Brokers·Pro / global broker

Interactive Brokers Review: Fees, Features, and Ratings

Lowest margin rates, deepest global market access — pro-grade UX.

4.6(360 reviews) Greenwich, CT, United States Founded 1978 AllLast updated 2026-02-14
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Min. deposit
$0
Trading fee
$0 (IBKR Lite) · tiered (IBKR Pro)
Assets offered
Stocks, ETFs, options, futures, forex, bonds — global
Regulated by
SEC, FINRA, SIPC, FCA, others

This listing is unclaimed. Data was compiled by MoneyMoodBoard editors from publicly available sources and has not been confirmed by the business. Details may be incomplete or out of date — verify regulatory status before depositing money.

About Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers is a pro / global broker in the brokers category regulated by SEC and FINRA. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Greenwich, CT, operating for 48 years, it is most often used for holding a long-term IRA or taxable brokerage.

Why people search for this

Open an account that can hold your investments cheaply, settle trades reliably, and survive a market panic.

Who Interactive Brokers fits — and who it doesn't

Interactive Brokers fits best when you are holding a long-term IRA or taxable brokerage, and specifically when want one account to hold stocks, etfs and iras. It also suits investors who use the account for automated investing in tax-advantaged wrappers.

It is not the right pick for someone who needs a fundamentally different product from a pro / global broker.

How fees work at Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers's headline cost is stock & etf commission at $0. Secondary line items include options contract fee (See attributes), outgoing wire ($25 typical). Always cross-check fees against the operator's current pricing page — schedules change without notice.

Regulation & safety

Interactive Brokers is registered with or supervised by SEC (verify on SEC EDGAR), FINRA (verify on FINRA BrokerCheck), SIPC (verify on SIPC member lookup). Regulatory registration is not a guarantee against loss — it means the firm operates under a defined rule-book and is subject to enforcement when it doesn't.

How Interactive Brokers compares

The closest peer to Interactive Brokers in this directory is AJ Bell, also a uk platform. On min. deposit the two differ visibly — Interactive Brokers shows $0, while AJ Bell shows £0. If you are torn, open both side by side in the compare tool to see every attribute laid out in one table.

AttributeInteractive BrokersAJ Bell
Min. deposit$0£0
Trading fee$0 (IBKR Lite) · tiered (IBKR Pro)£1.50–£9.95
Assets offeredStocks, ETFs, options, futures, forex, bonds — globalStocks, ETFs, funds
Regulated bySEC, FINRA, SIPC, FCA, othersFCA

Interactive Brokers is a pro / global broker in the brokers category, headquartered in Greenwich, CT. Lowest margin rates, deepest global market access — pro-grade UX.

Interactive Brokers is a US brokerage registered with the SEC and a member of FINRA and SIPC, founded in 1978. SIPC coverage protects securities in the account up to $500,000 (including $250,000 in cash) if the brokerage fails — it does not protect against investment losses.

Best for

  • DIY investors. Want one account to hold stocks, ETFs and IRAs.
  • Long-term savers. Use the account for automated investing in tax-advantaged wrappers.

Interactive Brokers: questions

Common questions about Interactive Brokers

Short answers to the questions people most commonly type into search when researching Interactive Brokers. Each answer is composed from this listing's own data — regulator footprint, fees, headquarters, ratings — so it reflects the current state rather than a generic template.

Is Interactive Brokers safe?

Interactive Brokers operates under SEC, FINRA, SIPC, which means it is subject to the disclosure and conduct rules of those regulators. "Safe" in this context refers to the firm's licensing and operational footprint, not to the price risk of the underlying licensed brokerage firms — those can still fall. Verify the regulator entry directly before depositing funds.

Is Interactive Brokers legit?

Interactive Brokers has been operating since 1978 from Greenwich, CT, United States and carries a 4.6/5 rating across 360 user reviews on MoneyMoodBoard. Combined with its regulator listing(s) above, that is consistent with a legitimate, established operator — but it does not vouch for product fit or future performance.

Interactive Brokers fees explained

The headline cost at Interactive Brokers is stock & etf commission at $0. The Fees & Features tab on this page lists every line item the operator currently discloses; always cross-check against the operator's own pricing page before opening an account.

How to open a Interactive Brokers account

Opening an account with Interactive Brokers typically requires a government-issued ID, proof of address, and a funding source linked from a US bank. Most accounts in the brokers category clear within one to two business days; expect to confirm tax residency (W-9 for US persons) before your first deposit settles.

Interactive Brokers vs AJ Bell

Interactive Brokers and AJ Bell both sit inside the brokers category and target similar users. The fastest way to choose is to open the side-by-side compare tool — fees, regulation and feature differences are surfaced row by row instead of summarised in prose.

Interactive Brokers pros and cons

The strongest arguments for Interactive Brokers are regulated us brokerage and wide product access. The trade-offs to weigh are cash sweep yields vary widely and advanced trader features sit behind separate platforms. Read the Reviews tab for what verified users actually report after using it.

Before you decide, read these MoneyMoodBoard guides

Alternatives to consider

These are the closest peers to Interactive Brokers inside the brokers category on MoneyMoodBoard. Open any card to compare fees, features, regulation and verified user reviews side by side, or add them to the compare tray to evaluate up to four together.

Sources for Interactive Brokers

All numeric values, regulatory statuses and license details on this page reference primary sources above. Verify before depositing funds — schedules and registrations change without notice.