Re: [amibroker] Re: AT using multiple accounts at IB, AmiBroker Email List Archive

On Sat, Jun 6, 2009 at 4:58 AM, Leading Edge Systems <rdcpa@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

As far as I know there is no difference in trading an advisor account and a normal account. Advisor account is nothing but a behind the scenes allocation of executed trade & profit/loss to given accounts in the prescribed manner and a single point management. The management or allocation of the profit, loss or margin is going to come in picture AFTER a trade is executed, except perhaps Margin.

Actually the advisor platform just allows you to enter one order with an allocation. It then places INDIVIDUAL orders into each account for execution. You are right that all of the order types are available but at the time I tried this, when I used a limit order and then received a partial fill, the platform would not allow you to then change the limit order to get the rest of the order filled. Also since orders are not really executed in a single account as you suggest, but rather just set up as separate orders, it is possible for each account to get different pricing on fills. A true advisor account allocates the days trades at an average price out to the underlying accounts so that all accounts get the same fill price. This is not the case with the IB advisor account. AFAIK the only way to get the same prices into all the accounts is to use a market-on-open (MOO) order or a market-on-close (MOC) order. These type of orders will always be filled at the same price so that is why I now only use this type of order. IB may have made some changes that I am not aware of to help to fix this issue.

Rich

--- In amibroker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Sanjay Arora <onlinetrade.skpobox@xxx> wrote:
>
> Rich
>
> On Fri, Jun 5, 2009 at 1:32 PM, Leading Edge Systems rdcpa@xxxxxxxx:

>
> > Thanks for the suggestions and yes, I have one of these accounts and you
> > are saying that this could be automated using AB issuing trade signals into
> > the advisor account?
> >
> As far as I know there is no difference in trading an advisor account and a
> normal account. Advisor account is nothing but a behind the scenes
> allocation of executed trade & profit/loss to given accounts in the
> prescribed manner and a single point management. The management or
> allocation of the profit, loss or margin is going to come in picture AFTER a
> trade is executed, except perhaps Margin. If an order type is available on
> the execution engine, it would be executing for an account, not knowing if
> the account is retail, advisor or institutional. Having some software
> background, I would not believe that they could be this.....well I have no
> other word if this is true.....Stupid!
>
> >
> >
> > I actually stopped using my advisor account due to issues with the TWS
> > platform when using limit orders.
> >
> Can you please tell me what this problem was? And did you talk to support
> about it? What did they say?
>
> > Now I just have my true advisor accounts on this platform but pulled my own
> > personal trading accounts out and only use market orders for the
> > multi-account advisor platform.
> >
> Very Very Strange...and if true IB automation would never work with large
> institutional clients, which at least here in India are their main marketing
> focus.
>
> >
> >
> > I want to autotrade two other accounts that I don't want to move into an
> > advisor platform. So I am guessing that I need a computer and a copy of AB
> > for each account?
> >
> Rich, just imagine the management. If some negative event occours and you
> want to cancel all strategies, it will be at least 20-30 seconds or maybe
> more, shifting from one puter to another. Then syncronizing your strategies,
> charting setups/habits and software upgrades ;-(
>
> I think you should seriously talk to IB about it and if the problem is
> already there, start looking for an alternative broker. In the longer run,
> it will be less onerous.
>
> Sanjay.
>