Thinking Stuff's ATM

Automated Trading Machine (ATM) makes it simple to remove fear and greed from your trading. Automated trading is no longer just for the rich or nerdy. Our revolutionary software runs on your computer, using your trading rules, but none of your emotions. There's just one requirement - you know how to use a mouse.  Learn more...

Thinking Stuff's ATE

Automated Trading Execution (ATE) is where we run your trading systems for you on our servers. Your system can be exported from ATM, or written in plain English and we'll make it for you. We'll even backtest and suggest improvements if you want us to. This service essentially automates your automated trading.  Learn more...

Thinking Stuff's Groups

Join a group of like-minded individuals, and help each other to trading success. Once you join a group, you will have access to that group's trading systems, ideas, and feedback. And please contribute your own knowledge as much as possible. Or contact us to start your own group.  Learn more...

Opening An FXCM Account

You have 3 options with FXCM, all because of their interpretation/handling of NFA Compliance Rule 2-43(b). For more background read this blog entry on the subject (explanation starts a few paragraphs down).

The 3 options are to sign up with FXCM U.S., FXCM U.K., or FXCM Australia. Unfortunately due to NFA Compliance Rule 2-43(b), using ATM to do automated trading with FXCM U.S. is not possible. But you can still connect to your FXCM U.S. account to download prices.

Neither FXCM U.K. nor FXCM Australia have such a regulation. You can use ATM to auto-trade in accounts in these branches of FXCM. Both countries have strong financial regulatory bodies. In fact the global financial crisis barely touched Australia.

If any of the links below are wrong, start at the respective home page and find the appropriate links.
 

FXCM Australia

Home page - www.fxcm.com.au
For a demo account, go to this page and follow the instructions in the "FX, Oil, Gold And Stock Indices Demo" paragraph.
For a live account, go to this page and follow the instructions in the "FX, Oil, Gold & Stock Indices" paragraph.
 

FXCM U.K.

Home page - www.fxcm.co.uk
For a demo account, go to this page and follow the instructions in the "Forex, Oil, Gold, & Stock Indices Demo" paragraph.
For a live account: start here.
 

FXCM U.S.

Home page - www.fxcm.com
Sign up for demo account on this page.
For a live account: start here.
 

After Opening An Account

After you have created your live account, send an email to admin@fxcm.com and ask that hedging be switch on. Also ask that your live account be given Multi Session User Access. This lets you log in to both the FXCM trading platform and ATM at the same time. (Both are switched on by default for demo accounts).

But, here's what they say about Multi Session Access on a Micro account:

From a technical stand point, it is possible to connect to a micro account. We recommend multiple session access to API users since they normally log in more than once. The restriction of not allowing multiple session on micro accounts is due to the manually intensive process of doing the switch - not a technical restriction.

Thus you can still use the API on micro, just consider that if you log into the same API twice, one session will be kicked out. If you do not want this restriction, you would need to upgrade to a standard account.

For the one micro account, I believe you will be able to log in at the same to both the FXCM trading platform and ATM. But not two 'instances' of the FXCM platform at the same time, or two instances of ATM at the same time. It's probably not an issue.

See also:

Groups: