Trading

How can I convert currency at MEXEM?

To convert currency at MEXEM you must do so using one of our trading platforms. For information on how to convert currency in your favored trading platform, please visit one of the pages below: How do I convert currency in TWS? How do I convert currency in IBKR Mobile? How do I convert currency in WebTrader? How do I convert currency in Client Portal? For further information on converting currency with MEXEM, please explore the links below: Closing an account and want to convert balances? Unable to find your desired currency pair?

What are the tickers for spot gold and spot silver?

The ticker symbol for spot gold is XAUUSD, whereas the ticker symbol for spot silver is XAGUSD. After entering the ticker, select Commodity. Entitled clients must apply for Metals trading permissions via the Trading Permissions page in Client Portal/ Account Management. You can enter trading permissions by clicking the Configure icon under Trading Permissions from the settings followed by Account Settings menu. Please Note: MEXEM Spot Gold and MEXEM Spot Silver trading is available to clients who are not legal residents of the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan or Hong Kong.

What is the contract size of spot gold and spot silver?

MEXEMSpot Gold (XAUUSD) and MEXEM Spot Silver (XAGUSD) are traded in units of 1 troy ounce fine gold and fine silver, respectively, and are quoted vs USD. Please Note: MEXEM Spot Gold and MEXEM Spot Silver trading is available to clients who are not legal residents of the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan or Hong Kong.

On what exchanges can I trade?

MEXEM supplies direct market entry to stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds, ETFs and CFDs listed on over 120 markets in 31 countries. A listing of markets organized by geographic region is available on our website.

What is IdealPro?

MEXEM operates two settings under the IdealPro label, one providing spot Forex trading and currency conversions and other, spot metals trading (London gold and silver). See website for further details: Forex Spot metals

What is the ticker for E-mini S&P 500 futures?

ES is the ticker symbol for S&P 500 futures. After entering the ticker select Futures followed by the contract month. Customers might search the IBKR contract database through our website under the Products menu followed by Contract Search.

What is the ticker for DAX futures?

DAX is the ticker symbol for DAX futures. After entering the ticker select Futures and choose multiplier 5 for Mini-DAX, or 25 for DAX futures. Finally select the contract month. Customers may search the MEXEM contract database through our website under the Products menu followed by Contract Search.

What are the available Forex pairs?

Currently available Forex pairs can be found on the MEXEM's website by selecting the Trading menu option followed by Listings. Choose Exchange Listings followed by Global and IDEAL PRO. Additional Information How do I find all the available currency pairs?

Can I trade via CME Direct?

CME Direct is a front-end trading system provided by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange which provides users the ability to enter trades on the CBOT, CME, COMEX and NYMEX exchanges, IBKR does not provide trading via CME Direct as it does cnot support the pre-trade credit check that is registered prior to submitting an order to the exchange nor is it designed to interface with the open API supplied via the TWS.

Am I required to subscribe to market data through IBKR?

Clients are not required to subscribe to market data through IBKR. If you choose not to subscribe to a paid service, delayed quotes will be supplied at no cost, where available. Furthermore, while the lack of real-time market data will have no effect upon execution quality, IBKR strongly recommends against trading without a source of real-time quotes to avoid mistaken or unpredicted trades. To guarantee that clients submitting orders are aware that they are not being presented with real-time quotes, IBKR will supply a warning notification at the point of order confirmation notifying the client of this fact. If entering orders using the API without a real-time quote feed, a warning will also be activated. For more information, see: How do I subscribe to market data from the TWS?

How do I choose and subscribe to the right market data subscription?

To use our Market Data Assistant tool: Log in to Client Portal/ Account Management Click on the Support menu followed by Market Data Assistant Enter the Currency, Symbol, Asset Type (such as Stocks or Futures). then click Search Evaluate the available options and decide which subscription best meets your needs Subscribe to that subscription by navigating to the Settings menu followed by User Settings and clicking the Configure (gear) icon across from Market Data Subscriptions On the Market Data Subscription screen click the Configure (gear) icon next to the Current Subscriptions panel title bar From this screen you can now manage your Market Data Subscriptions To subscribe to the subscription you previously found, select the tab matching the region and platform you would like market data for and follow the system notifications. Please Note: If you do not take part or have not yet enabled two-factor authentication as part of our Secure Login System, you will receive an email with a verification number that you must enter on the last step of the subscription process before finalizing the process. Additional Information Please Note: Market Data subscription updates take effect immediately under normal circumstances Client Portal Users' Guide Am I required to subscribe to market data through IBKR?

What determines how much cash is Available for Withdrawal in a Cash account?

Accounts which have been arranged as a Cash type do not have access to the proceeds from the sale of securities until such time the transaction has resolved at the clearinghouse and proceeds have been provided to IBKR. Securities settlement usually takes place on the second business day following the sale transaction. Furthermore, funds that have been recently deposited may be subject to a withdraw restriction or a credit hold. The amount you see under "Available For Withdrawal" in the Transfer Funds section of Client Portal/ Account Management will reflect the previously mentioned settlement time and any deposit holds or withdrawal restrictions. More information on credit hold and withdrawal limitations on our website. See also: How can I check my cash balances in the Activity Statement? and Why can I not withdraw funds?

Why was my order rejected for no trading permissions when I have permisissions for ETFs?

Opening orders from Retail investors occupying in the European Economic Area (EEA) that are correlated with a product that does not follow the EU's packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Product Regulation (PRIIPS) will be rejected. The regulation is planned to enhance understanding of these products through provision of disclosure documentation mentioned to as the Key Information Document (or "KID"). The KID provides information such as costs, risks & performance, product description. The products that this applies to have returns connected with a reference value and include derivatives (options and futures), ETFs, ETNs, funds and certain debt instruments. It does not apply to stocks, standard bonds and FX. Orders will be denied if the issuer, or manufacturer, of the product has decided not to provide the KID needed in order to distribute the product to EEA retail residents. Please note: The restriction does not apply to existing positions subject to the KID requirement that you are seeking to close. To close any similar position you held prior to the implementation of PRIIPS use the "Close" button to create a closing order. Once an EEA resident is accepted to trafe ETFs under PRIIPs there may be a further permission needed for "Complex or Leveraged Exchange Traded Products" required to trade ETFs or ETNs. See: What permissions do I need to trade Complex or Leveraged Exchange Traded Products? Find a general overview of PRIIPs regulation in the IBKR Knowledge Base. See also: How can I upgrade to Professional status for PRIIPs purposes?

How can I tell if my market data is real-time or delayed?

If your market data is delayed, either your quote line will contain a yellow background or there will be yellow tick dots next to the bid/ ask prices (it depends on your Display settings). If the market data is in real-time there will be no yellow background, and the quotes will either be green/ red (the default colors; reliant on of the quote is on an uptick or downtick), or there will be green/ red tick dots next to the bid/ ask prices (also depends on your Display settings). You can also check in Client Portal/Account Management to see if you are subscribed to real time market data. Log in to Client Portal/ Account Management and go to the Settings menu followed by User Settings. Look for the Trading Platforms section and click the Configure icon (gear) next to Market Data Subscriptions followed by the Configure icon (gear) next to Current GFIS Subscriptions. Select the tab platform and region then enlarge the market data section you are interested in. Here, you can apply a check next to any market data subscriptions you want and uncheck any you wish to unsubscribe. Click Continue through any agreements and disclosures to complete your subscriptions.

How do I find the Hedge Fund Marketplace?

To use the Hedge Fund Investor Site, log in to Account Management and go to Investors' Marketplace > Find Services. If you do not see the Hedge Fund Marketplace link in the menu, then you are not entitled to invest in participating Funds. The following clients are entitled: US customers who are Accredited Investors and Qualified Purchasers (except for IRA accounts) Accredited Investors and Qualified Purchasers in all other countries EXCEPT Canada, India and Japan. Indian and Japanese customers are eligible only if they have IB LLC accounts Advisors can invest in participating funds for their clients who are Accredited Investors and Qualified Purchasers. Fully Disclosed Broker sub accounts are eligible only if they are Accredited Investors and Qualified Purchasers and non-Canadian. Non-disclosed and Omnibus Broker sub accounts are NOT eligible. Hedge Funds who have already opened their funds to investment in the Hedge Fund Marketplace

How do I create a Conditional order in TWS?

To create a Conditional order, first set up the order you wish to have triggered. Then, right click on the order and click Modify followed by Condition. Click the Add button on your right to choose which type of condition you wish to set. Types of conditions include Price, Margin Cushion, Volume, Percentage Change, Rebate Rate in %, Time, Daily P&L, Trade, or Shortable Shares. Choose your condition type, click the Next button, and follow the prompts to finish setting up your condition. Once finished, you will be brought back to the Order Ticket window. Once you are ready to Transmit your order, click the blue Transmit button at the bottom of the window. More information on conditional orders can be found on our website and in our Users' Guide.

How can I search for bonds?

There are several ways to search for bonds: Search the MEXEM Contract Database located on our website by clicking the Products menu option followed by Contract Search. In TWS enter the Corp/Muni/Treasury Bond Cusip number into the Financial Instrument column in a watchlist. Please note: to see CUSIP identifiers you need to be subscribed to the CUSIP service. See: How do I subscribe to CUSIP service? For a Corporate Bond in TWS, enter the underlying stock symbol into the Financial Instrument column on your trading screen and hit Enter. Expand the menu and click Bonds. Use the Bond Scanner in Classic TWS by clicking the Analytical Tools menu option followed by Bond Scanner. In Mosaic, click on the blue New Window button and select Bond Scanner. More information on the Bond Scanner in our Users' Guide. You can find all of the bonds offered by MEXEM on our Fixed Income Product Listings page of our website. If you do not find a specific bond by the above mentioned ways then please submit a webticket with the ISIN or cusip number and then MEXEM will research if the bond can be added to our database. Note: You will only be able to view Bond market data if the account has approved Bond Trading Permissions. See: How do I request trading permissions?

Why do I get the message "Transactions in this instrument are limited to closing-only trades" when I try to buy certain stocks?

There are a number of conditions which change the status of a product that at one time was freely tradable to later being restricted to closing only. One of the most common causes is a change in a stock's listing that causes it to no longer be continuously quoted on an electronic market. Another is a change to the clearing status whereby the stock can no longer be settled or cleared through standard clearing mechanisms, but rather requires special broker-to-broker bilateral settlement. In these circumstances, MEXEM will allow the client to close an existing position, but will not accept orders which either serve to open a new position or increase the existing position.

What is my "Margin Cushion"?

The Margin Cushion is estimated as the account's Excess Liquidity divided by the Net Liquidation Value. The Margin Cushion number is a tool you can use as a quick reference to monitor how much Excess Liquidity you have left before the account is in margin violation. The Margin Cushion can be added to the TWS Trader Dashboard. To add the Trader Dashboard in Classic TWS, click on View menu option followed by Trader Dashboard. Right click on the Trader Dashboard and select Configure. When the window populates, click the Add Account Data button. In the pop up window, scroll down to "Other" and click on " Cushion " followed by "OK". Click Apply to save your changes and OK to close the window. For more information, please visit the MEXEM Short Video on how to monitor the real time margin as well as the MEXEM Knowledge Base.

What is the FXTrader?

The FXTrader provides an optimized trading interface with MEXEM-designed tools to trade the forex markets. The price display emphasizes the critical portion of the bid/ask, and conveys price movement at a glance by showing an increasing price in green and decreasing price in orange. Each currency pair occupies its own "cell," complete with market data and order information, where you can create, transmit and cancel orders with a single click. Overall order, trade and portfolio information is shown along the top of the currency pairs grid. For assistance using the FXTrader, please visit the TWS Users' Guide.

What is the point of the FX Portfolio - Virtual FX Positions section of the Account Window?

The FX Portfolio - Virtual FX Positions section of the Account window is built to show activity for currency pair trades for FX traders so that they can track average cost and running P&L on their currency trades. Since the "Position" value may reflect the sum of trades executed in the FX market along with currency conversions to change non-base funds into your base currency, these "virtual" positions do not necessarily reflect an actual cash balance in any currency You can rectify the value of a Virtual FX Position within the FX Portfolio - Virtual FX Position section by right-clicking on the position, selecting Adjust Position/Average Price and entering a different value into the fields. This will not execute any currency conversion, but will modify the value of this Virtual FX Position on the account For actual, real-time currency balances, check the Total Cash field of the Market Value - Real FX Balances section of the Account window To avoid having currency conversions reflected in this panel, use the FXCONV destination on the order line. More Information How do I hide or show my Virtual FX Positions? Why would I submit an FX transaction to the FXCONV destination? Is interest paid/charged on long/short Virtual FX currency positions? Why are some of the values in the FX sections of the Account window shown in italics?

What is meant by Current Excess Liquidity?

Mark-to-Market (MTM) profit and loss shows how much profit or loss you incurred over the statement period, regardless of whether positions are open or closed. Opening and closing transactions are not matched using this methodology. MTM calculations assume all open positions and transactions are settled at the end of each day and new positions are opened the next day. MTM calculations are split for purposes of simplification: calculations for transactions during the statement period, and calculations for positions open at the beginning of any day: MTM P/L= Position MTM + Transaction MTM – Commissions Position MTM= (Current Closing Price – Prior Closing Price) x Prior Quantity x Multiplier Transaction MTM= (Current Closing Price – Trade Price) x Current Quantity x Multiplier Additional information on the Mark-to-Market calculation method can be found in our Knowledge Base. The column MTM P/L in section Trades of your statements is the difference between the Trade Price and Current Closing Price (the Closing Price of the day of the trade) multiplied by the quantity. For a Forex trade, the Closing Price for the day of the trade can be seen on your daily Activity Statement under the Base Currency Exchange Rate section. Additional information can be found in our Reporting Guide.

Where can I find historical data?

The best place to find historical data is in Trader Workstation via a chart or the Time & Sales tool. In TWS, right click on the stock you wish to get historical data for. To bring up a chart, select Charts from the right click menu followed by New Chart . To bring up the Time & Sales tool, select Analytical Tools from the right click menu followed by Time & Sales . Please visit our Users' Guide for more information on how to Create a Real-time Chart and Time & Sales Data.

What is the difference between real time and snapshot quotes?

Snapshot quotes provide an "Instantaneous" quote and will not stream on your trading platform. Real time quotes provide a constant stream of live, updated quotes on your trading platform. Both, however, will provide the NBBO (National Best Bid and Offer). See also: What is meant by US Securities Snapshot & Futures Value Bundle? and How can I obtain real time US option and stock quotes? For additional information, see US Reg NMS Snapshot Market Data Service in the MEXEM Knowledge Base.

How do I change Precautionary Settings in TWS?

Precautionary settings such as the size limit, total value limit, and percentage constraint, can be changed in Classic TWS by selecting the Edit menu option followed by Global Configuration. In Mosaic, you can access Global Configuration through the File menu option. Once in Global Configuration, select Presets on the left hand side. You can either set Precautionary Settings for all products through the Presets section, or click the plus sign to the left of Presets to expand the section and select a specific product to modify. Scroll down to the Precautionary Settings section and make changes to the size limit, total value limit, and/or percentage constraint. Once finished, click Apply to save your changes and OK to close the window. Feel free to review the TWS User's Guide for further information on how to adjust these settings.

Is there a minimum order size?

Nearly every product offered by MEXEM has NO minimum order size. You can place trades with an order size as low as 1 share, 1 contract, 1 unit of currency, etc. Forex order quantity is by default in defined in terms of units of the first currency of the pair. The concept of Forex lots does not apply at MEXEM. Bond order minimums may vary. When you place an order the Order Ticket or order line should default to the minimum order size, which is also visible in the Order Preview. See also: How can I search for Bonds? Mutual Fund orders have an initial fund order minimum of USD 3,000. Subsequent order sizes vary by fund. See the individual prospectuses for more details.

What is the Mark-to-Market calculation method and how does it work?

Mark-to-Market (MTM) profit and loss shows how much profit or loss you incurred over the statement period, regardless of whether positions are open or closed. Opening and closing transactions are not matched using this methodology. MTM calculations assume all open positions and transactions are settled at the end of each day and new positions are opened the next day. MTM calculations are split for purposes of simplification: calculations for transactions during the statement period, and calculations for positions open at the beginning of any day: MTM P/L= Position MTM + Transaction MTM - Commissions Position MTM= (Current Closing Price - Prior Closing Price) x Prior Quantity x Multiplier Transaction MTM= (Current Closing Price - Trade Price) x Current Quantity x Multiplier Additional information on the Mark-to-Market calculation method can be found in our Knowledge Base. The column MTM P/L in section Trades of your statements is the difference between the Trade Price and Current Closing Price (the Closing Price of the day of the trade) multiplied by the quantity. For a Forex trade, the Closing Price for the day of the trade can be seen on your daily Activity Statement under the Base Currency Exchange Rate section. Additional information can be found in our Reporting Guide.

Why am I no longer receiving live market data?

If you are subscribed to market data but are currently only receiving delayed data, it may be because you are already logged in on another device with either your live account or paper account. Be sure to log off of your live or paper account on the other device and your data should be restored. If your account balance has recently dipped below the threshold for maintaining real time market data. When your account value goes below the following thresholds your live market data will be shut off: Individual Accounts (unless listed below): USD 500 (or non-US equivalent) Financial Advisor: USD 500 (or non-US equivalent) Friends and Family Advisor: USD 200 (or non-US equivalent) Indian Residents trading with an IB India Account: USD 100 (or non-US equivalent) Clients whose data terminated due to insufficient equity will need to meet the Qualification Requirement before re-subscribing. If your account balance is above the required threshold for maintaining real time market data, but upon charge of market data fees your equity is insufficient to pay for all the subscriptions, the system will terminate the subscriptions that you are unable to pay for. If you have an outdated market data questionnaire and have not updated the form MEXEM may terminate your market data until a new questionnaire is completed. If you do not log into Trader Workstation (TWS) for 60 days, you will be notified that your active market data and research subscriptions will expire at the end of the current month. You can avoid subscription termination by logging into TWS or by choosing to continue the subscriptions on the Market Data and Research pages in Client Portal/Account Management. If any of the above are not the issue, please try to refresh your market data connection by using the Ctrl + Alt + F keys on your keyboard. Otherwise, contact MEXEM by phone for additional troubleshooting.

How do I establish a margin loan?

Establishing, and subsequently maintaining, a margin loan requires the following preconditions: The client must manage a "Margin" type account (borrowing is not allowed in a "Cash" type account). Your account type can be found in the Account Information section of your statements. To access recent statements, log in to Client Portal/Account Management and select Reports followed by Statements; The client must manage equity of at least USD 2,000 (or equivalent) in the securities segment of the account in which loans are maintained; The account maintains sufficient Equity With Loan Value to sustain the loan. Assuming those conditions are met, a margin loan is created by: Purchasing a security without having sufficient cash (in the same currency denomination as that in which the security settles) to fully pay for that security at settlement; Withdrawing funds in excess of settled cash in the denomination of the currency being withdrawn; Assessment of a fee in an amount which exceeds the settled funds on hand (in the same currency denomination as that in which the fee was assessed). NOTE: MEXEM does not issue margin calls and clients whose accounts are no longer margin complaint are subject to forced liquidation of positions to restore margin compliance. See also: How do I upgrade my account to use margin or Portfolio Margin?

What is Cost Basis?

Cost basis is the original value of a security or other asset used for tax purposes to determine whether a capital gain or loss has been realized when that asset is sold or disposed. Depending upon the tax regulations, the cost basis may be adjusted for commissions, wash sales or corporate actions such as stock splits and return of capital distributions. In certain instances, MEXEM may be required to provide you and the IRS with annual statements reporting the cost basis of securities you've sold. For more information, please see What is a Covered Security? See also: Where can I find the cost basis of my position?

What do the colors in the Order Status field mean?

Colors are shown in the Status field in the Classic layout, and in the Order Status field that precedes the Financial Instrument in the Mosaic Activity Orders tab. You can see a mouse-over description of the order status color both in the Classic order line and in the Mosaic Activity Orders tab. If the order color description does not show, open Global Configuration and select Display followed by Settings. In the Tooltips section of the Settings page, ensure that "Show order status information" is checked. For more information on Order Status Colors, please visit the TWS Users' Guide.

Where can I find analytical tools in TWS?

Analytical Tools can be found in our Trader Workstation platform. If using the Mosaic layout, you can find the various Analytical Tools that we provide by clicking the blue New Window button in the top left corner. Scroll through the list of tools, or, if you know what you're looking for, start by typing a tool name or feature to get a quick list. Choose a tool to open it. If you are in Classic TWS, you will find the Analytical Tools menu option at the top of your TWS platform (the fifth option to the right of File).

What are the limitations of the paper trading account?

Although the paper trading account replicates most aspects of a production TWS account, you may encounter some differences due to its construction as a simulator with no execution or clearing abilities. These differences include but are not limited to: No support for some order types including: Passive Relative, Auction, RFQ, Pegged to Market and Market with Protection (for futures directed to Globex). Fills are simulated from the top of the book; no deep book access. Limited combo and EFP trading. Stops and other complex order types are always simulated in paper trading; this may result in slightly different behavior from a TWS production account. Penny trading for US Options is not supported. You will be able to submit the order but it will not receive a penny fill. The trade simulator will reject the remainder of any exchange-directed market order that partially executes. This may or may not match behavior of a real-world exchange. Market orders received while there is no quote on the opposite side will be held until the market data arrives (i.e. until the first partial fill). Mutual Fund trading is not supported. Additional information on paper trading accounts and executions on paper trading accounts can be found in our Users' Guide and Knowledge Base.

What is the definition of a "Potential Pattern Day Trader"?

A potential pattern day trader error message means that an account has less than the SEC required USD 25,000 minimum Net Liquidation Value AND the number of available day trades (3) has already been used within the last 5 days. The system is programmed to prohibit any further trades to be initiated in the account, regardless of the intent to day trade that position or not. The system is programmed to protect the accounts with less than USD 25,000 so the account would not "potentially" be flagged as a day trading account. If an account receives the error message "potential pattern day trader", there is no PDT flag to remove. The account holder will need to wait for the five-day period to end before any new positions can be initiated in the account. It is not possible to override the "Potential Pattern Day Trader" restriction. You can find an Overview of Pattern Day Trading ("PDT") Rules on the MEXEM website. See also: How can I determine the number of available Day Trades? See also: Are non-US residents subject to the Pattern Day Trading Rule?

I have knowledge about option trading but not the required experience. Can I trade options?

Traders who do not meet the minimum trading experience requirement may still request permissions to trade options. When you submit a permissions request for options with less than the required trading experience a proficiency exam will populate. Passing the proficiency exam will allow you to move forward with requesting options trading permission. If your session times out before you finalyze the exam, you will be required to re-request options permissions. Log back in to Client Gateway and submit a new request to repeat the process.

If I have been flagged as a Pattern Day Trader, when can I begin trading again?

The NYSE regulations state that if an account with less than USD 25,000 is flagged as a day trading account, the account must be frozen to prevent more trades for a period of 90 calendar days from the last day trade. Please note: If the intraday situation occurs, the customer will instantly be prohibited from launching any new positions. However, customers should be able to close any existing positions in the account. If you choose to perform a PDT Reset, you will be able to trade again 5 business days from the date of the last day trade. If you choose to deposit more funds into your account to bring your securities NLV above USD 25,000, you will be able to trade instantly. If an account gets re-flagged as a PDT account within 180 days after the reset, the customer then has the following options: Deposit funds to bring the account's equity up to the SEC required minimum of $25,000 Wait the required 90 day period before any new positions can be launched

What is Maintenance Margin?

Maintenance Margin is the amount of funds which must be maintained in order to continue holding a position. In the U.S., the rules of the listing exchanges define the maintenance margin requirements on security transactions subject to SEC approval. The exchange minimum maintenance margin requirement for long stock positions is currently set at 25% although brokers can add any amount of a ‘house margin' requirement in excess of that, particularly where the security is considered low-priced or subject to volatile price changes. The exchange minimum maintenance margin requirement for short stock positions is currently set at 30%.

Do I have to change currency before buying a stock?

Clients from most countries in the world benefit from a multi-currency account at MEXEM. Such accounts can hold numerous cash balances at the same time. To open a position in a security that is denominated or settled in a currency you do not obtain, clients with a cash account will have to convert enough funds to the denominated/settled currency to cover the cost of the trade. However, in a margin account clients can either (a) convert enough cash to cover the cost of the position in the denominated/settled currency or (b) open the position without converting currency and MEXEM will extend a margin loan to cover the cost of the trade (please note that for option (b) when the position is closed the margin loan will close as well but the gain/loss on the position will remain in the denominated/settled currency).

Can I elect to give a fixed dollar amount to a beneficiary of my Transfer on Death account?

The Transfer on Death account type does not accommodate discrete or fixed dollar distributions, but rather distributions that are percentage based (as the value of the account cannot be known for certain in advance of the account holder's death). Accordingly, you may designate up to 6 primary beneficiaries as long as the percentage distribution totals 100%. In addition, you may designate one or more optional contingent or secondary beneficiaries in the event a primary predeceases the account owner or allocate that deceased primary beneficiary's share to the remaining primary beneficiaries or to your estate.

Is live data provided for paper trading accounts?

Real-time quotes are provided on a monthly fee-based subscription basis and in order to pay for those subscriptions, you must have a live, funded account. If you subscribe to data through your live account, those same subscriptions will be made available through your paper trading account. If you have a free demo version of the paper trading account, you will receive delayed quotes, where available. To share market data, access Client Gateway/Account Management and select Settings followed by Account Settings. In the Configuration panel, click the Configure (gear) icon for Paper Trading Account. Select Yes on the Share real-time market data with your paper trading account. Select the username whose market data you want to be shared and click Save. Once completing the steps, you will need to log in to the paper trading account again. The changes will be activated in 24 working hours. Note: if you log in to both accounts at the same time from different devices, the real time data will only be available on the live account.

How do I set up alerts in TWS?

To set up Alerts in the Trader Workstation, right click on the symbol you wish to set the Alert for and left click on the "Alert" bell icon in the right click menu. If you wish to create a simple Price alert, you can do so from the "Configure Price Condition" pop up window. If you wish to create a different alert such as a Trade alert, Margin Cushion alert, Volume alert, etc., click the "Advanced Settings" button to choose your alert type. If you choose to create an Advanced alert, a "Create Condition" window will populate where you can arrange your alert. Once arranged, click Finish. Under "Actions", choose the type of notification you wish to receive. You can use the Orders tab to trigger an order, the Messages tab to send you a message via email or SMS, or use the Audio tab to set up an audio alert. Finally, go down to the "Duration" section and set your duration preferences. Once complete, click Activate at the bottom of the window. If you choose to have the alert sent via email or SMS you will need to arrange your default method of receiving alerts. This is a one time process and is done through Client Gateway/Account Management under Settings followed by User Settings and Communication . Select the Configure (gear) icon for Alert Notification. More information on alerts and notifications and on configuring the default method of receiving alerts can be found on our Users' Guide.

Where can I find information on margin and margin requirements?

Margin requirements affect how and when you can borrow, the type of deposits which may be needed and the level of equity that you must manage in your account. Failure to meet these requirements will result in becoming subject to liquidation of assets, either manual or automated, to bring the account back into margin compliance. Margin requirements are based on your Country of legal residence, the exchange where you want to trade and the product(s) you want to trade. You can use the following resources to learn more about trading on margin: On the Margin Trading page of the MEXEM website you can find information on margin trading as well as up-to-date margin requirements. Use the handy Margin Requirement Wizard to narrow the information to only the products you wish to view. In the Margin Education Center you can find additional educational materials related to margin trading at Mexem. Find details on Margin oversight for US listed securities and commodities products and Key Margin Definitions in the MEXEM Knowledge Base. See also: How can I keep track of my account values and margin requirements in TWS?

What tools does MEXEM have available to monitor the margin values in my account?

You can keep track of your margin values in real time using your TWS/Mosaic Account Window by looking in the Margin Requirements and Available for Trading sections. In the MEXEM Mobile open the Account screen and tap on the Margins or Funds tabs. If you would like to see your margin information broken down by position as a daily snap shot you can create a Margin Report in Client Portal/Account Management. More information on the Margin Reports can be found in our Users' Guide. To see how the account's real time margin requirements would change when previewing an opening or a closing order you can use the Check Margin Impact feature in TWS or in Check Margin Impact in Mosaic. In the MEXEM Mobile trader tap Preview in the bottom of the Order Ticket.

How is Buying Power determined?

The amount of Buying Power available for a given trade depends upon a number of factors including the product traded and the account type (e.g., Cash, Reg. T, Portfolio Margin). It is estimated by dividing the Equity with Loan Value in the account by the margin percentage. Assuming an account with a balance consisting solely of USD 100,000 cash, purchasing stock as an example: Cash - in a Cash type account borrowing is not allowed and the margin requirement for any stock purchase is 100%. The Buying Power for a Cash account with a USD 100,000 cash balance is USD 100,000 (100,000/100%). Reg. T - in a Reg. T margin account the default overnight Initial Margin Requirement is 50% which, for a USD 100,000 cash balance, translates to Buying Power of USD 200,000 (100,000/50%). For day trading accounts, the intraday Initial Margin Requirement is 25% which, for a USD 100,000 cash balance, translates to Buying Power of USD 400,000 (100,000/25%). Portfolio Margin Account - In a Portfolio Margin account, the margin requirement can be as low as 15% which, for a USD 100,000 cash balance, translates to Buying Power of USD 666,667 (100,000/15%). As capital is used to place trades, the available buying power in the account will decline. For more information, please visit the MEXEM Short Video on how to monitor the real time margin as well as the MEXEM Knowledge Base.

How do I see whether a stock is shortable on TWS?

MEXEM offers information on the TWS which provides clients the ability to keep track of when a stock is shortable and, if it is, the quantity of shares that can be shorted and the cost to borrow those shares. The data displayed under the shortable column for shortable shares is in real-time and no subscription is needed. The steps necessary to enable this feature and display the information in a column on the TWS Quote Monitor are as follows: Click on the wrench icon located in the upper right-hand corner to open the Trader Workstation Configuration window; Scroll down to the Quote Monitor and then Default Layout options located within the configuration folder and the TWS columns that you currently have displayed as well as those which are not displayed but are available to add will we displayed in separate panes; Click on the available column titled Shortable, then click the Add and OK buttons. Once displayed, the Shortable column indicates whether there is stock to borrow so the user can short it. Colors in this column relay the following shortable information: Red = Not available Dark Green = We will try to locate the shares Bright Green = At least 1,000 shares are available Additionally, a mouse-over tooltip tells you the number of shares available and the projected borrow rate. Note: Brokers are required to perform a locate to make an acceptable determination as to whether shares can be borrowed at settlement. This locate does not guarantee that the shares will be available at settlement and, if not, the short sale is subject to a forced close-out. In addition, the quantity of shares that a client may short is limited by the equity managed by the client and the requirement that the account remain margin complaint were an order to be accepted.

What are MEXEM's Futures Close-Out Policies for futures?

For futures contracts that are settled by the actual physical delivery of the underlying commodity (physical delivery futures), account holders may not make or receive delivery of the underlying commodity. The exception is for the major CME Globex currency futures (EUR, GBP, CHF, AUD, CAD, JPY, HKD). Please note, if the account is not an approved ECP (Eligible Contract Participant) or does not have approved Cash Forex Trading Permissions it will only be allowed to close a cash position resulting from a delivery of an expired Forex future contract. See: What happens if I hold a Forex Future contract through expiration? To avoid deliveries in expiring futures contracts, account holders must roll forward or close out positions prior to the Close-Out Deadline. The date and time MEXEM can start liquidating a specific futures contract due to MEXEM's Futures Close-Out Policy can be found on our website. Additional information may be found in the MEXEMKnowledge Base. With the recent decision by certain exchanges to support negative pricing, MEXEM has implemented several new policy changes as it relates to expiration/near expiration policies. Oil related future products (Physically and cash settled), which are eligible to trade at negative prices are subject to the same liquidation schedules. Meaning physically delivered contracts and cash settled future products will both be subject to mandatory closeout periods. Additionally, beginning five business days prior to expiration, only margin-reducing transactions in expiring month contracts will be accepted for oil-based products eligible to trade at negative prices. See also: Where can I see settlement method of a product in TWS?

How do I determine my Required Minimum Distribution?

Due to COVID-19 the CARES Act is NOT requiring Traditional IRA 2020 Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) for any IRA owner who is age 70½ before 1/1/2020. Once you reach age 70 1/2, the IRS requires that you withdraw a minimum amount each year from all your IRA and retirement plans (except Roth IRAs) and pay ordinary income on the taxable portion of the withdrawal. This amount is referred to as your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). Your RMD amount is determined by applying a Life Expectancy Factor set by the IRS to your account balance at the end of the previous year. To estimate your RMD: Locate the IRA Required Minimum Distribution Worksheet on the IRS website; Find your age in the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table located in IRS Publication 550; Locate the corresponding Life Expectancy Factor; and Divide your retirement account balance as of December 31st of the prior year by your Life Expectancy Factor. If you have more than one retirement plan, you will need to estimate the RMD for each separately, although the total may be withdrawn from any one or more of the accounts. Please refer to IRS Publication 550 for more spousal and beneficiary considerations. Disclaimer: MEXEM does not provide tax guidance or advice and the above is provided for informational purposes only. We recommend that clients consult with a qualified tax advisor or refer to the IRS for any tax-related questions.

Why am I unable to trade Norwegian Stock?

MEXEM does not provide direct trading on the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE). You can trade numerous OSE-listed stocks on the OMXNO exchange: Trader Workstation: choose the exchange "OMXNO" from the Destination field when placing an order MEXEM Mobile: when placing your symbol into the Order Ticket, select the asset class "Stock" followed by "OMXNO" as the exchange Please Note: customers who are residents of Norway cannot trade Norwegian securities due to administrative restrictions.

How do I trade on the Shanghai Stock Exchange?

MEXEM provides the following API types: Trader Workstation (TWS API) - offers the most features and is made available to any clients with trading access. WT Web API - offered to white-branded advisors and introducing brokers and provides streaming and historical data. Client Portal Web API beta- offered to all clients to provide a RESTful interface to the Client Portal via a small local gateway. 3rd party Web API - offered to 3rd party vendors to connect their end users to their accounts at MEXEM for trading stocks and forex. Additonal information on our API solutions can be found on our website.

How do I exercise or lapse an option?

TWS (Desktop) Click the Account (or Trade) menu followed by Option Exercise Choose the option(s) and select " Exercise" to exercise the entire position, " Partial" (when applicable) to exercise or lapse portion of the position, or " Lapse" (only available on the last trade date) The instruction is shown on an order row. Click " T" to transmit the instruction. Right-click and select " Discard Modifications" to discard without submitting You can make the option exercise request final and unable to be cancelled or editable until cutoff time (varies by clearing house). In TWS, click File (or Edit) and select Global Configuration followed by Orders and Settings. Choose "final and cannot be cancelled" to allow for instant delivery of the stock. Please note, some contracts will not follow this rule and will remain revocable up until the clearing house deadline. Additional information on how to exercise options in TWS can be found in our Users' Guide. MEXEM Mobile Tap the Menu icon followed by Option Exercise Tap on the option you wish to exercise followed by "Exercise/Lapse" If you wish, check the box to "Allow exercising out-of-money" followed by the number of contracts you wish to exercise or lapse Once complete, tap the Submit button If there is a warning message, please read it, and if you wish to proceed tap "Override and Transmit". A summary page will populate Additional information on how to exercise or lapse a long option can be found in our Knowledge Base. If you have a time sensitive issue and need help exercising a long American style option you must call the MEXEM Trade Desk. Option Exercise requests may be submitted up until the times listed on the MEXEM web page for Delivery, Exercise and Corporate Actions. Option Lapse requests are only available on the last trade date. Important Note: In the event that an option exercise cannot be submitted via the TWS or MEXEM Mobile, an option exercise request with all pertinent details (including option symbol, account number and exact quantity), should be created in a ticket via the Client Portal window. In the Client Portal Message Center click on "Compose" followed by "New Ticket". The ticket should include the words "Option Exercise Request" in the subject line. Please provide a contact number and clearly state in your ticket why the TWS Option Exercise window was not available for use.

How is Buying Power determined?

The amount of Buying Power available for a given trade depends upon a number of factors including the product traded and the account type (e.g., Cash, Reg. T, Portfolio Margin). It is estimated by dividing the Equity with Loan Value in the account by the margin percentage. Assuming an account with a balance consisting solely of USD 100,000 cash, purchasing stock as an example: Cash - in a Cash type account borrowing is not permitted and the margin requirement for any stock purchase is 100%. The Buying Power for a Cash account with a USD 100,000 cash balance is USD 100,000 (100,000/100%). Reg. T - in a Reg. T margin account the default overnight Initial Margin Requirement is 50% which, for a USD 100,000 cash balance, translates to Buying Power of USD 200,000 (100,000/50%). For day trading accounts, the intraday Initial Margin Requirement is 25% which, for a USD 100,000 cash balance, translates to Buying Power of USD 400,000 (100,000/25%). Portfolio Margin Account - In a Portfolio Margin account, the margin requirement can be as low as 15% which, for a USD 100,000 cash balance, translates to Buying Power of USD 666,667 (100,000/15%). As capital is used to place trades, the available buying power in the account will decline. For additional information, please visit the MEXEM Short Video on how to keep track of the real time margin as well as the MEXEM Knowledge Base.

How do I convert EUR to USD?

MEXEM's FX liquidity providers quote currency pairs in accordance with standard industry convention which, in the case of the EUR and USD, requires entry of the pair as EUR.USD. As the industry does not support inverted quotes (e.g., USD.EUR) and the first currency listed is the one being bought or sold, converting EUR into USD requires that you sell the EUR.USD pair. If you wish to specify your order in terms of USD to buy rather than EUR to sell, left click the Quantity field (in the Order Entry panel for Mosaic or on the order line in Classic). The quantity ladder will display. Toggle the quantity from the default currency to the alternate currency as required. For example, if the forex pair you're trading is EUR.USD, the default currency is EUR and the quantity shown is in euros. When you toggle to the alternate currency (in this case USD) the value will default to the equivalent USD value based on the current exchange rate. Modify the USD quantity as needed and submit the order. Additional information on cash quantity for Forex orders can be found in our Users' Guide. For instructions on how to convert currencies in all our trading platforms, see: How can I convert currency at MEXEM?

How do I place a stop loss order in TWS?

In the Mosaic Order Entry panel, attach a Stop Loss order to a primary order by expanding the Advanced panel and selecting Attach Stop Loss/Profit Tacker/Bracket. Check the Stop Loss checkbox, enter the order parameters and submit. In Classic TWS, right-click on an order management line, select Attach followed by the desired order type under Stop Loss. Define the order parameters and transmit. If the order has been submitted but has not yet executed, you can right-click on the order line in the Pending orders window and select Attach followed by the desired order type under Stop Loss. Define the order parameters and transmit. Additional information on the Order Entry panel and the order management line can be found in our Users' Guide.

How do I open Risk Navigator in TWS?

In Mosaic, open Risk Navigator by clicking the New Window button and selecting Risk Navigator. In Classic TWS, open Risk Navigator by clicking the Analytical Tools menu option and selecting Risk Navigator. If you wish to view your current portfolio, select Open ‘My Portfolio'. If you wish to create a new "What If" scenario, select Open New What-If. You can find an Introduction to Risk Navigator in our MEXEM Short Videos and detailed information on how to use Risk Navigator in our Users' Guide.

How do I close a currency balance in TWS?

If you would like to convert your remaining non-base currency balance(s) into your base currency in Trader Workstation (TWS), you can do so easily from your Account window. In TWS, click the Account menu option followed by Account Window. Scroll down to the Market Value-Real FX Balance section. Right click on the balance you wish to close and choose either "Close Currency Balance" to set up a closing order for that currency or "Close All Non-base Currency Balances" to set up closing orders for all of your non-base currency balances. Once you have made your select, you will now see the order(s) on your screen ready for submission. You can read more about how to close out currency balances through the TWS Account Window in the MEXEM Knowledge Base. Please Note: If you do not immediately see your orders, go to the Pending orders page in Classic TWS to see the created orders. You will likely need to review these orders and transmit them before they are submitted for execution The use of a market order when performing a currency conversion may result in an order rejection due to margin requirements. A limit (LMT) order may help you to avoid this. The limit price is the worst price you are willing to trade at; if a better price is available your order will be executed at a better price In case there is no direct pair between the currencies, such as in between CHF and HKD, then to convert your balance from one currency to the other, you will need to use a common currency. See also: I am unable to find the desired currency pair MEXEM will act to automatically convert non-Base Currency balances only where the balance is nominal (i.e., below USD 5 equivalent and assuming no subsequent trade activity through settlement) and when the customer requests to close the account (where the balances are below USD 1,000 equivalent). More details may be found in the MEXEM Knowledge Base. If you are in the MEXEM Mobile app, you can use the Convert Currency feature accessible from the main menu in the top-left of the screen. Currency balances will not necessarily match the Virtual FX Positions created to track P&L on Forex orders. See: How do I get rid of a Virtual FX position?

Is market data time based or tick based?

Streaming market data quotes in the trading platforms are updated in time based snap-shot intervals, which vary by product and region. Tick by tick data can only be retrieved if using an API. The average snap-shot intervals for the trading platforms are listed below: United States Stocks, Futures, Bonds and Indices - 250ms Options - 10ms Forex - 5ms over the internet, 1ms using a lease line Europe All products - 250ms Hong Kong All products - 250ms Find information on Tick-by-Tick Data via API in the API Users' Guide.

Where can I find my actual cash balances in TWS?

In order to see how much cash is in your account, click on the Account menu option in TWS followed by Account Window. Scroll down to the section titled Market Value - Real FX Balance. This section will show you all of your currency balances and will also display a total in your base currency. Additional information on the Market Value - Real FX Balance section can be found in our TWS Users' Guide.

What do I do if my short stock position has been delisted?

A delisted short stock position will remain in your account until either the stock starts trading again or until the time the DTC removes the shares from your account. It is unknown how long it will take for the company to dissolve and for the DTC to remove the shares. For additional information, please see the Finra Investor Alert titled "When Trading Stops: What You Need to Know About Halts, Suspensions and Other Interruptions" and the MEXEM Knowledge Base.

What is the difference between a Stop order and a Stop Limit order?

When using a Stop order (STP), you only designate one price: your Stop Price. Once your Stop Price is hit, it will trigger a market order for execution. When using a Stop Limit order (STP LMT), you must designate two prices: a Stop Price and a Limit Price. Once your Stop Price is hit, it will trigger a limit order at the price you designated for execution. Additional information on Stop orders and Stop Limit orders can be found on our website. Additional information on the the difference between a stop and a stop limit order as well as more information regarding the use of stop orders on can be found in our Knowledge Base.

What products or trading permissions may I have with my RSP/TFSA account?

No margin trading is permitted in TFSA/RSP accounts. All purchases must be paid in full in the product's respective currency. Additionally, no account debit balances are allowed. If required, a currency trade could be executed between USD and CAD. Accounts are restricted to cash balances in CAD and USD. The TFSA/RSP account is allowed to trade the following qualified investments: Stocks listed on designated US and Canadian exchanges (excluding Venture-NEX segment and CSE single listed stocks) Long equity call options Long equity put options Short equity call options with a fully covered position (covered call) Long equity put options with a fully covered position (protective put) Long put/call options on indices Warrants/Rights if the underlying asset acquired under the right to purchase is a qualified investment U.S. Bonds FX conversions limited to USD.CAD You can find information on RSP and TFSA accounts on our website.

How can I set up shortcuts for trading in TWS using Hotkeys?

Assigning actions to certain keys and key combinations helps you rapidly create and transmit orders to the marketplace. You can assign any keystroke, or a combination of the "Ctrl" and "Shift" keys with one of the 26 keyboard letters, to map specific order creation and order transmission commands, such as buy, sell, transmit and cancel. To set up Hotkeys, go to Global Configuration by clicking the File menu option in Mosaic or the Edit menu option in Classic TWS. Once in Global Configuration, select Hotkeys from the left pane. In the Possible Actions area, choose an action to which you want to assign a hot key and click Create Shortcut. In the Keyboard area, click Record. If you already have a hot key recorded for the chosen action, it is shown in the Current Key Shortcut field. Press the actual keystroke or keystroke combination you will use to finalize this action. The system records your keystroke and displays it in the Current Key Shortcut field. Note: Most hotkeys require you to choose a certain ticker or page to be usable (ex. Cancel Page Orders requires you to select the quote monitor with pending orders on it). Furthermore, some windows support only hotkeys defined in tool-specific Hotkey Configurations. For full instructions on how to create shortcuts in TWS using Hotkeys, review the Hotkeys page in the TWS Users' Guide.

How do I restore my layout in TWS?

You can restore your layout by clicking the File menu option followed by Settings Recovery. From there, select the date you wish to restore back to. If you have a saved layout on your computer, you can click the Custom button to select the file. Once you have chosen the day or file, click OK to apply the layout. It may take a few moments, but your old layout will return. If the settings do not restore to your desired layout, please try a different day from the list. This process is also recommended when TWS issue arise without more reports of a similar issue. This is a common first step in trouble shooting because your settings may have become corrupted, and restoring your settings usually resolves the issue.

How can I monitor my account values and margin requirements in TWS?

You can keep track of your margin values in real time using your TWS Account Window by looking at the Margin Requirements and Available for Trading sections: In Mosaic, click the Account menu option followed by Account Window In Classic TWS, click on the Account icon (looks like a stack of coins) at the top of your TWS. You can also click the Account menu option and select Account Window. Please note: Advisors and other multi-client account holders will see a drop-down menu on the Account and Summary tabs to choose either an individual account or an account group. You can also see how the account's real time margin requirements would change when previewing an opening or a closing order with the Check Margin Impact feature: In the Mosaic Order Entry panel (or any trading tool), click the Advanced icon and then select Check Margin (or Margin/Performance for option orders) From an order line in Classic TWS, use the right-click menu and choose Check Margin Impact. Additional information on previewing margin requirements can be found in our Users' Guide.

How can I query all orders and trades for my account in TWS?

You can get a record of all orders and trades for your account using the Audit Trail feature in Trader Workstation. From Classic TWS, click on the Account menu option and select Audit Trail . Select which day you would like to view and select whether you wish to view the Audit Trail in a condensed format or the full, expanded format. Click OK when finished. Your Audit Trail will now populate in a browser window. An audit file is created each day, and is named using the day of the week. Each week, the existing daily files are overwritten by the new files using the same name. You can rename these daily files if you want to save them. Additional information on the Audit Trail feature can be found in our Users' Guide.

How do I change an orders' time in force?

You can change the Time in Force for your order by simply clicking the Time in Force drop down menu. This will expand and allow you to choose a new Time in Force. If you wish to set a new Time in Force default, select the Edit menu option followed by Global Configuration. On the left side, click Presets. The first section will be Timing, and you can select the Time in Force you want from the Time in Force drop down. Once you are finished click Apply and OK.

Can I trade a U.S. Treasury on MEXEM Mobile?

Yes, MEXEM Mobile for both Android and iOS supports U.S. Treasuries. To add a U.S. Treasury to MEXEM Mobile, please use the symbol US-T and choose the specific treasury you wish to keep track of or trade.

How can I get a real time chart in TWS?

To see real time quotes in a chart, you need to subscribe to a real time data package from Client Portal/Account Management. In case you are loading a chart from a Stock (SMART) ticker, you are required to subscribe to market data for all the markets the product is listed on. If you do not have market data subscriptions for all the markets the product is listed on, create a quote line selecting Stock (Directed) instead of Stock (SMART) and pick one of the markets for which you are subscribed to: Type the product ticker in an empty row of your quote monitor or watch list Choose the Stock (Directed) product row If you do not see Stock (Directed), click on the arrowhead at the bottom of the menu to expand all menu items Select a market for which you have market data subscriptions Open the chart from such quote line: right-click on it, select Charts and then New Charts. Additional Information How to Add a Stock (Directed) Market Data Line in TWS Why is my chart delayed, showing question marks or only partially populated?

How can I see pre-market real-time market data?

To see pre-market real-time market data you must have live market data subscriptions for NYSE (Network A/CTA), NYSE American, BATS, ARCA, IEX, Regional Exchanges (Network B) and NASDAQ (Network C/UTP). To subscribe to live market data please review: How do I subscribe to market data from Client Portal?

How do I close specific lots of my position?

The Tax Optimizer application allows you to maintain your stock, option, bond, warrant and single-stock futures gains and losses for tax purposes. Please note, you can make your selection as soon as the position has been closed. See how you can access the Tax Optimizer. Additional information on Tax Optimizer can be found on our Users' Guide.

How can I roll an option in MEXEM Mobile?

The Rollover Options tool found in TWS is not currently available in MEXEM Mobile. To roll an option in MEXEM Mobile, click on Order Ticket and type in the underlying symbol, then tap on Option Chain & Combo Builder (Futures Option Chain & Combo Builder in case you want to rollover a future option). On the Option Chains page, activate the Strategy Builder by tapping on the circle in the bottom right. Locate the option in your portfolio within the Option Chains and tap on the bid to add a sell leg or ask to add a buy leg. Next, find the option you would like to roll to and again tap the bid or ask. Tap on the blue order button and the order ticket will appear. Configure the order fields in the manner that you wish and transmit when ready. Additional information on Strategy Builder can be found in the MEXEM Mobile for Android and MEXEM Mobile for iOS Users' Guides.

What does the message "MIFIR 2 account does not have short code assigned" mean?

MiFiR II refers to reporting obligations for products traded in countries in the European Economic Area (EEA). Under the MiFiR regulatory rules, investment firms are required to include a unique identifier which is assigned to the individual or algorithm that is responsible for making investment decisions related to products which trade in the EEA. As such, the rejection message is due to client's entering orders for products in which the code or identifier is not yet assigned. When you request trading permissions for a product that falls within the scope of MiFIR regulatory umbrella, a form requesting you to provide required information should be presented to you upon log in to Client Portal/Account Management. Please try to log in to Client Portal/Account management and complete the required tasks presented to you. In case you do not see any task, please contact MEXEM Client Services providing information about the error message that you see and which product you are trying to place an order on. Additional information on which products fall under the MiFiR regulatory umbrella can be found in our Knowledge Base.

Can I trade stocks on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange?

MEXEM does not provide access to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). We do however offer a number of South African CFDs. Clients may view our CFD offering on the MEXEM website by navigating to the Products section followed by Product Listings and CFDs. See also: How do I set up my account to trade CFDs?

Where can I find SPX weekly options?

In the TWS OptionTrader or TWS/Mosaic Option Chains window, click on the drop down menu that says SPX in the upper right corner of the option chains. Choose SPXW as the Trading Class and the screen will change to the SPXW Weekly options. The rest of the available weekly expiries can be found by clicking on the More tab to the right of the currently listed expiries. Additional information on the Option Chains window can be found in our Users' Guide.

How can I roll an option in TWS?

In the TWS Latest 970 or newer, you can use the Roll Builder tool to roll an option to the next expiry. To roll an option, find the position you wish to roll in the Portfolio section of TWS or Mosaic. Right click on the position and left click on the "Roll" button to open the Roll Builder tool. In the Roll Builder tool, the current position appears at the top. Select the contract you want to roll into from the option chains displayed above the Roll Builder. For convenience, the current position is highlighted in the Option Chains, in red for sells and blue for buys, and are marked with a filled-in circle. The new position is identified by an empty circle. As you build the roll, it is shown below the current combo position in the "Open" section of the Roll Builder. When choosing the next expiry, we pre-select the buy/sell action to logically match your original position. Check the order details before submitting. Additional information on the Roll Builder tool can be found in our Users' Guide.

How can I see data outside regular hours in a chart in TWS?

In order to view data on a chart outside of regular trading hours, you must check the requisite option in Chart Parameters. In the chart, click the Edit menu option followed by Chart Parameters. In the "Chart Time Options" section, click the box that says "Show data outside of regular trading hours" and click Apply followed by OK.

Why is my order stuck in a "pending cancel" state?

If you tried to submit an order cancellation request and the Order Status field is an Orange color, that indicates that a cancellation request has been accepted by the system but currently the request is not being recognized. At this point, your order is not confirmed canceled. You may still receive an execution while your cancellation request is pending. If you tried to submit and then cancel an order over the weekend when the exchanges are closed, then that order may not be removed from your screen until after the MEXEM system becomes active again after the weekend update. That cancel request submitted over the weekend will be recognized before the exchanges re-open for the new week. If you try to cancel an order during an active trading session, then the reason for the Pending Cancel could be due to system or exchange issues. In this instance, we recommend calling MEXEM's Trade Issues group so we can review the pending cancellation request. Please note, your order is only canceled after the exchange acts on the cancel request and confirms to MEXEM that they have removed your order from the exchanges order book. In some instances, the exchange may be in the process of filling your order and will not act on the cancel request. For additional information, please visit the MEXEM Knowledge Base.

How come my market data comes up as all question marks?

If you see all question marks where your market data should be, it is likely one of these reasons: The product you are looking at does not offer free delayed data and you are not subscribed to real time quotes, or You are subscribed to real time quotes but you are exceeding the maximum number of simultaneous quote lines allowed, or You are having a market data connectivity issue If the issue is specific to one type of product, then it is likely issue number one and you will need to subscribe to market data within Client Portal/Account Management. To see if you are using too many market data lines, press CTRL + ALT + = (CTRL + ALT + C for non-English keyboards) simultaneously on your keyboard. A message will populate with the total number of market data lines allowed and currently subscribed. If all of your data is showing questions marks, refresh your Market Data connection by pressing CTRL + ALT + F simultaneously on your keyboard. If the issue persists, please contact MEXEM Client Services for further assistance. For additional information on the maximum number of simultaneous quote lines, see Market Data Display on the MEXEM website.

Can I trade credit option spreads in my account?

An account must first have approved US option trading permissions to enter an option order. A margin account is permitted to trade naked short calls and option combo spreads that include a short call leg. You can trade a Bull credit put combo spread in a margin type account, but if you have a Cash type account the short put leg must be fully cash secured. Please feel free to visit the Margin page of our website for more information, as well as the MEXEM Knowledge Base for additional information on Trading Permissions in an IRA account. You can review or modify your trading permissions in Client Portal or Account Management.

How do you count the Day Trades?

A trade is considered a day trade when a position in a US or non-US security (Stocks, Stock and Index Options, Warrants, T-Bills, Bonds, or Single Stock Futures) is increased ("opened") and thereafter decreased ("closed") within the same trading session. A day trader is a trader who executes 4 or more "day trades" in 5 business days. Find an Overview of Pattern Day Trading ("PDT") Rules and Examples of Day Trades on the MEXEM website.

Can I see real time data in paper account before I fund live account?

You must fund your live account according to the market data subscription minimum and maintenance equity balance requirements and subscribe to a live market data package in order to receive live market data in your paper trading account. Additional information on the market data subscription minimum and maintenance equity balance requirements can be found on our website. See also: How do I transfer funds to MEXEM? and How do I subscribe to market data from Client Portal?

How do I trade odd lots?

To trade an odd lot, simply enter the number of shares you would like to trade in the Quantity field or column when setting up your trade. There is no additional setting or configuration which needs to be checked. Country specific information may be found below: How to trade odd lots in Hong Kong How to trade odd lots in Japan or Singapore

Do you offer trading advice?

MEXEM does not provide trading advice, investment guidance or tax advice. We operate as a discount broker and all client orders are self-directed by either the client, or their Financial Advisor if they have opened an account with an independent advisor and offer discretionary trading authority via the Customer Agreement.

What is meant by Equity with Loan Value?

Equity with Loan Value (ELV) forms the basis for determining whether a client has the necessary assets to either initiate or manage security positions. The ELV formula for the securities segment of the Universal Account is as follows: Cash + stock value + bond value + mutual fund value + European and Asian options value (excludes market value U.S. securities & futures options and cash maintained in futures segment).

How do I trade on the Singapore Stock Exchange?

Clients can request trading permissions in Client Portal/Account Management. Please see: How do I manage my trading permissions? Due to regulatory considerations, MEXEM is unable to offer trading in Singapore stocks and SGD-denominated futures on SGX to Singapore residents. We hope to offer this ability in the near future. Nothing on any page of the MEXEM website should be construed as being made to, directed at, actionable by, an offering to, or solicitation of, persons in Singapore to trade on the SGX or outside of Singapore. Additional information on available products can be found on our website.

Why is my FX Closing trade getting rejected due to low balance?

A Cash account must have enough cash to cover the cost of a position plus commissions and can never hold a negative cash balance. When placing a Market order (or Stop order), the order value cannot be known with certainty prior to execution as the market can move in any direction at any moment. Because of this, an additional 5% is added to the order amount at the credit check step for Market type orders to account for market movements. If you receive an order rejection for not enough Settled Cash when you do in fact have the Settled Cash to execute your order at your desired price and quantity, try using a Limit order (or Stop Limit order for a Stop) or reduce the MKT order size. Clients may also receive this rejection message when attempting to purchase a foreign security in a Cash type account. Because a Cash account is precluded from borrowing funds, clients will need to place a currency conversion and wait for those funds to settle prior to purchasing a foreign security. More details regarding closing the nominal forex balances in an account may be found in the MEXEM Knowledge Base. See also: How do I upgrade my account to use margin or Portfolio Margin?

How do I place a stop loss order in WebTrader?

In WebTrader you can attach a Trailing Stop order to a primary order. In the Order Management panel click on the green + on the left of the order line and make a tick next to Attach Auto Trailing Stop. Enter the order parameters, preview orders and submit. Additional information on creating an order in WebTrader can be found in our Users' Guide.

Can I trade stocks on the Helsinki Stock Exchange?

MEXEM does not offer access to the Helsinki Stock Exchange (HEX/OMXH). However, eligible clients can trade CFDs on shares listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Please note that some stocks listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange (HEX/OMXH) are tradable on other European exchanges available at MEXEM. Clients may search the MEXEM contract database through the Contract Search tool on our website. You may also search using the Stocks Product Listings page on the MEXEM website.

Why is my Buying Power zero when I have positive Excess Liquidity?

MEXEM adds House margins to the Initial margin requirement for a contract. If you hold a position that has a higher Initial margin than Maintenance margin, it is possible for your Available Funds to be negative while your Excess Liquidity is positive. Buying Power is projected as the current Available Funds (Equity with Loan Value less Initial Margin) times a multiple, so when your Available Funds is negative you will not be allowed to enter a margin increasing order. Your actual Buying Power depends on your account type and the products you are trading and currently hold in the account. Please be sure to visit the MEXEM Knowledge Base for more information on Determining Buying Power.

What is Limited Option trading permissions?

Margin accounts at MEXEM have the capability of selecting "Limited Option" trading permissions during the account application. The account will be permitted to enter orders for the option strategies listed below when "Limited Options" trading permissions is enabled: Long Call or a Long Put Covered Calls Short Naked Put: only if covered by cash Call Spread: Only European style cash settled Put Spread: Only European style cash settled Long Butterfly: Only European style cash settled Iron Condor: Only European style cash settled Long Call and Put (long straddle) Cash accounts can only have Limited Options trading permissions, so you will not be able to enable this feature when opening a Cash type account. Please Note: The choice to select Limited Option trading permissions will be available when opening an IBLLC-US account only. If you select Limited Option trading permissions at the time the account is opened, you can later request an upgrade to full Option trading permissions. However, once an account has been approved for full Option trading permissions it is not possible to go back to having only Limited Option trading permissions. Additional information on trading permissions can be found in our Users' Guide.

What is meant by VALUE exchange?

Assets listed on the VALUE exchange generally will be non-tradable assets. If you are holding a long position in such an asset and wish for MEXEM to remove the position from your account, please see: How do I close a worthless position?

Is Ninja Trader compatible with Trader Workstation (TWS)?

The TWS Application Program Interface (API) accommodates connection to a variety of third-party vendors, including Ninja Trader, who offer complementary order entry, charting, back-testing and analytics software programs designed to expand the functionality of TWS. Please see the connection guide on the Ninja Trader website for details.

How can I create an Adaptive Algo order in TWS?

The Adaptive Algo can be used with a limit or market order, and is designed to achieve better than average cost efficiency over basic limit and market orders by attempting to trade market and aggressive limit orders between the spread. You can specify how urgently you want the order to fill using the "priority/urgency" selector in the algo window. To create an Adaptive algo market order in Mosaic: In the Mosaic Order Entry panel, click the Adaptive button Select the side ( BUY or SELL) To change the fill priority (by default set to "Normal") click advanced **to open the **Algo parameters and use the drop down selector list: Urgent: Scans available prices most quickly to fill, and so provides lowest chance of price improvement, and lowest chance of price variance Normal (default): Scans available prices less quickly than "Urgent," and so provides a good chance of price improvement and an average chance of price variance Patient: Scans available prices most slowly to fill, and so provides the highest chance of price improvement and also the highest chance of price variance Click Submit to submit the order. To create an Adaptive algo limit order in Mosaic: In the Mosaic Order Entry panel, click the **Adaptive **button Click on the double arrows below the Adaptive button to select Price Line, % of Spread or +/- Tick to choose a method to set a limit price within the spread Select the side ( BUY or SELL) To change the fill priority (by default set to "Normal") click advanced **to open the **Algo parameters and use the drop down selector list: Urgent, Normal or Patient Click Submit to submit the order. To create an Adaptive algo limit **order in **Classic TWS: Click on Ask price (Buy order) or Bid price (Sell order) to create an order row. If an Order Ticket opens up, enter a Limit Price and click Accept Enter a Limit price if you have not done so already in the Order Ticket In the Destination field select IB ALGO from the drop down menu In the line created below the order row, click in the field for (Select algorithm from the list) and select Adaptive To change the fill priority (by default set to "Normal") click the drop down Adaptive order priority/urgency and select: Urgent, Normal or Patient Click Transmit to submit the order. Please note, some products require real-time market data in order to use the Adaptive Algo. See: How do I subscribe to market data from Account Management? More Information Does the adaptive algo work on spreads or only single orders? What is the difference between a Limit order and an IBAlgo Adaptive Limit order? What is the difference between an Adaptive Algo and a Price Management Algo? Can an Adaptive algo be direct routed to an exchange?

Why did MEXEM liquidate some of my positions without first notifying me?

MEXEM does not make margin calls. Real-time liquidations occur when your account has a margin deficiency. Generally, accounts will not have time to deposit funds to meet a margin deficiency. MEXEM sends margin deficit notifications on a best efforts basis, but this is not always possible in a fast moving market. In order to determine if your account is margin compliant you should monitor Excess Liquidity and your Special Memorandum Account (SMA). You can see these values in TWS from menu Account, Account Window in section Available for Trading. Additional information on Available for Trading values can be found in the TWS Users' Guide. You can also review our Margin Requirements and the Margin Education Center on the MEXEM website and learn about Margin Requirements in TWS Account Window in our MEXEM Short Video.

How do you calculate margin requirements on futures and futures options?

Futures options, as well as futures margins, are governed by the exchange through a calculation algorithm known as SPAN margining. The Standard Portfolio Analysis of Risk system is a highly sophisticated methodology that calculates performance bond requirements by analyzing the "what-ifs" of virtually any market scenario. For information on SPAN and how it works, please visit the CME Group website. From there you can run a search for SPAN, which will take you to a wealth of information on the subject and how it works. In addition to the exchange scanning ranges, we will consider more scenarios which incorporate extreme moves in the underlying. Accordingly, we may need margin over and above the exchange-mandated margin on short options in order to account for the risk inherent in an extreme market move. You can view the current projected margin requirements on a certain option or futures order that you are considering before you submit the order by creating the order in our trading platform and using the right-click menu to "Check Margin" before you transmit. Please review MEXEM's webpage for the list of margin requirements for futures. Please note: Margin rates in an IRA margin account may meet or exceed three times the overnight futures margin requirement imposed in a non-IRA margin account. Cash accounts and IRA accounts (both cash and margin type) are not afforded Intraday margin rates. See also: When does the Intraday margin for futures change to Overnight margin?

How do I create a bracket order (OCA) for an existing position in TWS?

You can create a bracket order (OCA) for an existing position by adding the OCA Group column to your TWS. Right click on the tab header and choose Layout. Make sure you are on the Order Columns tab and find the Order Attributes section on the right under Available Columns. Click the green plus sign (+) to expand the section. Click OCA Group and click the Add button in the middle. You should now see the OCA group column on the left side under Shown Columns. Once finished, click the Apply and OK buttons at the bottom of the window. Once the columns are added, you can create an OCA order by creating the orders you wish to link and entering an identical identifier in the OCA group column. For example if you wish to link a profit taking sell limit order and a stop loss sell stop order, you would create the two orders and entering a matching identifier (ex. trade123) in the OCA group field. Once finished, transmit both orders.

Can I use the TWS API with free trial accounts?

While it is possible to connect an API application to a free trial account, neither real-time market data nor historical candlesticks are provided for any product that requires a paid subscription. Note that only TWS offers the ability to use the API without an active account, IB Gateway does not provide this possibility. Also see: Does MEXEM provide free real time quotes via the API?

Do you automatically convert non-base currency balances?

MEXEM does not act to automatically convert currency balances back to the Base Currency as this action would require assumptions as to the account holder's desired currency exposure as well as the trade price at which they would be willing to close the position. However, if the balance is below a full currency unit, MEXEM will automatically close and sweep the balance to the client's Base Currency assuming no other unsettled activity remains. There are other instances when MEXEM will act to automatically close FX balances (e.g., low balance, account close requests and margin deficiencies) and clients are also provided with an expedited process for closing and converting balances into the Base Currency. You can convert currency using any one of the MEXEM trading platforms. See: How can I convert currency at MEXEM? Additional information on situations in which MEXEM will act to close non-base currency positions can be found in our Knowledge Base.

Why can't I convert my AUD cash to other currencies?

MEXEM Australia only supports currency balances in AUD, USD, EUR and GBP, and clients are able convert between these currencies as described here: How can I convert currency at MEXEM? If you hold cash balances in currencies other than MEXEM Australia supported currencies (AUD, USD, GBP or EUR), they will to be converted into your nominated base currency. MEXEM Australia clients, when permissioned, can trade in any market available across the MEXEM network, even those outside the 4 supported currencies above. However, upon trading any market outside the 4 supported currencies MEXEM Australia will automatically execute Forex conversions to ensure non-supported cash balances are cleared. For example, if an MEXEM Australia client using a Cash account wishes to buy HKD denominated securities, as long as the client has sufficient available funds the trade will be permitted. To settle the trade, MEXEM Australia will convert the existing cash balances into HKD. Similarly, at a later date, if the same client wishes to sell their HKD denominated securities MEXEM Australia would automatically convert the HKD proceeds to the base currency by day's end, once again leaving no residual HKD cash balances. If an MEXEM Australia client using a margin account has any positive or negative cash balances outside of the 4 supported currencies, it will be automatically converted to base currency by day's end. Additional information on MEXEM Australia account types and product offerings can be found in our Knowledge Base.

Why do I see a delayed market data quote?

Market data vendors usually provide exchange data in two categories: real-time and delayed. Real-time market data is disseminated as soon as the information is publicly available. Delayed market data is on a time lag that is usually 10-20 minutes behind real-time quotes. Some exchanges allow delayed data to be shown without any market data subscription, free of charge. Customers receive free delayed market data for contracts to which they do not currently hold market data subscriptions when made available by the exchanges. Not subscribing to real time data has no impact on your order executions. However, you are required to have active trading permissions for the products you wish to trade. Please Note: Delayed quotes are not provided for U.S. stocks on live accounts with IB LLC or owned by U.S. residents due to FINRA regulations. More Information: Delayed Market Data Timing How do I subscribe to real-time market data? How do I manage my trading permissions?

When does the Intraday margin for futures change to Overnight margin?

Margin accounts that have lower Intraday futures margins will have the higher Overnight future margin requirements go into effect 15 minutes before the end of that future contract's designated Regular Trading Hours session. You can keep track of the "Look Ahead Available Funds" and the "Look Ahead Next Change" in your Account Window's Available for Trading section (Click on the green "+" on the right to expand the section). The Look Ahead Next Change time shows the time the Intraday and Overnight margins will change. The Look Ahead Available Funds includes any amount of the change in the margin requirement from Intraday to Overnight margins. Please note, cash accounts and IRA accounts (both cash and margin type) are not afforded Intraday margin rates. MEXEM can rescind Intraday futures margins due to volatile trading conditions at any time without notice. Additional information on when the Intraday future margin requirements start and end can be found on the MEXEM website.

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