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Question about Interactive Brokes ES Margin + Trading Experience
I currently use IB to trade equities so it would be the easiest transition to just start using IB to trade futures but i was wondering if anyone has any bad or good experience trading ES with IB?
Im going to be using Jigsaw Daytradr for execution. Im also curious about the Margin requirement for daytrading ES. Most places offering 500-1000$ intraday margin per contract but on their IB's website their saying you need 15k per contract? is this correct?
Can you help answer these questions from other members on NexusFi?
IB has high margins at the moment due to the very high volatility we've currently been experiencing. The exchanges set the minimums, the brokers have their own risk profile models and can set a higher minimum if they feel it's warranted. Attached is the current margin requirements pulled from TWS just a second ago.
I've been a member of this forum for 10 years. I have only dogged one vendor (relentlessly) previously, and have called out another broker previously for bad service. I'm not in the habit of writing bad reviews just because I'm upset. I'm …
I don't have a vendetta against them, but I've had several experiences with them over the years that would make it impossible to recommend them.
That's right about minimum margins for trades held beyond the current day's close -- "overnight" trades, even though they are not necessarily held during an actual "night," just opened in one trade day and still held after the next day's open. Note that for ES, the trading "day" ends at 16:00 Chicago time (US Central Time), then there is a pause, and the new "day" begins an hour later at 17:00. (Edit: Unless it's a weekend, and then the week ends on the Friday 16:00 close and the new week starts Sunday afternoon/evening at 17:00.) Holding over that period makes it an "overnight" trade, and subject to Exchange minimum rules.
Brokers are completely free to set "intra-day" margins to literally anything they want. Many brokers, as mentioned, are offering day-trade margins in the $500 range (some $400). These trades must be closed before the official end of the trading "day." Brokers will close you out if you don't have minimum exchange margin at (or approaching) the close.
Historically, IB has always been very conservative about its margin requirements, and sometimes may be higher than the exchange minimum. It is not a broker that is seeking smaller, more risk-seeking traders, and does not cater particularly to the day trader by providing low day-trading margins. Many (most) brokers do.
Note that using low margins does increase your potential profits, as well as drastically increasing your potential losses. Take this into account as you consider the margin levels you will seek and use.
Bob.
When one door closes, another opens.
-- Cervantes, Don Quixote
