Hi Larry - I want to give you a belated thank you for mentioning Interactive Brokers (IB) as a discount broker. I have been happy using their services and have really cut my comissions by using them.

I have found one downfall (at least for myself) using IB. I am trading under a legal identity. (If I did it all over again I would have not used a legal identity till I proved myself as a trader.) If you trade under a legal identity at IB then you must pay for market quotes. I get around this by getting quotes from my personal optionsXpress account. However, it would be much nicer to have them on the IB screen.

Whenever I load an option onto the trading screen a pop-up says that I do not have a market subscription to AMEX. My question is, to anyone who may know, if I did purchase the market subscription to AMEX would I get quotes for all options or something less?

Dave

Dave,

It seems to me that the easiest thing to do would be to just open and individual account with IB and transfer some funds to it. And then from what I understand you’re saying, you would be able to get free market quotes from that account. You would still have your account under a legal identity if you should need it.

I don’t know how subscriptions to the AMEX work.

Larry

Thanks. That would work but would basically do the same thing I am doing with optionsXpress. In IE I like the way that you can set up trades, but not transmit them, on each line. Each line also has a current price (if you are subscribed or a non professional identity.). It would be nice to see that current price.

I guess I'll just deal with it. It's worth it for a buck a contract.

Dave