6:1 margin for overnight stock positions at InteractiveBrokers

Discussion in 'Retail Brokers' started by maos, May 10, 2007.

Do you want IB to allow portfolio margin for accounts <100,000$

  1. Yes

    77 vote(s)
    58.8%
  2. No

    54 vote(s)
    41.2%
  1. rwk

    rwk

    It is my understanding that you have to develop your own guidelines. They will be different for each portfolio. If you are daytrading 1 or 2 stocks, you're probably better off with Reg T margining. With a mix of several long and short, you can probably get 6:1 or better. There is no way to tell without experimenting.

    [rwk]
     
    #61     Jun 15, 2007
  2. I too have 872.6 and I have Java 1.6.0_01.

    Maybe you need more than $100k in the account before it shows up? Note that it is above the Margin Requirement and Trading Limits area of the Acount info page.

    I don't remember doing anything to make it show up. Just noticed it the other day.
     
    #62     Jun 15, 2007
  3. kashirin

    kashirin

    Anybody here from Canada?
    Will portfolio margin will be available for Canadian any time soon?

    any info?

    I'd earn $150 additional guaranteed
    why Canada so slow?
     
    #63     Jun 21, 2007
  4. maos

    maos

    Yeah. that's right.

    Try PM button won't show unless your account is above 100k.

    By the way...PM once again came through for me. I trade two accounts. The account I use PM on left the one without PM waaaay behind.
     
    #64     Jun 28, 2007
  5. Sorry, but I am looking at my account view and the "Try PM" button is there and I am not above 100K.

     
    #65     Jun 28, 2007
  6. maos

    maos


    oh.

    mine is not showing it...and I'm running the latest TWS version...
     
    #66     Jun 28, 2007
  7. Hi all,

    For those of you who have been using the IB portfolio margin option, can you comment on how it is working out for you. I am looking into using IB and would want to take advantage of their portfolio margin account option. I would be holding 10 to 12 positions (equities) at a time for short term swing trades (2 to 10 days).

    1) Likes/dislikes
    2) any issues with IB's policies
    3) auto liquidation issues
    4) How easy is it to determine your overnight margin requirement, before putting on the new position
    5) Anything else I should be wary of
     
    #67     Dec 17, 2007
  8. just21

    just21

    #68     Dec 17, 2007
  9. i used to trade with them. they were constantly changing the pm formula, always with little/no notice. that is completely unnacceptable, as you cannot predict how your o/n margin will behave. even if you only use 5-10% of your margin, as i was, you're constantly on edge because you don't know what changes they have in store and how they will affect you.

    it was bad enough that i worried more about their pm changing than the actual market.

    i don't trade w/ ib anymore.
     
    #69     Dec 21, 2007
  10. ids

    ids

    1. We did not change our PM calculation rules since summer time.
    2. There cannot be a problem if you are using 5-10%. Even 30% is enough to feel completely safe. If you are 50% and more, watch out before the market open especially after volatile days.
    3. Margin naturally changes more unpredictable than rule-based margin. There is no simple formula for the calculation.
     
    #70     Dec 21, 2007