i just went live on june 1st and i am debating about how much money do i actually need in my account i sent for a start 40 k but now i might need some of it for another investment do you think 20 k will be enough i only hold 2 options ATM and and maybe sometimes im selling a covered call of the ES does anyone have a similar portfolio ?
Who is your broker? You should ask them what they require. SPAN margin on what you describe should be less than $20K but they might want a buffer.
SPAN margin is what the CME requires. IB can use whatever they want, but not less. http://www.cmegroup.com/clearing/risk-management/span-overview.html