Reviewed broker: Interactive Brokers
Established in 1993
Trading instruments: broker offers the usual candidates – stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds and options – but it goes even further. Traders can also find futures and metals (gold and silver) there, and are able to trade stocks on foreign exchanges as well.
Regulation: Is a member NYSE – FINRA – SIPC and regulated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Location: One Pickwick Plaza, Greenwich, CT 06830 USA
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Unparalleled range of available investment assets
- Low commission and margin rates
- Superior order execution
- Vast array of technical and fundamental trading tools
- Built to serve global traders and international investors
Cons
- IBKR’s SmartRouter not available to IBKR Lite clients
- Can be intimidating to less experienced and less active investors
Trading Conditions
IBKR supports a flexible array of order types on the Client Portal and mobile app, as well as over 100 order types and algos on Trader Workstation. One-triggers-other (OTO) orders are supported on TWS with attached orders and on mobile as part of bracket order functionality. With one-cancels-other (OCO) orders, you can choose from and combine logical conditions from price, time, and volume variables (using <, =, > operators), as well as margin cushion, daily P&L, percent change, number of shortable shares, and rebate rate. Options traders have access to single- and multi-leg options trades, up to eight legs.
Commissions start at $0 on US listed stocks & ETFs with low commissions on other products, and there are no added spreads, ticket charges, or account minimums
Margin traders will benefit from the low rates at Interactive Brokers. For IBKR Pro customers, the maximum margin rate is 1.58%, and NerdWallet users get an extra 0.25 percentage point discount. For IBKR Lite, it’s 2.58%. Those rates apply on balances between $0 and $100,000; the rates drop at higher balances. The broker charges a blended rate based on the size of the margin loan, and has a calculator on its website to help investors quickly do the math based on their balance. (Only U.S. residents who open and fund a new IBKR Pro account are eligible for the discounted margin rate.)
IB SmartRoutingSM helps support best execution by searching for the best available prices for stocks, options and combinations across exchanges and dark pools.
The required Interactive Brokers minimum deposit is $0. However, there is a $2,000 minimum if you would like to trade on margin (or sell short). Trading on margin means that you are trading with borrowed money, also known as leverage.
Low commissions
The IBKR Lite platform offers zero-commission stock and ETF trades. Higher-volume traders on the IBKR Pro plan can enjoy a standard commission rate of one-half cent per share ($1.00 minimum per trade), or a tiered commission plan starting at just $0.0035 per share ($0.35 minimum per order). Interactive Brokers offers pricing designed for investors and traders who want to minimize the cost of trading.
Low margin rates
Interactive Brokers’ margin rates are substantially lower than most of the competitors we’ve reviewed. Whereas many brokers price the first dollar of margin at an interest rate in excess of 10%, margin loans from Interactive Brokers cost half as much. The difference really adds up, particularly for investors who carry large margin balances for long periods of time.
Buying cryptocurrencies
Interactive Brokers introduced cryptocurrency trading in 2021, and the offering now gives users 24/7 access to bitcoin, ethereum, litecoin and bitcoin cash. And while the service doesn’t offer commission-free trading like some brokers do, the fees are pretty minimal, ranging from 0.12% to 0.18%, depending on monthly volume. There is also a $1.75 minimum per order.
Account Types
The account opening process is fully digital but a bit complicated. After the online registration, the account verification takes around 2 business days, which is a bit longer than the usual account verification time at most brokers.
During the account opening process, you have to provide some personal information and answer questions about your trading experience.
In the end, you have to verify your identity and residency by uploading the required documents:
- Verification of identity: passport / national ID / driver’s license
- Verification of residency: bank statement / utility bill / driver’s license / credit card statement / other document
This is a standard process, which in financial lingo is called a KYC (know-your-customer) process. This is required to make sure you are truly identifiable.
As you would expect with a platform designed for both professional and individual investors, IBKR offers a wide range of account types to fit the needs of their clients. International accounts are available to those living outside the U.S. The only account type lacking is the 529 college savings account.
Individual account types include:
- Individual and joint brokerage
- Retirement: traditional, Roth, rollover, and inherited individual retirement accounts (IRAs)
- Custodial: UGMA and UTMA
- Trust
Professional account types include:
- Family office
- Small business: corporation, partnership, LLC, and unincorporated legal structure
- Advisor
- Hedge and mutual fund
- Institutional
Trading Platforms
Trader Workstation is a powerful desktop trading platform, especially when you consider that it is free. It truly has something for everyone, whether you trade stocks, ETFs, options, futures, or currencies. And there’s also two mobile options, depending on your needs. The flagship IBKR Mobile app is feature-rich and full of data, giving you much of the same functionality as the desktop TWS platform. The streamlined IBKR GlobalTrader mobile app offers a clean interface for simple stock and crypto trades on the go without the clutter.
Interactive Brokers supports multiple trading platforms, including desktop, web, and several mobile versions, which are available for Android and iOS devices. The app has nearly the same functionality as the web platform, though neither is as robust as Trader Workstation (TWS), the company’s flagship trading platform.
You can trade the same asset classes on any platform. Similarly, you have access to real-time streaming data, charting, drawing tools, research, and news on all the platforms. News is available from dozens of sources, including Benzinga, Dow Jones, Morningstar, Seeking Alpha, Thomson Reuters, Refinitiv, and in-house commentary. Premium news subscriptions are also accessible for a monthly fee.
Here are the platforms Interactive Brokers has to offer:
Client Portal: Interactive Brokers’ modern and user-friendly desktop trading platform. This is the easiest way for an investor to log in and place a trade on the platform. But all clients (IBKR Pro and Lite) have access to all three of these.
IB Trader Workstation (TWS): TWS is a fully-featured desktop trading platform that offers all the functionality (and more!) that investors have come to expect from desktop solutions. Fully customizable, you can design your screen how you want to. Its watch list feature can include an extraordinary amount of information on every stock, from its P/E ratio to how many days it takes the company to sell its inventory, on average. TWS is chock full of screeners, stock option analysis tools, and backtesting options.
Mobile platforms: Interactive Brokers also offers IKBR Mobile, a powerful mobile application for iOS and Android devices. The app offers streaming data, charting tools, and the ability to place even the most complex trades from a mobile device. With access to over 150 worldwide markets, mobile users will find that there are no limitations on their ability to trade from the palm of their hand.
Payment Methods
Interactive Brokers deposits are free of charge. However, deposit options are limited, as neither credit/debit cards nor electronic wallets can be used.
If you reside in the US, though, you have multiple extra options such as:
- ACH (Automated Clearing House)
- Check
- Online bill payment
- Direct Rollover (IRA accounts only)
- Trustee-to-Trustee (IRA accounts only)
Also, as of early 2020, Interactive Brokers introduced direct debit card deposits as part of their Integrated Investment Management account. This is only available to US residents.
Australian clients can also use BPAY as a deposit method.
A bank transfer can take 2-3 business days to arrive. You can only deposit money from sources that are in your name.
Interactive Brokers allows you to open an account with no minimum required.
Interactive Brokers charges no annual, account, transfer or closing fees, which is relatively rare among brokers we review.
Clients can select any of 25 currencies to serve as the base currency for their account. Your base currency determines the currency of translation for your statements and the currency used to determine margin requirements. In addition, charges related to market data and research, inactivity fees and commissions on currency trades are also charged in your base currency.
- Australian Dollar (AUD)
- British Pound (GBP)
- Canadian Dollar (CAD)
- Chinese Offshore Yuan (CNH)
- Czech Koruna (CZK)
- Danish Krone (DKK)
- Euro (EUR)
- Hong Kong Dollar (HKD)
- Hungarian Forint (HUF)
- Israeli Shekel (ILS)
- Japanese Yen (JPY)
- Korean Won (KRW)
- Mexican Peso (MXN)
- New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
- Norwegian Krone (NOK)
- Polish Zloty (PLN)
- Saudi Riyal (SAR)
- Singapore Dollar (SGD)
- South African Rand (ZAR)
- Swedish Krona (SEK)
- Swiss Franc (CHF)
- Turkish Lira (TRY)
- United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED)
- United States Dollar (USD)
The first withdrawal each month is free of charge, while subsequent withdrawals have a fee. The fee for subsequent withdrawals after the first free one depends on the currency and the method used for withdrawal.
Similar to deposits, you can only use bank wire for outgoing transfers. US residents can also withdraw via ACH or check. Check payments are also available in USD and they carry a $4 fee.
How long does it take to withdraw money from Interactive Brokers? We tested it and it took 2 business days. While you wait, as a new feature since early 2020, you can track your withdrawal in real-time on the Client Portal.
How do you withdraw money from Interactive Brokers?
- First, log into the Client Portal then click on ‘Transfer & Pay’ and ‘Transfer funds.’
- Select the account you want to use for the transaction.
- At the top of the page, click on the ‘Withdraw Funds’ tab.
- Select the currency of your withdrawal, then the withdrawal method.
- Enter the required information.
- Submit your withdrawal request.
- You can see the status of your request under ‘View Transaction History.’
Customer Support and Educational Material
IBKR has long been considered short on customer service, but the company is improving its customer service access and response time. The AI-powered IBot answers questions asked in plain English. IBot is available throughout the website and trading platforms and can help customers find answers—without having to endure long wait times.
Customer service features include:
- Toll-free telephone support is available 24 hours a day, six days a week
- Callback service lets you request a call back if you need to hang up and don’t want to lose your place in line
- Online chat with a human agent is available from within the trading platform or website
- Secure message center is available from within the trading platform or website
- AI-powered IBot directs customers to online FAQs and resources
Interactive Brokers stands alone in its breadth of assets, research reports, global market access, tools, calculators, and educational materials. This range of products and services is both a blessing and a curse. IBKR’s sheer wealth of information sometimes can be challenging to digest. That said, the free paper trading and 3-month trial give users a path to try out this comprehensive investment broker.
IBKR provides a broad range of investor education programs for customers and the public. The short videos are ideal for bite-sized learning about TWS and the Client Portal. The multi-language tutorials aid international investors in learning to navigate the platform.
Traders Academy is an online, on-demand resource with a structured, rigorous curriculum intended for financial professionals, investors, educators, and students who want to learn about asset classes, markets, currencies, tools, and functionality available on IBKR’s trading platforms. Quizzes and tests benchmark student progress against learning objectives. Course offerings include introductions to asset classes such as options, futures, forex, international trading, bonds, and how to use margin.
IBKR and industry experts offer daily webinars. These events cover various topics, including how-tos for platforms and tools, options education, trading international products, and more.
How was the rating of IBKR performed compared to other brokers?
This 2023 Forex Broker Review has been conducted though thorough research and assessment of rating and ranking among almost 300 international forex brokers. The final grade is given based on IBKR broker performance and features.
Overall our online IBKR review was conducted with the details obtained from the demo trading and the forex brokers website. If you would like to add details to this online IBKR or you find inaccurate details IBKR broker review please get in touch with us and the changes will be applied.
