Why Are Micros Position Sizes Huge on TradersPost Paper Trading?
Position sizes can appear large when trading micros on TradersPost’s paper broker due to the lack of live futures data. Connecting a broker with futures market data can help resolve this issue and provide more accurate position sizes.
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Current documentation shows that a connected TradeStation market-data source fully supports futures in the paper broker, so the outdated partial-support and planned-improvements language has been corrected while the live-data guidance remains accurate.
A common issue that some users encounter on TradersPost’s paper trading platform is seeing unusually large position sizes when trading micros, particularly in futures. This problem is rooted in how the paper trading system processes data and fills orders.
Paper Trading Limitations
One of the primary reasons for this issue is that the TradersPost paper broker doesn’t automatically have live market data for futures. When users place a limit order, the system instantly fills the position at the entered limit price, but it doesn’t accurately reflect current market conditions since it lacks a live quote. This can lead to discrepancies in position size and performance, with the platform sometimes showing a massive or distorted position.
To solve this, you need to connect a broker that provides futures market data, such as TradeStation. This connection allows the paper trading broker to fetch live quotes, resulting in more accurate position sizes and pricing. Without this data, the paper broker simply assumes a fill based on the limit price entered, which leads to inaccuracies in how positions and P&L are displayed.
The Challenge with Micros
When trading micros (such as Micro E-mini futures), which are smaller in size than regular futures contracts, the issue can become more apparent. Since micros are a fraction of the size of their standard contracts, the system may still display disproportionately large positions due to the lack of accurate data. When TradeStation is connected as the Market Data Source, the paper broker fully supports the futures asset class1.
Future Enhancements for Paper Trading
The paper broker was initially developed for automated testing, but it became a feature for users who want to paper trade without a live broker connection. While it has been useful for testing strategies, connecting TradeStation as the Market Data Source provides live futures market data for paper trading1. This market-data integration improves the overall trading experience on the platform1.
However, for now, users experiencing large or inaccurate positions with micros on paper trading can mitigate the issue by connecting a broker that provides live market data for futures.
