Yes I checked.My account is for stock and options. I just got an email from IB customer service. "No you still cannot trade options in an IRA account.There are some programming issues that need to be resolved.Please be patient as we are currently working on resolving this matter for you."
Is this a universal account? I have 2 IRA accounts with IB and have been trading options in there for over 9 months. I have not converted to the universal account. Are you in the US? denominated in USD? This seems odd.
No it is not a universal account.I didnt know an IRA could be a universal account.Its just a regular cash account for stocks and options. KTM can you help me.Somewhere in the IB IRA info it hints that they want money to be held in reserve to exercise options.Please tell me this is not applicable to an IRA where you can only buy to open and therefore are under no further obligation.The idea is to buy and then sell the options.Not exercise the damn things.
Like I said, I have been doing it in my IRA for a while without a problem...it's just a stock and option cash account. Exercising is something that IB has to deal with as a reality. I understand most of us will never exercise (from a buy to open), but they must allow customers to do so if they wish...it is a right after all. I'm at a loss to tell you what to do next, other than keep talking to IB (and maybe def) and try to determine where the problem may be. In my experience, IB has been kinda odd in the way they handle things. Most brokers will tell you they are fixing problems and rolling out all of these new features - and they are slow to do so. IB tends to be hard to nail down on defined problems and time frames (I mean on the record - not from def), then all of a sudden they roll a new release and fix many things and deliver new stuff that few even realized we'd asked for. I don't want to say I'm sure they're working it...but I would definitely keep talking to them. I would keep going up the chain and if you get very frustrated, maybe write Steve Sanders if you're not getting answers.
graeco, I informed the head of the help desk with the mail you posted above (which is incorrect). He did a search through the database, found the mail and said he would ask someone to contact you in regards to your situation.
You impress me.I got your pm and I was going to contact you if I didnt get anything from a further email I sent to IB customer service.