Interactive Brokers

USSECUSFINRAUSCFTCUSNFAGBFCAFinancial Conduct AuthorityIECBIAUASICAustralian Securities and Investments CommissionCACIROHKSFCINSEBIJPJFSASGMASMonetary Authority of Singapore

Interactive Brokers is a global multi-asset brokerage group whose roots date to 1977 and whose electronic brokerage business began in 1993. Market access, products, pricing, funding methods and investor protection depend on the client contracting entity.

Last verified: Jul 29, 2026Sources and audit trail

Overview

Interactive Brokers is a global multi-asset brokerage group whose roots date to 1977 and whose electronic brokerage business began in 1993. Market access, products, pricing, funding methods and investor protection depend on the client contracting entity.

TraderVote user rating
9.6/10
Trader reviews
2,450
Regulation
Regulated (Tier-1)
Main regulators
USSECUSFINRAUSCFTC
Main strengths
Main risks
✓ No major risk themes reported
Live collectionUpdated Aug 27, 2026

AI web composite score

Five web-reputation dimensions plus one objective regulatory dimension for Interactive Brokers

Web reputation 75% 2.9Regulation 25% 9.9
4.7/ 10Weak
Data confidence95% · High

Trading environment

Slippage, stability, execution and pricing anomalies

Public review signals
3.7Weight 22%
553 related mentionsPositive 29%

Deposits & withdrawals

Funding speed, withdrawals, checks and payment methods

Public review signals
1.4Weight 18%
101 related mentionsPositive 8%

Customer service

Response time, expertise and complaint handling

Public review signals
2.5Weight 13%
263 related mentionsPositive 17%

Trading costs

Spreads, commissions, swaps and hidden charges

Public review signals
3.4Weight 18%
120 related mentionsPositive 30%

Sales conduct

Promotion terms, sales pressure and return claims

Public review signals
4.2Weight 4%
46 related mentionsPositive 35%

Regulation & compliance

Scoring rulesReview sentiment is excluded. Licence quality accounts for 60%, jurisdiction coverage 25%, and Tier-1 diversification 15%. Additional licences have diminishing returns, while enforcement actions or licence suspensions may reduce the score.View full methodology →

Licence quality, jurisdiction breadth and regulatory diversification

Objective regulatory facts
9.9Weight 25%
12 verified regulators9 jurisdictions

Sales conduct is the strongest review-based dimension; Deposits & withdrawals is the weakest. Regulation & compliance is scored independently from verified licence facts.

1,179Review signals
1,060Unique experiences
893.1Effective sample
4Sources
View calculation and source mix

The AI composite combines web reputation at 75% and regulation at 25%. Review weights are trading environment 22%, deposits and withdrawals 18%, customer service 13%, trading costs 18%, and sales conduct 4%. Regulation ignores review sentiment and uses verified licence quality 60%, distinct jurisdiction breadth 25%, and Tier-1 diversification 15%, with diminishing returns for additional licences.

AI web composite score
DimensionScorerelated mentions
Trading environment3.7553
Deposits & withdrawals1.4101
Customer service2.5263
Trading costs3.4120
Sales conduct4.246
Regulation & compliance9.912

Products

  • Stocks, ETFs and fractional shares
  • Listed options, warrants and structured products
  • Futures and futures options
  • Spot currencies and foreign exchange conversion
  • Bonds and other fixed-income products
  • Mutual funds and selected hedge funds
  • CFDs where permitted by the contracting entity
  • Spot gold and selected event or forecast contracts
  • Cryptocurrency access through third-party providers in eligible jurisdictions

Accounts

  • Individual and joint accounts
  • Cash, margin and portfolio-margin accounts subject to eligibility
  • Trust and estate accounts
  • United States retirement and custodial accounts, including IRA and UGMA or UTMA
  • Family, advisor and family-office accounts
  • Small-business, corporate and institutional accounts
  • IBKR Pro and IBKR Lite pricing plans where offered

Platforms and tools

  • IBKR Desktop for modern multi-asset trading and portfolio tools
  • Trader Workstation for advanced order types, analytics, risk tools and professional workflows
  • IBKR Mobile for full-featured mobile trading and account management
  • IBKR GlobalTrader for simplified global stock, ETF, option and selected crypto access
  • Client Portal for browser-based trading, reporting and account administration
  • Client Portal, TWS and FIX APIs for approved automated and institutional workflows

Funding currencies

AEDAUDCADCHFCNHCZKDKKEURGBPHKDHUFINRILSJPYMXNNOKNZDPLNSEKSGDTRYUSDZAR

Support and availability

Official support channels include authenticated live chat, secure Message Center tickets and regional telephone support. IBKR does not support general account service through an open commercial email address. Telephone coverage is generally continuous from Sunday afternoon to Friday evening United States Eastern time, while local desks, languages and holiday hours vary.

Eligibility, products, currencies and the contracting entity are determined by residence, tax status and onboarding. Sanctioned jurisdictions, high-risk locations and restricted persons are not accepted, and products such as CFDs, cryptocurrencies, IBKR Lite, retirement accounts and leveraged foreign exchange are not offered in every country.

Regulation

Regulators

Interactive Brokers LLC

United States · SEC

Active
Regulators
SEC
Licence / registration number
SEC 8-47257 / FINRA CRD 36418 / NFA 0258600

Client protection

Eligible securities accounts are protected by SIPC up to USD 500,000, including a USD 250,000 cash sublimit. IBKR also discloses excess SIPC insurance through Lloyds with a USD 30 million per-account limit, including USD 900,000 cash, and a USD 150 million aggregate limit. Futures and futures options are excluded, and market losses are not covered.

View protection details

Eligible securities accounts are protected by SIPC up to USD 500,000, including a USD 250,000 cash sublimit. IBKR also discloses excess SIPC insurance through Lloyds with a USD 30 million per-account limit, including USD 900,000 cash, and a USD 150 million aggregate limit. Futures and futures options are excluded, and market losses are not covered.

FINRA identifies the firm as an active broker-dealer. IBKR states that client securities and cash are segregated daily. The entity is also registered with the CFTC and is an NFA member.

Official record ↗

Interactive Brokers Canada Inc.

Canada · CIRO

Active
Regulators
CIRO
Licence / registration number
CIRO investment dealer

Client protection

Eligible property held by an insolvent CIRO member can qualify for CIPF protection. CIPF publishes separate CAD 1 million limits for combined general accounts, combined registered retirement accounts and combined registered education savings plans; eligibility and account grouping rules apply.

View protection details

Eligible property held by an insolvent CIRO member can qualify for CIPF protection. CIPF publishes separate CAD 1 million limits for combined general accounts, combined registered retirement accounts and combined registered education savings plans; eligibility and account grouping rules apply.

CIRO lists the firm as a regulated investment dealer and marketplace participant.

Official record ↗

Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited

United Kingdom · FCA

Active
Regulators
FCA
Licence / registration number
FRN 208159 / company 03958476

Client protection

IBKR states that FSCS protection applies only in limited circumstances. Some products and custody arrangements are carried or cleared by Interactive Brokers LLC and may instead fall within the applicable SIPC scope. FSCS investment protection can be up to GBP 85,000 for an eligible claim against a failed firm.

View protection details

IBKR states that FSCS protection applies only in limited circumstances. Some products and custody arrangements are carried or cleared by Interactive Brokers LLC and may instead fall within the applicable SIPC scope. FSCS investment protection can be up to GBP 85,000 for an eligible claim against a failed firm.

The United Kingdom company is authorised and regulated by the FCA. Protection must be checked against the specific product, custody chain and contracting entity.

Official record ↗

Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited

Ireland and the European Economic Area · CBI

Active
Regulators
CBI
Licence / registration number
CBI C423427 / CRO 657406

Client protection

Eligible private clients may qualify for the Irish Investor Compensation Scheme, which covers 90% of the net loss up to EUR 20,000 when an investment firm cannot return client assets. Professional and institutional clients are generally excluded, and market losses are not covered.

View protection details

Eligible private clients may qualify for the Irish Investor Compensation Scheme, which covers 90% of the net loss up to EUR 20,000 when an investment firm cannot return client assets. Professional and institutional clients are generally excluded, and market losses are not covered.

The entity is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and serves eligible clients in Ireland and the European Economic Area.

Official record ↗

Interactive Brokers Australia Pty. Ltd.

Australia · ASIC

Active
Regulators
ASIC
Licence / registration number
AFSL 453554 / ABN 98 166 929 568

Client protection

Client money is held in segregated accounts under Australian law. IBKR warns that the custody arrangement can affect eligibility under the National Guarantee Fund, so no universal compensation amount is represented for every account or product.

View protection details

Client money is held in segregated accounts under Australian law. IBKR warns that the custody arrangement can affect eligibility under the National Guarantee Fund, so no universal compensation amount is represented for every account or product.

The Australian entity holds Australian Financial Services Licence 453554.

Official record ↗

Interactive Brokers Hong Kong Limited

Hong Kong · SFC

Active
Regulators
SFC
Licence / registration number
CE ADI249

Client protection

Eligible losses caused by the default of an intermediary in relation to Hong Kong exchange-traded securities or futures can fall within the Investor Compensation Fund, with separate HKD 500,000 limits for securities and futures. Overseas products, ordinary market losses and ineligible arrangements are not covered.

View protection details

Eligible losses caused by the default of an intermediary in relation to Hong Kong exchange-traded securities or futures can fall within the Investor Compensation Fund, with separate HKD 500,000 limits for securities and futures. Overseas products, ordinary market losses and ineligible arrangements are not covered.

The SFC public record identifies licence CE ADI249 for regulated activities including dealing in securities, futures contracts and leveraged foreign exchange trading.

Official record ↗

Interactive Brokers (India) Private Limited

India · SEBI

Active
Regulators
SEBI
Licence / registration number
SEBI INZ000217730 / NSDL IN-DP-602-2021

Client protection

Client assets are subject to SEBI, exchange and depository rules. No single universal compensation amount was stated in the reviewed official record, so the applicable protection must be checked by market, product and claim type.

View protection details

Client assets are subject to SEBI, exchange and depository rules. No single universal compensation amount was stated in the reviewed official record, so the applicable protection must be checked by market, product and claim type.

SEBI shows registration INZ000217730 as perpetual. The entity also discloses NSDL depository-participant registration IN-DP-602-2021.

Official record ↗

Interactive Brokers Securities Japan Inc.

Japan · JFSA

Active
Regulators
JFSA
Licence / registration number
Kanto Local Finance Bureau (FIBO) No. 187

Client protection

Customer assets are segregated. The entity is a Japan Investor Protection Fund member, and eligible claims can be compensated up to JPY 10 million if a member cannot return customer assets. Certain securities carried by Interactive Brokers LLC may instead be within SIPC scope.

View protection details

Customer assets are segregated. The entity is a Japan Investor Protection Fund member, and eligible claims can be compensated up to JPY 10 million if a member cannot return customer assets. Certain securities carried by Interactive Brokers LLC may instead be within SIPC scope.

The JFSA list identifies the firm as Financial Instruments Business Operator No. 187.

Official record ↗

Interactive Brokers Singapore Pte. Ltd.

Singapore · MAS

Active
Regulators
MAS
Licence / registration number
CMS100917

Client protection

Client money is held in designated segregated accounts under Singapore rules. IBKR states that certain securities held through Interactive Brokers LLC may be protected by SIPC, but it does not state a fixed Singapore compensation amount for all accounts.

View protection details

Client money is held in designated segregated accounts under Singapore rules. IBKR states that certain securities held through Interactive Brokers LLC may be protected by SIPC, but it does not state a fixed Singapore compensation amount for all accounts.

MAS lists the entity as a Capital Markets Services licensee for securities, collective investment schemes, listed and over-the-counter derivatives, leveraged foreign exchange, product financing and custody.

Official record ↗

Trading conditions

Spreads from
0.1 pips
Max leverage
1:50
Execution
Electronic direct-access agency execution is used for many exch…
Commission
Not available
Platforms
IBKR Desktop · Trader Workstation (TWS) · IBKR Mobile · IBKR GlobalTrader · Client Portal · IBKR APIs
Minimum opening deposit
USD 0 for the reviewed individual, joint, trust and organization IBKR Pro or IBKR Lite accounts. Broker, advisor and some institutional account structures publish separate funding requirements.
Spot currency spread
IBKR advertises institutional spot currency spreads as narrow as 0.1 pip. Spreads are variable and depend on the currency pair, order size, liquidity and market conditions.
Spot currency commission
Published tiered pricing is 0.08 to 0.20 basis points times trade value, with a USD 2 minimum per order at the first tier. Currency, volume, entity and minimum-order equivalents affect the final charge.
Execution model
Electronic direct-access agency execution is used for many exchange-traded products, with IBKR SmartRouting seeking available prices across venues. Foreign exchange, CFDs and other over-the-counter products can use different liquidity, counterparty and execution arrangements under the relevant entity agreement.
Highest verified public leverage
1:50, derived from the current United States retail foreign exchange security-deposit requirement of 2% for major currencies. Other currencies require 5%, and other entities, products and client classifications can impose lower limits.
Margin close-out
IBKR monitors margin in real time and can immediately liquidate positions when an account no longer meets maintenance margin. It generally does not issue a traditional margin call, and liquidation order, prices and completeness are not guaranteed.
Loss beyond deposited funds
Margin and leveraged trading can produce losses greater than the initial investment. Any retail negative-balance rule is product- and entity-specific and is not represented as a global IBKR brand guarantee.
Account and market-data fees
The reviewed standard individual account schedule lists no account minimum and no inactivity fee. Market data, research, exchange, borrowing, margin interest and product-specific commissions can still apply.

Securities, futures, options, foreign exchange, CFDs and margin trading can cause substantial losses, including losses greater than the initial investment. Real-time liquidation can occur without a traditional margin call. Investor-compensation schemes address eligible intermediary failure, not ordinary market loss, product performance or every client asset.

Payments

Deposits

3 methods
MethodMinimumProcessingFee
Bank wire transferAED · AUD · CAD · CHF · CNH · CZK · DKK · EUR · GBP · HKD · HUF · INR · ILS · JPY · MXN · NOK · NZD · PLN · SEK · SGD · TRY · USD · ZARNo minimumArrival can range from immedi…IBKR does not publish an incoming wir…
United States ACH or direct bank transferUSDNo minimumThe first deposit is generall…Usually free*
Local bank transfer, SEPA, BACS or supported low-value networkAUD · CAD · CHF · EUR · GBP · HKD · JPY · SGD · USDShown by currency and contracting…Processing and withdrawal hol…Usually free*

Withdrawals

2 methods
MethodMinimumProcessingFee
Bank wire or supported electronic withdrawalAED · AUD · CAD · CHF · CNH · CZK · DKK · EUR · GBP · HKD · HUF · INR · ILS · JPY · MXN · NOK · NZD · PLN · SEK · SGD · TRY · USD · ZARNo minimumIBKR processing cutoffs and b…Usually free*
United States ACH withdrawalUSDNo minimumBank-network timing varies. A…Usually free*

Accounts or cards must be in the client’s name. Availability, limits and checks depend on the contracting entity.

Promotions

Active offers and promotions from Interactive Brokers

Active

Member-to-member referral programme

The current landing page states one USD 1 IBKR share for each USD 300 of qualifying deposit, up to USD 1,000. The linked terms dated 29 May 2026 instead state one share for each USD 100. Because the two official pages conflict, applicants should rely on the enrolment terms presented when opening the account; both sources cap the share award at USD 1,000.

An eligible client can refer a new individual or joint-account client. IBKR advertises a USD 200 reward for the referrer and up to USD 1,000 in IBKR shares for the referred client, subject to funding, holding, residence and account-type rules.

Eligibility: The referrer generally needs an individual or joint account with at least USD 2,000 net liquidation value and one securities trade. The referred client must use the referral link, fund at least USD 10,000 within 30 days and maintain the qualifying balance for one year. Tax-deferred, adviser, hedge-fund and institutional accounts are excluded. Residence exclusions include Japan, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Poland, mainland China and Israel; the linked terms also state that residents of India and Canada cannot receive IBKR shares.

Official terms ↗

Sources and audit trail

Last verified: Jul 29, 2026

  1. Interactive Brokers historyJul 29, 2026
  2. Interactive Brokers fact sheetJul 29, 2026
  3. Interactive Brokers regulatory disclosuresJul 29, 2026
  4. FINRA BrokerCheck record for Interactive Brokers LLCJul 29, 2026
  5. NFA financial requirements, Section 12Jul 29, 2026
  6. CFTC retail foreign exchange advisoryJul 29, 2026
  7. CIRO record for Interactive Brokers Canada Inc.Jul 29, 2026
  8. SFC licence record for Interactive Brokers Hong Kong LimitedJul 29, 2026
  9. MAS directory for Interactive Brokers Singapore Pte. Ltd.Jul 29, 2026
  10. JFSA financial instruments business operators listJul 29, 2026
  11. SEBI intermediary record INZ000217730Jul 29, 2026
  12. Interactive Brokers LLC client protectionJul 29, 2026
  13. Canadian Investor Protection Fund coverageJul 29, 2026
  14. FSCS investment protectionJul 29, 2026
  15. Interactive Brokers Ireland client protectionJul 29, 2026
  16. Hong Kong Investor Compensation FundJul 29, 2026
  17. Japan Investor Protection Fund membersJul 29, 2026
  18. Japan Investor Protection Fund coverageJul 29, 2026
  19. Interactive Brokers Australia client protectionJul 29, 2026
  20. Interactive Brokers Singapore client protectionJul 29, 2026
  21. Interactive Brokers required minimumsJul 29, 2026
  22. Interactive Brokers individual accountsJul 29, 2026
  23. Interactive Brokers spot currenciesJul 29, 2026
  24. Interactive Brokers spot currency commissionsJul 29, 2026
  25. Interactive Brokers trading platformsJul 29, 2026
  26. Interactive Brokers global access and base currenciesJul 29, 2026
  27. Interactive Brokers fund-my-account guideJul 29, 2026
  28. Interactive Brokers cash-transfer guideJul 29, 2026
  29. Interactive Brokers other feesJul 29, 2026
  30. Interactive Brokers margin policyJul 29, 2026
  31. Interactive Brokers customer serviceJul 29, 2026
  32. Interactive Brokers member-to-member referral programmeJul 29, 2026
  33. Interactive Brokers referral programme terms dated 29 May 2026Jul 29, 2026

How this company uses TraderVote

Company participation and regulatory verification are displayed separately.

Represent this company? Apply to claim
Company claimNot claimed
Company identityNot verified
Licence verification0/0

Company access allows replies and verified change requests. It cannot edit user ratings, remove reviews or directly change TraderVote regulatory scores.

Trader reviews

From 2,450 verified traders

Write a review

No reviews yet.