Simon75

Hi AndaIG, Thanks for your quick response and explanation. Yes, I did figure there's no option in settings to get rid of it but I was just hopeful I might have been missing something. Thanks for the clarification and for confirming this for me. I would hope IG would consider eventually maybe reprogramming this function (in the distant future) and give users the ability to either reposition this tab, or remove it all together, as some sort of option in IG settings. I was indeed aware that this "How to" tab doesn't appear in the regular positions window that you access from the main tabs on the left hand panel. The only reason I like to look at a position window once added to a workspace (btw I add position windows to all my workspaces), in preference to accessing the regular positions window, is because of what appears to be the extra functionality and data available in this mode, which isn't available from the main tab's position window (unless I am mistaken) such as the ability to add 2 types of notional value columns, the ability to see a profit/loss column in my own local currency for all individual positions, and also the ability to see a total at the bottom of the screen for the combined running profit and loss for all my positions (That's my favorite thing!). If I am mistaken and this same functionality can be added to the main tab position window, and I am just missing as yet how it can be achieved, then could you please let me know, and I would gladly only ever access that one. Luckily the problem isn't a major one, seeing as the "How to" tab only seems to only ever entirely obscure a single figure, which is the running total for all positions, in my local currency, which is actually a figure duplicated at the bottom of the column to the left of it, which I can however clearly see. The "How to" tab does however also from time to time (when I have a large number of trades) partially cover the profit/loss figure in my local currency on the very last trade in the list. I have attached another screenshot to show this. I can normally always see enough of this figure to make out what it is, but it is just an unnecessary annoyance, despite being a minor one, and I would hope IG might eventually rectify the issue. Thanks for your time and your response once again, Simon.

Hi, I'm just wondering if there is any way to disable or turn off the "help tab" button thingy named "How to"... It often obscures what I'm trying to look at, especially in the positions window if I have a lot of trades going. I have attached a screenshot. Thanks.

Hi MongiIG, I know about 10 months has passed since this original thread, but seeing as I am greatly interested in the answer to the original question of the poster, I am posting this late comment. MongiIG, in answering REKandler's question about how IG's ATR figure is averaged over the relevant period, you have stated "It is typically derived from the simple moving average of a series of true range indicators." This arguably in a sense may be true, for some platforms and traders, but this general statement unfortunately sheds no light on the actual question that was asked, which was essentially how does IG Trading arrive at their figure on their platform? As a qualified mathematician I can confirm to all that the ATR(14) figure that IG gives for any graph on their platform is not a simple moving average (SMA) of the last 14 true range indicators (TRs), as one could construe is your suggestion. This is why I say the user's question has not been answered. Any user can confirm the following with their own calculations. IG uses the common "smoothing formula" for ATRs, which is that the ATR at time "t" is: So in layman's language: For a 14 period ATR (i.e. n = 14) the most recent ATR is calculated by multiplying the previous ATR value by 13 and then adding it to the newest True Range (TR) and then dividing the whole result by 14. The problem is that in using this "smoothing formula", and not a simple SMA of the last 14 TRs, the ATR value can be quite different depending on how far back in one's data that the formula starts being used. The "ghost" of the artificial initial values you create for both the first TR (which is simply the High minus Low as there is no previous candle) and the first ATR (which is indeed a simple moving average of the last 14 TRs once you have that many), these 'hang around' in the ATR value for quite some time. It does not appear to be like the formula for Heiken-Ashi Candles, when the effect of the initial candle (calculated also by irregular means) quickly dissipates or becomes vanishingly small after about 10 or so periods (I can't remember the exact estimate that is often given for Heiken-Ashi candles before they become "as they should be", comparable/equivalent to anyone else's figures). Because of the nature of the above ATR formula, all values you see for an ATR on any web platform, using the same period (i.e. ATR(14)), for the exact same data, such figures may vary considerably, depending on how far back in the data the ATR first starts being calculated. I have heard that some platforms use 250 periods back, to ensure that the effect of the artificial initial values has somewhat been "nullified". I have no idea how many periods back that the IG trading platform starts to calculate an ATR(14). It can't be infinite, but I can tell you one thing for a certainty that it is far far greater than 14 periods. If anyone from IG could tell me the exact number of periods used (even if it is 1000+) I would greatly appreciate it. Regards Simon