Can anyone who uses IBKR help me with this?
I have 2 options positions expiring today which, if they end up in the money, I do not have the ability to exercise.
However, I may want to hold these positions until minutes before market close, or even until after market close. Although I may sell them earlier during the day, I may want to sell them during the cross, or even short the stock in AH if the options are ITM, and then buy back the shares through exercising the options.
I just talked to the IBKR trading desk, and was informed that (as I suspected) these positions will be automatically closed by them, because I will be unable to exercise them. As early as 12:30 Chicago time... I asked them to not do so, but the best the person I talked to could do for me is put in a request to the risk department, which he informed me usually isn't granted.
I'm kind of at a loss, because it sounds like IBKR will close these positions automatically as early as 1:30PM if they are ITM. Does anybody know of anything else I can do? Worst thing that could happen is that I lose internet connection, the options expire ITM, and I don't have the margin to exercise them. I don't understand why IBKR would have a problem with this.