IB: is it really good???

Discussion in 'Forex Brokers' started by Eagle Eye, Jan 12, 2006.

  1. I totally agree that the service is good, no doubt. But you know i still think if they claim liquidity from major banks, and the only way you see it is on the TWS or hear as a hearsay.

    So I am asking them why like other show them on their site. I mean Fxall, currenex, hotspot has all the liquidity providers names officially displayed on the site.
     
    #11     Jan 12, 2006
  2. OK that is good way to leave the things:)

    And seriously please prove to the fact who the liquidity providers are not just I hear this and I hear that.

    I have no doubt legal department has done very good job and the clients should be aware of that:)

    Finally, I have no doubt IB is good and may be the best, but I would certainly consider them and even recommend if the liquidity providers are officially displayed and included in terms and conditions!!

    take care
     
    #12     Jan 12, 2006
  3. IBSoft, for the same reason that I want to know which
    of the six option exchanges a given quote comes from.
    I know that the ISE quote is more real than the PHLX
    quote and much more likely to be filled.

    You wrote:

    You are not an ECN, except insofar as IB customers' quotes
    go. On an ECN anyone who quotes on it has to honor his
    quote, he can't back away from it. Liquidity providers have
    different propensities to honor their quotes. Some liquidity
    providers, like the ISE in options, almost always honor their
    bids and offers. Others, in fast market conditions, will back
    away from their quotes.

    This is why I want to know who is making each bid/offer.
    Many of your "ECN-like" competitors are willing to specifically
    identify the liquidity provider behind each quote, why won't
    Interactive Brokers?
     
    #13     Jan 13, 2006
  4. I am located in Europe and call the European helpdesk when in need and I NEVER had a problem: they answered the phone immediately and were very cordial.

    The only think I can complain is the swiss/dutch accent....:p :D

    ...just kidding
     
    #14     Jan 13, 2006
  5. IBsoft

    IBsoft Interactive Brokers

    Revealing the identity of the liquidity providers should not be all that helpful to you. Even if you know their name, if they wish, they can still decide not to honor their quote (albeit it is a lot less likely in case of the big banks). Think of the biggest banks in the FX dealing, and I really mean biggest, those are the ones on our system.

    I don't know who the competitors are you are referring to, but my suspicion is that they are not in the same league as IB. One reason behind their revealing their provider(s) may be that they have 1 or maybe 2 of them, hence to attract the customers they have to reveal who they are so heavily relying on.

    Given that we are adding the fifth major bank, we depend a lot less on every single one of them. The strength of ours we like to emphasize is the breadth - which should already be very apparent in how tight our quotes are, even during times of volatile markets and economic news announcements.

    Again, we are not asking anybody to take our word for it, although if you think about it, I should not be able to get away with lying in this forum.

    In closing, I suggest you open an account and trade a portion of your capital on IB-TWS side-by-side next to your current favorite broker's platform. In time it should become very clear that IB's offering is superior.
     
    #15     Jan 13, 2006
  6. I don't think it is an issue of revealing the liquidity providers being helpful or not, it is whether they are real liquidity providers or not. And if they are then please display officially on the site and include the names in terms!!

    I think that could also be said about Hotspot FX, interestingly they have names of liquidity providers for institutional clients but not retail, and the reply was it is some of the providers from the list, so lets guess which on it is.

    To me all this appears to be an inequality of bargaining power between retail clients and brokers!!!!
     
    #16     Jan 13, 2006
  7. Could I ask the size of your account?

    lol... the answer is obviously no. I just want a general idea - mid 5 figures? 6 figures? I have a theory about why some people say they can never get anyone on the phone at IB and others say they pick up on the first ring every time.
     
    #17     Jan 13, 2006
  8. General question, how is it IB comes on this forum and posts comments to different topics relating to IB? but other brokers dont seem to be doing that?
     
    #18     Jan 13, 2006
  9. IB's interaction with serious, experienced traders, on this website, helps make IB superior to other brokers. Other brokers don't do it because they aren't as motivated as IB to do a quality job.
     
    #19     Jan 13, 2006
  10. True, or instead of interacting here why wont they just save that time and make it superior by other means rather than "serious" traders coming here posting and the IB replying and resulting in some progress if so.
     
    #20     Jan 13, 2006