More than you want to know about IB's interest rates is here: https://interactivebrokers.com/en/index.php?f=1595 It depends on the person whether they feel comfortable in having cash positions in multiple currencies in their account or not. I can only speak for myself: I don't care much about having multiple currencies. However, I do care about having to pay debit interest. So I keep a close eye on how much interest IB is charging me for each of the currencies. If I think that I can get a better situation by converting some money from one currency to another then I will do so. But often does the FX commission offset the potential benefits and I just leave things as they are.
Thank you Hobbytrading for the link and details. have a couple of questions based on this. 1. which button would I click in the screen shot in the first message on this thread ? 2. is the interest only on the margin required for example for ~ 7 - 10k for ES or is it on the full value of the contract ? i.e ~$150k that is required.
You're welcome. 1. For people who want to trade spot FX is the question as posted in the picture relevant. In case you do not plan to trade spot FX as a way to make profit then it does not matter which of the two choices you select. 2. The interest is not for the full contract value but for the margin requirement. In your ES example thus about 7 ~ 10 k USD per contract.