Hi, I have wanted to use leverage with margin rates so low but I a have largely avoided doing so because I am afriad of an unexpected issue costing me more than my account alone. The thought of having to liquidate other assets to cover a margin loan is concerning to say the least. I am wondering if I use an LLC to open an Interctive Brokers account if that could prevent me from having exposure to losses outside of the LLC? I am thinking this sort of structure must exist. I assume LPs in hedge funds are not on the hook in the fund goes bust? Let me know if you have heard of this approach and think it works!
Good luck with that. Hedge funds run by professionals with institutional sponsorship are one thing. Retail brokers aren't in the business of letting small-time punters with DIY shell companies gamble with house money, and then walk away from the debit balance. Expect to be subjected to much tighter scrutiny from the get-go, pay much higher rates for data, and at the end be asked to personally guarantee your entity's credit.
Oh god, if only it were this easy... I'd over-leverage on a few big hit gambles. If it works, I'm a trading genius and retire. If it fails, I walk away like nothing much happened while the dust settles...
InteractiveBrokers will automatically close out your trade, at the market price, well before there is any chance that they will risk losing their money.
Really? And it's JUST that easy-peasy? Is that what IBKR did during their screw-up when retail-traders blew up their accounts when WTI went to negative rates? Is that what IBKR did during their screw-up when retail-traders fell into the Swiss-Franc shit-show and blew up their accounts? Is that what IBKR did during their screw-up when... etc.. etc.. etc. ?
Not sure about that, years ago I was using an LLC to trade. Don't recall anything being different compared to trading as an individual, data fees and such are a different topic of course.