US-listed options and futures trading
Trade US-listed options and futures with low commissions,1 an award-winning platform2 and the latest educational content from our friends at tastytrade and tastylive.
Why trade US-listed options and futures with us?
The best platform for options trading2
A multi-award-winning, specialist trading platform built by options experts at tastytrade
Inspirational content
From easy-to-follow ‘how to’ guides, to the best in live and on-demand programming from the tastylive network
Round-the-clock support
Give us a call whenever you need, 24 hours a day, from 8am Saturday to 10pm Friday (UK time)
Low, transparent commissions
Trade options from $1.00 per contract to open, capped at $10.00 per leg, and $0 to close
Cash and margin accounts
Choose what’s right for you: a cash account for non-leveraged exposure,3 or a margin account to access a wider range of products and strategies*
A strategy for all conditions
Options can be used not only to take a bullish or bearish position but also to take advantage of sideways movements and non-directional volatility
* Futures are only available in a margin account
See what all the fuss is about
Take a dive into the world of US options trading with us and tastytrade. Join us for one of our free and interactive webinars:
Webinar: Platform demo
Join one of our support team members for a 45-minute tour of all the cool features that makes ours the best platform for options traders2
Webinar: Options trading 101
Discover some of the most popular options strategies in our intro to options trading
What is options trading?
Options trading is taking a position as a buyer or a seller in a contractual agreement to exchange an underlying asset at a specific price by a certain expiration date.
The holder of an options contract has the right, but not the obligation to buy or sell the underlying asset. If they choose to exercise their right, the counterparty is then – through the process of assignment – obligated to fulfil the terms of the contract (ie to sell/buy the underlying to/from the holder).
What is futures trading?
Futures trading is an agreement to buy or sell an underlying asset at a specified price by a certain expiry date. You’ll exchange the underlying using a futures contract.
Because both parties are obligated to make the exchange, the trade will happen automatically upon expiration at the agreed-upon price if the holder doesn’t do it before the expiry date. Comparatively, options allow for more flexibility as there’s no obligation for the owner to exchange the underlying.
Trade US-listed options and futures with low commissions1
We pride ourselves on keeping our commissions as low and transparent as possible, including:
$1.00 per contract to open options on equities and exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
Opening commission capped at $10.00 per leg for equity and ETF options trades
Zero commission when closing any options position
$0.85 per contract to open and close micro futures, each way
Choose between a cash or margin account
- Cash account
- Margin account
With a US options and futures cash account, you can trade simple, limited risk strategies using the funds that are available in your account.
You cannot trade futures or access leverage in a cash account.3 But any losses will be limited to the funds used to open a position.
See some of the strategies you can trade in a US options and futures cash account
With a US options and futures margin account, you can trade marginable securities and other eligible products using leverage – ie without having to put up the entire cost of the trade.3
This increases the range of products and strategies you can trade, but also increases the risk of large and rapid potential losses, which could end up exceeding your original investment.
Note that equity options, futures, and options on futures are non-marginable, meaning you cannot borrow cash to establish a position.
See some of the strategies you can trade in a US options and futures margin account
Trade US options and futures on an award-winning platform2
Developed by the team at tastytrade, our US options and futures trading platform was recently named the Best Platform for Options trading at the ADVFN International Finance Awards 2024.
- Available on web and mobile
- Trade visually with ‘curve mode’ or stick to more traditional lists
- Get at-a-glance views of key trade metrics, including max profit/loss
- Follow the in-platform video feed from tastylive
Best overall options trading platform 2024 - Investopedia
Best options trading platform 2024 - ADVFN International Finance Awards
No.1 desktop options trading platform 2024 - StockBrokers.com annual awards
No.1 desktop futures trading platform 2024 - StockBrokers.com annual awards
About tastylive
tastytrade and tastylive are brainchildren of options traders who wanted to empower ambitious and self-directed traders. They started out with the content brand – tastylive – in 2011, and then launched the brokerage service – tastytrade – in 2017. Both joined IG Group in 2021.
Offering options, futures, stocks and more, tastytrade enables the pursuit of personal independence and financial freedom. You can access the award-winning broker’s options and futures products, using fast and reliable software, straight from the My IG dashboard through our streamlined platform.2
tastylive is an authentic, original and free online financial network with over 100 original shows. It’s grown so much that a catch-all term was coined to refer to its team, viewers and listeners – ‘the tastynation’.
With 40 hours of live programming each week, there’s something for everyone – inspiration, live trades, education and so much more. This global community has garnered around 27 million YouTube views through its fun and engaging content.4
Who you're trading with
When opening a US options and futures account, you’ll be dealing with us here at IG and trading using technology developed by our sister company, tastytrade.
In order to offer access to US-listed options and futures, we’ve also partnered with a company called Apex who’ll arrange clearing, custody and settlement of your trades.
About Apex
Apex is a third-party firm regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) specialising in providing clearing and other back-office financial services for US-listed options and futures products.
Any funds or securities you hold in a US options and futures account are held by Apex in the USA in accordance with SEC and FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) rules. Apex accounts are covered by the US Securities Investor Protection Company (SIPC), which provides protection for money and assets up to $500,000.
Your funds and securities held by Apex aren’t subject to Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) client money and asset rules and may not be protected by the UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
Learn more about what we do with your money
For more details about our relationship with Apex and for relevant market data agreements, see the information on customer agreements.
What are the key risks?
Here are the key risks of trading pure-form options and futures:
Trading on margin
A margin account gives you access to leverage. Trading with leverage comes with complexity and risk, magnifying both potential profits and possible losses, which could exceed your initial outlay.3
High-risk strategies
Uncovered options trading can expose you to theoretically unlimited losses. Using certain strategies can help reduce this risk, but typically limits your profit potential while not guaranteeing complete protection against unexpected losses.
Currency risk
All trading and funds held in a US options and futures account are denominated in USD. If you deposit or withdraw funds in a different currency, an adverse move in the applicable exchange rate could reduce the real value of your account.
Expiration risk
US-listed options are in most cases physically settled, unlike European-style options, and can be exercised by the holder at any time up to expiry. This means that if you sell (or 'write') options, you may be obligated to buy or sell the full amount of the underlying asset to fulfil the contract’s terms.
This is called ‘assignment’. The frequency with which options actually get assigned can vary significantly depending on several factors, including the type of option, whether it's in the money, at the money, or out of the money), time to expiry, underlying volatility, and dividends.
A world-class service from the No.1 name in trading5
We know as well as you do that successful trading isn’t just about the tech. That’s why when you open a US options and futures account with us, you’ll have access to:
Round-the-clock support
Reach out to our knowledgeable team, 24 hours a day from 8am Saturday to 10pm Friday (UK time)
Inspirational content
Watch and learn, live and on demand, with news, insights education and more, courtesy of our friends at tastylive
IG Community
Join thousands of like-minded traders in discussing trading concepts and strategies
1 $1.00 commission to open per options contract, $0 commission to close per options contract. Applicable exchange, clearing, and regulatory fees still apply to all opening and closing equity options trades. Some additional applicable commissions are capped at $10 per leg on equity option trades. The following index products are excluded from the capped commissions offer: SPX, RUT, VIX, OEX, XEO, DJX, and XSP. Learn more about our charges.
2 tastytrade was awarded the best options trading platform at the 2024 ADVFN International Finance Awards. It was ranked the best overall options trading platform of 2024 by Investopedia. The criteria, evaluation, and ranking were determined by Investopedia. tastytrade is the No.1 desktop options trading platform and the no.1 desktop futures trading platform as awarded at the 2024 StockBrokers.com annual awards. Our streamlined platform gives you access to the tastytrade options and futures products from My IG.
3 Leveraged products such as spread bets, CFDs and US-listed futures are complex financial instruments, with which an upfront deposit – called margin or buying power – is used to open a larger trade. Your margin will only be worth a certain percentage of your trade, but potential profits and losses will be calculated based on the total position size, not your margin. This makes leveraged trading inherently risky and should never be approached without a trading strategy and adequate risk management in place. Options positions aren’t fully cash-secured (eg you aren’t necessarily required to put up the buying power in full upfront) in a margin account. In a cash account, options trading is non-marginable (ie you can’t borrow cash to establish positions, so you’ll commit the full value of your trade upfront).
4 As at 2024.
5 By primary relationships, Investment Trends UK Leveraged Trading Report, May 2024.
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