Our premier Java-based Trader Workstation (TWS) incorporates all the tools required to enter, monitor and analyze your trading activity. TWS is available for Windows, Mac and Linux based computers.
Why Interactive Brokers?
Successful traders and investors understand that superior technology and lower trading costs can result in greater returns.
For 32 years the IB Group [1] has been building electronic access trading technology that delivers real advantages to professionals
worldwide. With consolidated equity capital of US $4.8 billion, IB and its affiliates exceed 1,000,000 trades per day. In addition, our prudent and conservative risk policies make Interactive Brokers a safe haven for your money. Discover some of the reasons why professional traders and investors choose IB.
Globality
Electronic access to stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds and funds
on over 80 market destinations in 18 countries held
and reported in a single IB Universal AccountSM.
Trade assets denominated in multiple currencies from a single account.
Convert currencies at market determined rates as low as 1/2 PIP wide, or create
a position collateralized by a non-native currency.
Best Trade Execution & Trade Cost
IB SmartRoutingSM is designed to search for the best price available
at the time of your order, and unlike other routers,
to dynamically route and
re-route all or parts of your order to achieve optimal execution.
Based on independent measurements, the Transaction
Auditing Group, Inc., (TAG),
a third-party provider of transaction
analysis, has determined that Interactive
Brokers US stock and options price executions were significantly better than
the
industry[2] during the first half of 2009.
IB independently routes US stock, option and futures spread order legs to
the best possible venue or natively
routes your combination seeking price
improvement, with IB undertaking the risk of partially executed orders.
IB SmartRouting AutorecoverySM re-routes your options orders in the case
of an exchange malfunction,
with IB undertaking the risk of double executions.
IB has automated every aspect of the trade process in-house, enabling us
to offer the lowest[3] commissions.
Risk Management & Control
Our real-time margin system continuously enforces limits for each
account, automatically liquidating positions if any individual account
violates its limits at any time.
IB Risk NavigatorSM is a real-time market
risk management platform that unifies exposure across multiple asset classes
around the globe.
Trading Technology
Market-maker designed Trader Workstation (TWS) optimizes your trading
speed with a single multi-product spreadsheet interface offering real-time
streaming quotes and quick click order entry.
Over 50 order types and algos
provide the tools for any trading needs.
Simple, direct connection to our trading system, through the TWS APIs or
using our CTCI FIX interface.
Customized order entry modules designed to
meet specific trading needs such as options, forex, spread and basket trading.
Financing
Portfolio Margin Accounts with real-time risk management, which allow increased leverage with
greater safety.
Single Stock Futures EFPs available
as a financing alternative with market determined interest rates.
Lower margin loan rates than our competitors by an average of 5.8%. Based on IB's US Margin Loan Rates Comparison as of 6/1/2009.
Reporting
Flexible download files available in text or XML format.
Customizable Activity Statements in PDF or HTML format.
Daily Margin Reports
detail requirements by underlying.
Educational Offerings
Our Traders' University offers a series of Flash based courses that cover topics on options
pricing, forex and mechanics of a short sale.
Extensive program of live webinars and interactive tours covering:
IB's Trader Workstation
Available Products
Our proprietary APIs
Industry-sponsored trade topics
Any trading symbols displayed are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to portray recommendations.
Interactive Brokers LLC is a member of FINRA - SIPC.
[1] Includes Interactive Brokers Group and predecessor companies.
[2] Source: The Transaction Auditing Group (TAG). Industry as a whole for the referenced periods according to TAG. The analysis for stocks included all market orders of 100 shares or more up to 10,000 shares. The analysis for options included all market orders with order sizes of 1 to 50 contracts.
[3] Lowest cost broker according to Barron's
online broker review - The 25 Leading Online Brokers - March 16, 2009. Barron's is a registered
trademark of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. Criteria included Trade Experience, Trading Technology,
Usability, Range of Offerings, Research Amenities, Portfolio Analysis & Report, Customer Service
& Access, and Costs.
Interactive Brokers LLC is a member of NYSE, FINRA, SIPC.
Supporting documentation for any claims and statistical information will be
provided upon request. [1] E-Trade - 150-1,499 trades per quarter. [2] Fidelity
Gold Account - $1
million or more in assets or $25,000 in assets and 120 trades per year. [3] IB
- Accounts generating commissions less than $10 per month (with account equity
of $2,000 or more) will be assessed the difference as a monthly activity fee.
[4] optionsXpress - minimum 9 stock trades per quarter. [5] optionsXpress -
minimum 35 option trades per quarter. [6] optionsXpress - eMini – between
1 - 40 contracts per month. [7] Schwab - 120 trades+ per year or more than $1
million in household balance. [A] Net $ Improvement per Share Definition: ((#
of Price Improved
Shares * Price Improvement Amount) - (# of Price Dis-improved Shares*Price Dis-improvement
Amount)) / Total Number of Executed Shares. [B] According to TAG for US stocks
(53 cents per 100 shares better), the analysis included all market orders
of 100 shares or more, up to 10,000 shares from January - June 2009. The
analysis for US options (22 cents per contract better) included all market orders
with
order sizes of 1 to 50 contracts from January - June 2009.
Trader Workstation (TWS)
Gives you a high level overview
of all our market-maker designed electronic trading platform has to offer.
TWS Configuration
Most aspects of TWS are configurable – see how easy it is to customize your workstation in this high level highlight.
Featured TWS Technology
TWS Stock Borrow/Loan
IB now offers electronic market access to AQS®, the first automated, centrally-cleared electronic marketplace for Stock Borrow and Loan transactions.
Accumulate/Distribute Algo
Minimize market impact for large
orders by slicing the order into increments and buying or selling over time,
at pre-defined, randomized time intervals. Available for stocks, options,
futures and forex.
Option Portfolio
Use the TWS Option Portfolio algorithm to help you adjust the risk profile of your portfolio by any of the Greek risk dimensions.
IB Risk NavigatorSM
The IB Risk Navigator is a
real-time market risk management platform unifying exposure across multiple
asset classes around the globe. Its easy-to-read spreadsheet interface
lets you easily identify overexposure to risk by starting at the portfolio
level and providing drill down access into successively deeper levels
of detail within multiple report views.
Algos
IB’s growing family of
stock and option algorithmic trading strategies help you balance market
impact with risk to achieve optimal execution on your large volume orders.
Integrated Stock Window (ISW)
The ISW is a customizable stock-management
interface that combines Level I and Level II market data, real-time charting,
rapid order entry and complete order management into a single screen, and
puts them all literally at your fingertips.
Thomson Reuters Worldwide Fundamentals
Comprehensive fundamental
market data on more than 46,000 companies on over 100 exchanges around
the globe is seamlessly integrated into TWS. A monthly subscription gives
you over 1,000 data fields viewable in TWS and through the socket APIs.
TWS ScaleTrader
TWS ScaleTrader, part of our
suite of specialized order management tools, facilitates the execution
of large volume orders while minimizing the effects of increasingly deteriorating
prices.
BasketTrader
BasketTrader gives you the ability to trade a basket of individual underlying components as a package, and save it for trading at any time.
BookTrader
This deep book window allows you to transmit orders with a single click. Designed for speed.
FXTrader
The FXTrader provides an optimized trading interface with all the tools you need to trade FOREX markets.
OptionTrader
See how this integrated suite of option tools allows you to view data and manage options orders from a single customizable screen.
TWS Analytics Tools
Price/Risk Analytics
Presents a brief outline of our price/risk analytics which includes portfolio analytics with Value at Risk; Option analytics with the Greeks; and an editable option model to calculate option prices.
Technical Analytics
Our technical analysis tools include real-time charts with technical indicators, and market scanners that return the top 20 contracts that best satisfy your search criteria.
Fundamental Analytics
An overview of our fundamental analytics, powered by MarketWatch and syndicated RSS news feeds, including Reuters.
PaperTrader
Practice your trading skills in a simulated environment with IB’s PaperTrader. If you currently have an IB account, you can apply for our paper account.
RealTime Activity Monitoring
Real-time activity monitoring includes both current market information on your portfolio positions and real-time margin reporting.
Streaming News Feeds
Get the latest stories and headlines
delivered to your trading window via Reuters, Google, Yahoo! and other RSS
financial news feeds.
TWS Trading Tools
AllocationTrader
AllocationTrader allows advisors to pre-define any number of allocation methods and automatically allocate orders to multiple client accounts based on these instructions.
ArbTrader
Take advantage of arbitrage opportunities (when companies are subject to takeovers or mergers) using IB’s ArbTrader window.
MarketDepthTrader
Market maker designed for large volume orders, this self-contained component facilitates large volume trades using cumulative quantities and average execution price available at a particular price or better.
PortfolioTrader
Simplify periodic portfolio rebalancing using the TWS PortfolioTrader.
SpreadTrader for Futures
See how to create and manage futures calendar spreads and EFPs from a single configurable screen.
ComboTrader
The TWS ComboTrader allows you to create inter-market spreads with legs of stock/stock, stock/option, option/option or future/future.
ChartTrader
Activate the ChartTrader panel from within a real-time Chart, and create, modify and transmit orders without leaving the chart window.
System Integration
Application Program Interface
The TWS APIs allow traders to develop sophisticated algorithmic trading solutions using Java, C++, VB or ActiveX, which take advantage of IB’s high speed order routing functionality and broad market depth.
CTCI/FIX
IB supports the industry-standard FIX protocol for clients who connect via our CTCI (computer-to-computer interface).
Smart Best-Execution Routing
Smart Best-Execution Routing
Smart Best-Execution Routing searches for the best firm stock, option, and combination prices available, and seeks to immediately execute your order electronically.
Order Types
Order Types
Trader Workstation supports over 40 order types that can help limit risk, speed execution, provide price improvement, use discretion, time the market and simplify the trading process.
Alternative Order Entry Platforms
MobileTrader
Use your internet-connected wireless device to manage your IB account through MobileTrader. Send stock, options and futures orders, monitor your account balances and portfolio, and view market data and execution reports.
WebTrader
WebTrader’s simplified HTML-based interface is easy to navigate, and lets you manage your IB account from any Internet-ready PC, even through a firewall.
Monitoring
Customer Activity Monitor
The CAM communicates directly with the IB order routing system, and allows multi-client account managers to monitor all account activity including complete order histories and routing sequences.
Account Highlights
IB Universal Account
Our IB Universal Account allows
you to trade stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds and funds on over 80
global market destinations.
IBEmployeeTrackSM
IBEmployeeTrackSM is a simple,
cost-free compliance solution that transmits daily activity reports on
all employee-held accounts at Interactive Brokers directly to your legal
department. Contact your IB sales representative for more information
on IBEmployeeTrackSM.
Execution
Services
Some
of the benefits of our Trade Execution Services include electronic global
access, best trade execution, lower trading cost and optimal trading
technology.
Prime
Broker Services
Our
fully electronic global custody and clearing solution offers sophisticated
risk management and control, financing, securities lending and comprehensive
reporting.
Strength
and Security
Our
technology, our people and our strong financial condition help to protect
you from the risk inherent in today’s marketplace, and at the same time
help you profit from it through our advanced trading system and ultra
low fees.
Short Stock Availability Tool
The Short Stock Availability Tool, part of Interactive Brokers’ Stock Lending and Borrowing (SLB) system, is a fully electronic, self service utility that lets you search for real-time availability of shortable stocks.
Statements and Reports
Generate and customize reports directly from Account Management to view important information when you need it.
PortfolioAnalyst
An online tool that allows investors to evaluate the performance of their IB portfolio, and save their analyses as reusable templates.
User Access Rights
Our robust User Access Rights system lets you match your IB account access to the controls that you’ve set up in your own organization.
Post Trade Allocations
Quickly allocate U.S. stock and option orders post-trade using IB's intuitive web-based Post Trade Allocation tool. The PTA window lists all the day's unallocated trades and provides customizable template-based functionality to help you easily allocate to multiple pre-approved clearing brokers.
IB Soft Dollar Commission Program
Offset the purchase costs of
many research-related products and services through IB’s Soft Dollar
Commission Program.
Portfolio Margin Account
Interactive Brokers customers are able, in certain cases, to increase their leverage beyond Reg T margin requirements.
Corporate Actions
The Corporate Actions page
notifies you of upcoming voluntary and mandatory corporate actions
that could affect your portfolio, as far out as three full months.
Product Highlights
Products Summary
Interactive Brokers offers electronic
access to stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds and funds on over 80 market
destinations worldwide from a single
IB Universal Account®.
Stocks & ETFs
Get electronic access to market centers worldwide with market-maker designed Trader Workstation (TWS). Use TWS BookTrader for single-click order transmission from the deep book data; trade baskets, ETFs, combinations and spreads using our specialized trading modules; take advantage of our integrated technical, fundamental and price/risk analytics tools; choose from over 40 order types to address any trading strategy; execute smart using our dynamic IB SmartRouting algorithm, which continually seeks price improvement - all at lower trading costs, realized through ultra low commissions, lower margin financing costs and higher interest paid on balances.
Options
Interactive Brokers provides
specialized options trading tools, high-powered option and portfolio analytics,
ultra low commissions and IB SmartRouting with AutorecoverySM – and
22 cents per contract better price improvement than the industry
as a whole.
Forex
Multiple large forex dealers.
In addition, IB’s FXTrader is specifically designed for Forex traders
and completely customizable.
Broker Assisted Trading Desk
Voice brokered options quotes
and executions are now available. For order sizes of 100 contracts or greater,
our option trading desk can provide verbal quotes prior to exposing your
outright and spread orders to the market.
Futures & Future Options
Ultra low commissions and the ability to trade multiple products on market centers around the world all from a single screen.
Commodities
Ultra low commissions and electronic market access to global commodity futures and futures options in multiple currencies, all from a single IB Universal AccountSM.
ETFs & Mutual Funds
Interactive Brokers’ Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and no-load Mutual Funds are low-cost and efficient ways to diversify your investments in sectors of the markets.
VWAPs
To assist customers in reducing price execution risk for large block trades, we provide support for guaranteed Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP).
EFPs
An Exchange for Physical (EFP)
allows the swap of a long or short stock position for a Single Stock Future,
which has an interest rate built into its price that is determined competitively
by numerous market participants. Find out how EFPs can provide an economical
and efficient financing vehicle.
Spread & Combo Trading
IB independently routes US stock, option and futures spread order legs to the best possible venue seeking price improvement, with IB undertaking the risk of partially executed orders. In addition, ComboTrader allows customers to choose from a selection of predefined combinations or to create any generic combination of unlimited legs.
Bonds
Interactive
Brokers offers US corporate and government bonds available
for trading from the NYSE Arca Bonds, Tradeweb, ValuBond, and IB’s
sister market-making affiliate, Timber Hill, LLC.
Mutual
Funds
As
a service to our Individual and Advisor customers, Interactive Brokers provides
a selection of no-load Mutual Funds.
Contracts For Difference (CFDs)
Interactive Brokers offers electronic
access to Contracts for Difference (CFDs) on the Australian Securities Exchange
(ASX).
Dark Pools
To help provide price improvement
on large volume and block orders, IB now includes some of the more utilized
dark pools in its SmartRouting logic.
