. Further our clients rank them.

http://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/general/poll/ibconsultants.php?progid=11&ib_entity=uk


Crawsthorne said:
Hi

I have developed a trading strategy for the GBP/USD and I am looking to automate it. The strategy has been written developed on the Prorealtime charting software but they do not have an API so my question is:

What is the best software combination for running an automated stragety through an API with IB? The calulations in my strategy are not complex and it runs on the one minute chart.

Many thanks

Charles
Click to expand...
 
Interactive Brokers said:
Charles

We can only provide you a link so you can view for yourself the various commercial partners that have written to our API and may meet your needs. Further our clients rank them.

http://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/general/poll/ibconsultants.php?progid=11&ib_entity=uk
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, but I have a feeling that we may be getting too complicated. For example, what would I need to take an automated entry and stop order from for example Metatrader or TS8 and execute it automatically on the IB platform.
 
Crawsthorne said:
Thanks for that, but I have a feeling that we may be getting too complicated. For example, what would I need to take an automated entry and stop order from for example Metatrader or TS8 and execute it automatically on the IB platform.
Click to expand...


Charles

You can refer to our API specifications on our website or go to our website and ask in the forum your question. Maybe other clients may have the answer to your question. Sorry we do not provide advise with our API because it is an open gateway hence if MetaTrader has written to us they should be able to answer your question. Because its their programming we do not want to give you the wrong information/code.
 
Interactive Brokers said:
Charles

You can refer to our API specifications on our website or go to our website and ask in the forum your question. Maybe other clients may have the answer to your question. Sorry we do not provide advise with our API because it is an open gateway hence if MetaTrader has written to us they should be able to answer your question. Because its their programming we do not want to give you the wrong information/code.
Click to expand...

Thank you.

I don't need help with the coding as I can do that myself. I am just trying to identify the best software/brokerage partnership before translating my prorealtime code into a new language. I guess you are saying that a link between Metatrader and IB is one of several possibilities?

Regards

Charles
 
Webtrader 2.0 missing High and Low.

Hey that title rhymes. Anyway, Webtrader 2.0 is missing the high and low of a stock or future when entering an order like the previous (set to expire 3/31/07) has.

What was the rationale behind eliminating the high and low?

Also would be nice if the high and low were added to mobile trader.
 
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