How to Trade Event Contracts
on Interactive Brokers

1. 1
   Open an Interactive Brokers account

   Go to interactivebrokers.com and open a standard brokerage account. IBKR requires full KYC: SSN or EIN, government ID, employment and net worth disclosures. The process takes 1–3 business days for approval. Existing IBKR clients don't need a separate account for ForecastEx event contracts.
2. 2
   Fund your account

   IBKR supports ACH bank transfer, wire transfer, and cheque. There is no minimum deposit for IBKR Pro or IBKR Lite. Funds via ACH are typically available for trading within 1 business day. IBKR may offer full margin buying power on funding day for ACH transfers.
3. 3
   Enable ForecastEx trading permissions

   In IBKR's Account Management portal (Client Portal), navigate to Account → Trading Permissions → Add Products. Find "Event Contracts" or "ForecastEx" and request permission. IBKR may require you to acknowledge a risk disclosure. Approval is typically same-day.
4. 4
   Access ForecastEx markets in TWS or IBKR Mobile

   In Thinkorswim (TWS), type a ForecastEx symbol or navigate to Market Data → Event Contracts. In IBKR Mobile, search for a contract. ForecastEx markets use standard IBKR symbol conventions. Political and economic contracts (GDP, inflation, Fed rate) are the primary categories available.
5. 5
   Analyze the contract

   Each ForecastEx contract shows the YES/NO bid-ask spread, open interest, and resolution date. The price represents the market's implied probability in cents per $1 payout. Use IBKR's full charting suite, options analysis tools, and market scanners to evaluate contracts like any other financial instrument.
6. 6
   Place your order

   Enter a buy or sell order in TWS. You can use market orders, limit orders, or algorithmic order types (VWAP, scale orders). ForecastEx contracts trade on standard IBKR order entry: the same interface as stocks and futures. IBKR charges its standard commission on event contracts, typically $0.65–$1.00 per contract depending on volume.
7. 7
   Manage your position

   Open ForecastEx positions appear in your portfolio alongside equities and derivatives. IBKR's risk reporting, P&L attribution, and portfolio margin tools all apply. You can set price alerts, stop orders, and bracket orders. Sell before resolution to take profits or limit losses.
8. 8
   Tax and 1099 reporting

   IBKR issues a detailed 1099 that includes all event contract activity. Net profits are reported as ordinary income. IBKR's Flex Query reporting tool allows you to export detailed trade history. For institutional clients and managed accounts, IBKR has dedicated tax reporting integrations.

ForecastEx is a CFTC-designated contract market (DCM) focused on macroeconomic and political outcomes. Its market categories differ significantly from Kalshi: the emphasis is on institutional-grade economic data releases and policy decisions.

Note: ForecastEx does not offer sports event contracts. For sports markets, use Kalshi directly or via Robinhood.

IBKR's API supports ForecastEx event contracts through the same interface as equities and futures. This is a significant advantage for systematic traders: you can build strategies that combine event contract signals with equity positions, automate hedges based on economic data releases, or run quantitative probability models against live ForecastEx prices.