What broker do you use?

Discussion in 'Index Futures' started by mm2mm, Aug 21, 2012.

  1. mm2mm

    mm2mm

    What is your broker for ES or futures in general?
     
  2. bone

    bone

    My clients have had good luck with Advantage, Crossland, Kottke, Dorman, RCG, RJ O'Brien.

    The big Chicago firms that do not prop trade and know how to correctly margin a spread position.

    Because you should be spreading stock index futures.
     
  3. NKNY

    NKNY

    Hi,

    Which one of these firms have a platform that would enable one to chart spreads ? Is there any advantage to their platforms over esignal ....
     
  4. bone

    bone

    Your charting services provider is different than your clearing firm which is ( typically ) different than your execution platform in the world of futures.

    In other words, it might be possible to clear Advantage Futures, chart your spreads with eSignal, and execute them using CTS T4.
     
  5. NKNY

    NKNY

    Ok I see.... Thanks for the info... I'm actually using esignal and ib right now and spreading some index futures but was thinking of switching to a futures broker and keeping ib for equities.

    Thinks again....
     
  6. I use Vision Financial Markets and Sierra Charts.

    Do you have any issues trading futures with IB? The reason I ask is I am considering opening an account there for the diversity of products and exchanges offered (specifically options on equities and futures, spot forex, ETFs, and international exchanges).

    Unfortunately IB seems to be the broker everyone loves to bash so I have been thinking long and hard.
     

  7. That's mainly because more people here are using IB than anyone else so every tiny thing about them is discussed at enormous length. It is mainly a statistical thing - the faults will be found, no matter how limited they are, because it is so widely used.
     
  8. Options12

    Options12 Guest

  9. I myself am using CTS T4 via Cunningham Commodities now and they are good. Well, they have their issues too such as no accurate real time SPAN margining so you have to negotiate the margin/risk parameters and the details of that can be awkward and complex. In the end, they have been extremely accommodating to me but I have to sort of guess at the margin status in my head during the day.

    They do not support requesting new user defined spreads via their API but you can call up Globex and have Globex add them, and then T4 will pick them up right away if you refresh.

    I do not have an IB account any more but I am still very familiar with IB from having used it for many years. I still try to give IB credit where it is due. I might not use them again for futures options, which I trade, but would go back to them if I were trading stocks. I may open a secondary account with them again for stocks later on.

    I also had an account with PFG. Oh well.