IBKR Order Management System (IBKR OMS) - FAQs

IBKR OMS - FAQs


Overview:

The IBKR Order Management System (IBKR OMS) makes it easy to submit, stage, manage and track client orders, whether they are received electronically via FIX or over the phone. In addition, the IBKR OMS is fully integrated with Trader Workstation (TWS), our electronic trading and execution management platform (EMS), giving you complete access to our advanced trading tools, ALGOs and order types, real-time price/risk analytics and more. The following are the most commonly asked questions about the IBKR OMS:


If you are interested in the IBKR OMS, please contact an IB Sales Representative for more information and assistance with the Onboarding process.

There is no installation fee, flat fee, or term commitment to IBKR OMS users. Only a monthly commission minimum of $2,500 is required. Trades originating from the IBKR OMS are charged a commission. This charge is then applied against the required monthly minimum amount.

Accounts are provided with access to 25 IBKR OMS terminals. Additional terminals and executing broker connections are available. Each additional connection will result in an increase of $100 to the monthly minimum.

Yes, you can route orders to your existing broker from the IBKR OMS. IBKR OMS is a broker neutral platform that allows you to execute orders at multiple other brokers. Additional broker destinations can be added per request.

We offer three main forms of reporting for our OMS clients:

  • Client Reporting - Our statements and reports include real-time trade confirmations, margin details, transaction cost analysis, sophisticated portfolio analysis, tax optimization and a variety of other supplemental reports.
  • Compliance Reporting - IB can generate a variety of compliance reports for consumption by compliance departments of the client. These reports are generally based on order and trade activity of accounts associated with IB client.
  • Regulatory Reporting - IB can generate certain regulatory reports on behalf of clients upon request. For example, FINRA member clients can request IB to generates and submit OATS reports to FINRA on their behalf.

IBKR OMS supports PTA, which is available to clients who clear away from IB. Clients who execute with IB and give trades up to non-IB clearing brokers (to a mix of different clearing firms, or to multiple accounts at one away clearing firm), can use the following formats to communicate post-trade-allocation information to IB:

  • File-Based PTA - Import comma-separated values (.csv) file with post-trade allocation instructions. IB will process the file and provide a status of each allocation instruction.
  • Web-Based PTA - Our intuitive web-based Post Trade Allocation tool lets you allocate per above.

Visit the Post Trade Allocations page for more information.

We offer third-party integration feeds with administrators, portfolio and order management platforms, compliance, CRMs, custodians etc.

Yes, you can stage orders from your FIX/CTCI connection to your Mosaic Blotter. Traders have the ability to accept/reject new staged tickets, ticket modifications and cancellations. Traders then have the ability to break tickets into child orders to route to IB SMART, direct to specific market centers, route to third party brokers, ALGO destinations or other desks in their firm.

The Mosaic Blotter is a trading tool within TWS that allows you to manage parent and child orders submitted manually or electronically via FIX. It is an essential part of our suite of tools that comprise our Order Management System (OMS). The Blotter is easily accessible from within TWS.

We support the following routing destinations:

  • IB SmartRouting - Send electronic orders to IB’s Smart Routing engine which searches for the best price across different market centers trading the same product, and seeks to execute your order at the best possible price.
  • Broker Neutral - Route to third-party executing brokers that have been added to the IB OMS as routing destinations. Select from a number of executing brokers available for routing regular and algorithmic orders on behalf of mutual clients who use IB OMS, and have IB add brokers to the routing list based on your preference.
  • Desk Route – Desk Route supports custom-designed routing between multiple desks within your firm. For example, set up a Sales desk to receive and enter client tickets, and Trading desks to receive and manage orders. This type of configuration allows you to implement the most efficient task-oriented workflow
  • Directed - Send electronic orders to market centers supported by IB’s order routing system for direct access. Directed orders are only sent to the user-specified market center and are not visible to other market centers that may also trade the same product.
  • Done Away - Record orders that have been manually routed (via phone, e-mail, instant message, etc.) to third party brokers in IB OMS. Record resulting trades in association with these orders.

Because the IBKR OMS is seamlessly integrated with the IB TWS, we offer over 60 order types and algos. The Mosaic Blotter is seamlessly integrated with TWS advanced trading tools including the Accumulate/Distribute algo, which helps minimize market impact for large orders; the ScaleTrader algo which helps insulate large-sized orders from increasingly deteriorating prices; the IB guaranteed VWAP algo, and more. Use the right-click menu from a ticket to access a tool.

Yes, the IBKR OMS supports custom-designed routing between multiple desks within your firm. For example, set up a Sales desk to receive and enter client tickets, and Trading desks to receive and manage orders. This type of configuration allows you to implement the most efficient task-oriented workflow.

For order management purposes, the Mosaic Blotter allows you to manually create “Away” destinations and to manually report trades executed away from IB. This data will be reflected in the order status fields and the trade reports.

Yes, we support away position import. This means the IBKR OMS can import client positions and cash not in custody of IB (commonly referred to as a Start of Day position import) at start of day via a file received from a Prime Broker or Fund Administrator. The away positions are then tracked intraday by IBKR OMS and can be viewed together with IB positions.

Note: Away position import requires approval by IB Management.

Yes, the IBKR OMS supports custom-designed routing between multiple desks and traders within your firm. For example, set up a Sales desk to receive and enter client tickets, and a work group of traders to receive and manage orders. This type of configuration allows you to implement the most efficient task-oriented workflow.

Yes, we provide FIX drop copies for front, middle, back office and third-party applications. Intra-day FIX drop copy sessions send execution information (and order information in some cases, see below) in real time via FIX.

We offer the following:

  • Trade Drop Copy - Electronically transmits trades executed at IB to third-party order management, risk management, compliance and administration systems. IB can configure necessary FIX drop copy interfaces with the third party of your choice. This service is also referred to as a Real-Time Trade Reporting or RTTR.
  • Order Drop Copy - Electronically transmits submitted orders and executed trades at your IB account to third-party order management, risk management, compliance and administration systems. IB can configure necessary FIX drop copy interfaces with the third party of your choice. This service is also referred to as a Real-Time Trade Reporting Plus or RTTR+.
  • Trade Capture - Send trades executed outside of IB to IB OMS via FIX to be captured in the IB system. This feature is also referred to as Inbound Drop Copy.

IB Prime clients can report away trades using the IB Blotter. Those trades will update your TWS positions in real time and be automatically uploaded to the IB clearing system, eliminating the need to post a trade file via FTP.