Problems trading futures in IRA accounts at IB?

I just spoke to IB support. The IRA/Futures issue was a short term, back end issue, that should be resolved early this week. It is not a permanent change. Blocks of accounts will be resolved as soon as today.

 

This clearly contradicts what you are saying:

http://ibkb.interactivebrokers.com/node/188

How do you reconcile this?

 

I can't. I can only relay what I have been told. I have no agenda here to make this up.

 

What are you telling your customers?

 

It is not an issue for my IB clients at this time. They mostly trade equities and options.

 

Hello... As of 6:45 AM Monday 3/9/2015, I called IB and was told futures trading in IRA's is no longer available. I hope you're right Robert and this is changed again but I hold little hope. Also the lack of any communication from IB is surprising and very disappointing.

 

I just got off the phone with IB. Your information is completely wrong.

 

What did they tell you?

 

As it stands now, I'm going to research alternatives, but keep my account at IB open for another week or so until the dust settles. If they haven't made any sort of announcement by the end of the week, then I will probably pull the trigger and open a new account at TOS.

 

I'm hoping to get some kind of update from IB in the next day or so. It would be a real shame to have to close accounts I've held for years because of this. Not to mention having to reprogram my automated trading systems. At that point I might just switch to using Multicharts. They don't offer all the IB markets but for futures openecry (now gain) offers most of them and has a good API. MB Trading doesn't offer quite as many. Not sure about TOS -- do they have an API?