Recommend me an options broker...

[Ultraviolet]

Anyone use anyone they would be happy to recommend? Just looking for standard calls / puts to get some leverage when dabbling in shares. Would need online trading also. Not interested in CFDs, spread betting or any of that malarkey..

Any tips gratefully received,

Cheers,

UV

[DonkeyApple]

You probably won't do better these days than IB as there isn't any retail demand for options in the UK market for a UK firm to exist on.

Don't forget that CFDs and SpreadBets aren't an instrument but for want of a better term, a wrapper, and that if options trading in size, in your own name and profitable then you'd obviously look to do so within a spread betting account as those types of traders already do.

[twinturboz]

+ 1 for IB. Cheapest commissions around, just a steep learning curve on the platform and also not the quickest customer service.

[DonkeyApple]

twinturboz said:

+ 1 for IB. Cheapest commissions around, just a steep learning curve on the platform and also not the quickest customer service.

Yup. That's why they are cheap. It's a great product until you genuinely need to reach a dealing desk and then you're pretty screwed.

[sideways sid]

Another vote for IB.

The platform (TWS) is hardly intuitive, and Customer Service is virtually non-existent - they don't even have a UK telephone number - but the platform works and the costs are tiny.

[Salgar]

Also, spread betting isn't taxed...