Frequently Asked Questions

Account Funding

Your trading can begin only when cleared funds are made payable to R.J.O’Brien and provided in one of the following ways:

  • Please contact RJO Client Services at 866-438-7564 for detailed wire instructions.
  • A certified check or cashier’s check made payable to R.J.O’Brien. will also allow you to begin trading immediately. If you are opening a new account, personal checks, money market checks, and savings & loan checks may require clearance before you can trade. Cash currencies cannot be accepted. In addition, all funds coming into the account must match the name on the account.
  • If you are TRANSFERRING your account from another firm, please fill out the form in the back of your application, return it to R.J.O’Brien with other required documents (via your Introducing Broker, if any), and we will transfer positions and funds accordingly.

When your account is open and trading, carefully read your statements as soon as you receive them. If you plan to be away, check in with your broker frequently. Do not delay reviewing your trading status…this is important! If you have any questions about an individual trade or your balance or position, phone your account representative (broker) immediately. If he or she is unavailable or a problem is not resolved at once, call the R.J.O’Brien Compliance staff in Chicago at 1-800-621-0757.

If I have general questions about this site, who can I contact?

Feel free to contact us anytime. We’ll reply to your request or concern within 24 hours.

When will the 1099s be mailed?

1099s are required to be mailed prior to January 31 of each year

When will the 1099 be reported to the IRS?

We are required to report the 1099 to the IRS no later than February 27.

What do I do if I find an error on my 1099?

Please contact your broker or the Client Services Department at R.J. O’Brien as soon as possible. You can reach us by calling 866-438-7564 and asking for Client Services between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Outside business hours, please call 877-232-9563 and leave a message.

What form do I use to file my 1099?

You will need IRS form 6781. You can obtain this form from the IRS website or in many cases, from your local library. Please consult your tax advisor on the use of this form.

What do lines 8, 9, 10, and 11 mean on the 1099?

Line 8 is the realized profit or loss in futures and options
Line 9 is the unrealized profit or loss from the previous year (2010). This figure will be reversed on the 1099 to create Line 11 and was downloaded from your last years 1099.
Line 10 is the unrealized profit or loss from the current tax year (2011) and represents any open positions in your account on December 29, 2011. This figure will be reversed in next year’s 1099 on line 9.
Line 11 is the sum total of Lines 8, 9 and 10.

What other information do I need to file?

The Form 1099 is the only form you will need. Consult your tax advisor for any questions on filing with the IRS.

How does the IRS compute profit/loss for futures trading?

The IRS uses the 60/40 rule – 60% long term and 40% short term. As always, please consult your tax advisor for any questions regarding your IRS tax returns.

How do I register for an RJO Trading Account?

Go to our account page and fill out the appropriate documentation. Fax the completed forms to us and we’ll take care of the rest.

How do I register for an RJO Futures Trading Account?

You may use our fast and secure online application. Or, go to our account documents page to download the appropriate documentation.

I already have an RJO trading account, but I need to get access to my statements and positions via the website.

Go to our web access signup page, enter your account number and tax ID (Social Security Number) and you will be authorized for access to the RJO website.

I'm a current customer and want to trade electronically. How can I get set up?

Contact your Broker and they will be more than happy to connect you with RJO’s WebOE trading system. If you have any questions about who to contact, please email client services. We’ll be more than happy to help.