Pravin,

Congrats on the interest in your algorithm! We've developed a "go live" process for preparing contest winners and algorithms receiving allocations. I'll ask Alisa to follow up with you and share what we have learned.

I also strongly encourage you to review your algorithm using the tearsheet showcased here: https://www.quantopian.com/posts/tearsheet-analysis-of-algo-performance-in-our-research-envirionment

Please let all of us in the community know how things go!

thanks,
fawce

I have only done IB paper trading so far, but I will do my best to answer your questions:

1. No, regular day-trading accounts ($25k) are limited by Reg-T leverage, which is 2x for overnight positions (though 4x intraday). However, depending on what you are trading, you might be able to take advantage of a "portfolio margin" account. This requires, I believe, $100k, as well as that you are a US resident, and doesn't apply to many ETFs, especially leveraged ETFs. In any case, if you are trading a hedged portfolio, then portfolio margin might get you up to 3x, or higher.
   
2. If it's a margin account, you needn't worry about settlement at all.
   
3. Yes, the positions will still be there and you will be able to see them in TWS. In fact, if you set up two user ids for the same account, you can allegedly monitor the portfolio in real-time with one user id while the other user id is used by Quantopian to log in. (this is not possible with paper trading accounts)
   
4. I don't think Quantopian charges anything at the moment, all you have to worry about are the Interactive Brokers commissions, which depend on the type of account you have (flat, cost-plus, tiered).

Good luck, sounds exciting!

Simon.

Hi Pravin,

That's exciting to hear about your progress, congratulations! I'll piggy-back off Fawce and Simon's answers to share some more details.

• Before you go live, run your algorithm through the tearsheet to confirm your algorithm's meta behavior
  
• Check your code for robustness and follow these coding tips
  
• With every real money account, IB provides a paper account. You can test your strategy on paper before connecting it to the money account. Here is a 3 minute overview of how to setup live trading.
  
• Keep in mind that IB only allows one connection per account. If you login to WebTrader/TWS while your algo is running on Quantopian, your algo will get paused and no trades will go through. If you want to simultaneously have your algo run on Q and view your IB account info, you'll need to create a second login (which is free, and pretty straightforward).
  
• Algorithms running on Quantopian need USD as the base currency. The funding currency can be anything you wish.
  
• Take a look at the live trading help doc for other details about the API and structure.

As for your questions,

1. The leverage settings are set by IB on the account, they are not controlled by Quantopian. And it looks like Simon covered the specifics
   
2. It depends on the type of account, and margin accounts let you trade immediately without waiting for settlement
   
3. When an algorithm is stopped on Quantopian, this prevents any future calls to the code. Handle_data() is not called anymore. This does not cancel open orders or liquidate your positions, but these actions can be done directly from your IB account.
   
4. Quantopian doesn't charge any commissions for live trading! The only commissions are those from the broker.

Best of luck and let us know how things go!

Alisa

Thanks Fawce, Simon and Alisa for the detailed explanation. Its great that Quantopian doesn't charge any commissions for live trading!

Hi Pravin,

Keep in mind that the Q backtester and simulated trading do not properly account for open orders being cancelled at market close (automatically, by Q). So, you'll want to consider if this might result in problems as you move to trading through IB, using the Q platform.

Also, I suggest considering if you have any personal liability, since it sounds like you'll be trading somebody else's money. If the money suddenly goes "poof" could you be sued, with your personal assets put at risk? If you haven't already, it wouldn't hurt to have a knowledgeable lawyer take a look at the agreement between you and the fund. Also, maybe there are regulatory issues to consider, when directly trading someone else's money?

Grant

Hi Grant,

Thanks for the advice. I will definitely have a knowledgeable lawyer look through the paper work. I think its worth it.

Best regards,
Pravin