ibkr

name	ibkr
description	Manage Interactive Brokers brokerage accounts — check balances, view positions, place trades, get real-time quotes, and manage alerts. Use this skill when the user asks about their portfolio, buying power, margin, or wants to execute orders, even if they don't name IBKR or Interactive Brokers directly.
compatibility	Requires IBKR MCP server connection. Client Portal Gateway (with JRE) is bundled — no separate install needed. Full IB Gateway provides broader API support.
allowed-tools	ibkr_*

Interactive Brokers

Live trading account via IB Gateway. All tools operate against real accounts with real money. Authenticate with ibkr_authenticate({ confirm: true }) — a browser window opens to https://localhost:5000 for IB Gateway OAuth.

Safety Rules

1. Confirm before any transaction. The agent must ask for explicit confirmation before placing, modifying, or canceling any order. Never auto-execute.
2. Never suggest trades. The agent provides data and executes user instructions — no advice, no recommendations.
3. Treat all accounts as live. The MCP connects to live IB Gateway sessions. Paper accounts must be explicitly set up in Gateway.

Workflows

Portfolio Review

1. ibkr_authenticate({ confirm: true })
2. ibkr_get_account_info({ confirm: true }) — review balances, margin, buying power
3. ibkr_get_positions({ accountId: "U..." }) — current holdings with P&L

Placing an Order

1. Confirm with the user: account ID, symbol, action (BUY/SELL), order type (MKT/LMT/STP), quantity, and price/stop price if applicable.
2. ibkr_place_order({ accountId, symbol, action, orderType, quantity, price?, stopPrice? })
3. ibkr_get_live_orders() or ibkr_get_order_status({ orderId }) — verify execution
4. If the order requires additional confirmation, use ibkr_confirm_order({ replyId, messageIds }).

Setting an Alert

1. ibkr_create_alert({ accountId, alertRequest: { alertName, conditions } })
2. ibkr_activate_alert({ accountId, alertId }) if activation is not automatic

Tools

Account Info

ibkr_get_account_info({ confirm: true })

Key fields: netliquidation (total value), totalcashvalue, availablefunds, buyingpower, excessliquidity, initmarginreq, maintmarginreq, grosspositionvalue, equitywithloanvalue.

Positions

ibkr_get_positions({ accountId: "U..." })

Returns: contractDesc, position (quantity), mktPrice, mktValue, currency, avgCost, unrealizedPnl, realizedPnl, assetClass.

Market Data

ibkr_get_market_data({ symbol: "AAPL", exchange?: "NASDAQ" }) — Real-time quote.

Orders

ibkr_get_live_orders({ accountId?: "U..." }) — All open/live orders.

ibkr_get_order_status({ orderId: "12345" }) — Status of a specific order.

ibkr_place_order({ accountId, symbol, action, orderType, quantity, price?, stopPrice? }) — Place a new order. Action: BUY/SELL. Order type: MKT/LMT/STP.

ibkr_confirm_order({ replyId, messageIds }) — Confirm orders that require additional confirmation.

Alerts

ibkr_get_alerts({ accountId }) — List alerts for an account.

ibkr_create_alert({ accountId, alertRequest: { alertName, conditions } }) — Create an alert. Conditions take conidex, type (price), operator (>, <, >=, <=, =), triggerMethod (last), value.

ibkr_activate_alert({ accountId, alertId }) — Activate a previously created alert.

ibkr_delete_alert({ accountId, alertId }) — Delete an alert.

Gotchas

• Session contention — IB Gateway allows one authenticated session. Logging into the Client Portal web UI or opening it separately will disconnect the MCP session, requiring re-authentication.
• Auth expiry — If market data or orders return auth errors, re-run ibkr_authenticate first.
• Market data subscriptions required — ibkr_get_market_data requires active market data subscriptions in IB Gateway. If it fails, verify subscriptions are active for the target exchange.
• Trade currency vs base currency — Position fields (mktValue, avgCost, unrealizedPnl) are in the trade's currency, not the account base currency. Account summary figures (netliquidation, totalcashvalue) are in base currency. Convert position values to base currency to assess total exposure.