in IB, if i own 100K of stock, can i margin it for futures trading? is it as good as margining 100K of cash? what are the rules at IB? thanks
Yes you can. Margin rules are on our website under the Trading section, or you can use the Search function. You could margin the stock at 50% (and possibly lower depending on your SMA / Reg T requirment). So with 100k of stock, margined at 50%, you'd have 50k buying power for futures trading. Our customer service desk should be able to answer these questions. If you already have an account with us, you can complete a Trouble Ticket via the Account Management menu, otherwise help@interactivebrokers.com