Is there a forum for discussing Fixed Income? If not, could there be one? This would be Gov't Bonds, Corp Bonds, etc. Thank you.
That's a good idea, but bear in mind 90% of ETers struggle to find enough money to open an IB account, let alone trade corporates with a top-tier bank.
Not at InteractiveBrokers. Mimimum account is $10,000 ($5,000 for IRA or customers under 25). But I did wonder where truetype got the "90% of ETers struggle to find enough money to open an IB account" statistic.
You don't need to conduct a scientific study to prove, or verify, that -- trust me. That's just a safe assumption to make. That everyone, or the industry, already knows and suspects. 90% is rather even modest and conservative, possibly, if you ask me. For many people, or traders, it's a classic case of the House always Wins. Isn't it fun...See you lator. Alligator.
There have been a few threads, for example this one on distressed debt (very distressed!). https://elitetrader.com/et/threads/distressed-debt-investing.297477/ You could always just start a thread in Trading or Journals and see if people want to show up. I don't do much with bonds but I've done a little and I might be interested.
Fixed income includes many instruments, including I believe US Savings Bonds which can be purchased for very small amounts. So certainly not beyond the reach of all members of this forum. Also, most US treasuries and Munis can be purchased for 'small' amounts of money (10k). It's really when you start to talk non-US sovereign bonds or some corp bonds that the dollar amounts required could be higher. And yes, this may beyond the reach of many members here, but I'm sure there are some members here who may do some investment in these types of instruments. And I'm also sure there are many members here who have done so professionally (even if not as part of their own personal profile). It is also good to remember that not every discussion here has to be about how to 'get rich quick' through highly leveraged futures/ETFs/FX. Some may prefer portfolios that are slow but steady or help conservation of wealth. Of course, there are some people (such as myself) who may be interested in discussing the more academic side of fixed income. Be it simple questions (what is affecting the yield) to more complicated questions (is the 10 year bond/bund spread tightening indicative of a growing euro economy or shrinking US dollar?) Topically, given the sudden change in the value of the DOW over the last week and the raising of the US 10 year, a discussion could be had on how related these two may be. That is why I think having a forum for Fixed Income could be useful, even if most of the members are discussing academic/topical discussions on the current economy. Thank you.