IB rapid margin changes when underlying not moved much?

Discussion in 'Interactive Brokers' started by stochastix, Feb 13, 2022.

  1. Did margin requirements suddenly change or something?
    it has a warning saying price for some contracts at midnight are missing and went from +40,000.00 excess liquidity to -467.00 overnight when the underlying and futures barely moved.. (VIX bear call 55-80) some weird shit from Russia or something?>
     
  2. Ib is a bucket shop...the squeeze you
     
    gkishot and nooby_mcnoob like this.
  3. RedSun

    RedSun

    Any contract rolled off? That happened to me before.

    Yes, IB does change margins without notice.
     
    murray t turtle and cdcaveman like this.
  4. Hmm, good to know, no not yet, Feb 16th expirations. When I tried to sell a few of the positions I strangely get a "No Financial Instrument Defined" trying to submit the order, when I selected my currently open bear call combo.. weird, I need to call them I guess

    Did I fall into the multiverse finally where the CBOE has vanished along with Chicago?
     
  5. maxinger

    maxinger

    too risky for IB due to whatever reasons. so IB has to raise margin requirement.

    some traders are reckless / extremely greedy.
    there was a guy who longed crude oil futures contract that was expiring on 20 Apr 2020. Subsequently, crude oil futures price went negative.
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2022
    murray t turtle likes this.
  6. One of those retailers was a guy in Toronto who was experimenting on OIL trading. Cost him a 10 million dollar loss that IBKR had to step in and cough up for to the clearing houses. Simple case of Dunning Kruger effect, where the young & dumb guy thinks he's a genius and everyone else was too stupid to purchase negative contracts. "Free money right? What could possibly go wrong!"

    He is very humbled now.

    If there is one thing we've learned is brokers are infamous for not having enough stringent test requirements for millennials wanting to trade leveraged products.
     
    stochastix and murray t turtle like this.
  7. %%
    Lol\ hard to think of something positive to say about that\ i guess maybe he will always remember that loss, % +dollar amount.
    50 states + canadian border may complicate it. I read in the WSJ canada stopped minting pennies\LOL how dumb can a canadian mint get., with all due respect ??
    WSJ noted US mint overall profitable [ $400 million profitable] on business /though lost money on US pennies:D:D