Interactive Brokers Review

Our guide outlines what Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is, its features, fees, pros, cons, comparisons with alternatives like Hatch and Stake, and compare its FX conversion fees. We also look at the safety of the platform, as well as must-know features unique to Interactive Brokers

Updated 23 December 2020

Interactive Brokers Summary

• Interactive Brokers is a well-established broker/dealer in over 135 market destinations worldwide.
• It's unrivalled by any New Zealand-based service (i.e. Hatch, Sharesies and Stake. or ASB Securities etc.) when it comes to investment opportunities. 
• Interactive Brokers provides online, direct access to trade execution and clearing services to institutional and professional traders for a wide variety of electronically traded products, including shares, options, futures, forex, fixed income and funds worldwide.
• Interactive Brokers Group and its affiliates execute over 1,832,000 trades per day, and the company is a publicly listed company on the NASDAQ under the stock ticker IBKR. 
• The fees charged are the lowest available (and the savings are significant) - the FX commission to fund your account is 0.002%, with a minimum USD 2 transaction fee.
• The FX fee is unrivalled by alternatives US trading platforms such as Hatch (0.50%), Sharesies (0.40%) and Stake (1.00%). If you transfer USD 100,000, Interactive Brokers will save you up to USD 1,000 in FX fees. 
• Want a video explanation of Interactive Brokers? This guide has you covered. 
  
• In a Nutshell: Interactive Brokers is more suitable for advanced traders and sophisticated investors, however, there are many things a beginner or casual investor will find attractive in the platform's offering. While the FX fees are the best in the market, the ongoing account fee, charged monthly, is also something critical to be aware of.

Our guide covers:

• Interactive Brokers in a Nutshell - Accounts, Investing Options, Adding and Withdrawing Funds
• ​Fees and pricing plans available
• Other Features - Share Transfers to Interactive Brokers, Platform Safety and Security, and Customer Support
• Pros and Cons
• Important Must-Know Interactive Broker Facts
• The Competition – Interactive Brokers vs Stake, Hatch, Sharesies, ASB Securities, Direct Broking (and others)
• Interactive Brokers - Frequently Asked Questions

Interactive Brokers in a Nutshell - Accounts, Investing Options, Adding and Withdrawing Funds

Interactive Brokers offers low-cost trading fees with an extensive range of investment options. We outline the options for New Zealanders and the costs involved in converting NZD into USD and other currencies you'll invest with. 

Know this first: What type of accounts are available to New Zealand traders and investors?

There are two account plans available:

1. IBKR Lite: This plan is not available for New Zealand-based users; for this reason, we not do not cover this plan in this guide.
2. IBKR Pro: This plan is available for New Zealand users, typically more suitable for advanced traders and sophisticated investors. 

Important: For the scope of this guide, we only cover the IBKR Pro plan. All details below relate to the IBKR Pro plan. If and when IBKR Lite becomes available to New Zealand-based investors, we will update this guide accordingly. ​

What can I invest in using Interactive Brokers?

Investment products include:

• US Exchange-Listed Stocks / ETFs
• Other Stocks / ETFs from the following regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific
• Options 
• Futures 
• Forex
• Bonds
• Mutual Funds

Important: When signing up for an account with Interactive Brokers, the application process asks you to specify what your trading experience is, including:

1. How many years of experience you have trading a particular investment product, and
2. The level of knowledge you have on that particular product. 
3. The responses you provide will determine the level of access you will get on the platform. 
4. For this reason, some (or many) of the features explained in our review may not be available to you. Your access ultimately depends on your level of experience and knowledge. 

Funding an Interactive Brokers Account - Deposits and Withdrawals to and from New Zealand Dollars

​Deposits into the Interactive Brokers platform

• Interactive Brokers supports bank transfers from all New Zealand banks. Timing-wise, deposits clear into your IBKR Pro account anytime from immediately to four business days, depending on your bank.
• There is no deposit limit. Helpfully, Interactive Brokers provides step-by-step instructions on the deposit process, and the guidance is straightforward to follow.
• Deposits will arrive in your account as NZD. When you are ready to trade, Interactive Brokers converts the NZD into foreign currency to cover the purchase of overseas investments.

Withdrawals out of the Interactive Brokers platform

• There are no limits for withdrawals via bank wire.
• IBKR Pro offers one free withdrawal per calendar month.
• After the first withdrawal, subsequent withdrawals using this method will incur a fee of NZD 15.00.
• The withdrawal will be translated at the market exchange rate on the day. 

Fees and pricing plans available

Interactive Brokers offers two pricing plans:

1. Tiered: This is a volume-tiered pricing model (i.e., the more you trade, the cheaper it is). Value tiers are applied based on monthly cumulative trade volume summed across all stock, warrants and ETF shares. Tiered pricing does not include variable fees (for example, exchange fees, clearing fees, regulatory fees and so on). Therefore, the total fees may end up more than expected.
2. Fixed: This is a fixed rate low commission per share or a set percentage of trade value. This includes fees, including exchange fees, clearing fees, regulatory fees. 

Comparing Tiered vs Fixed pricing plans
Our commissions and trading fee section (below) lists out the fixed and tiered prices. 

1. Tiered Pricing Plan Fees
The trade pricing depends on which markets you transact in. Our PDF table provides a summary, but the Interactive Brokers Commission Tables outline every share market and the trading fees. In summary:

• US Markets: For trades of less than 300,000 shares, the fee is USD 0.0035 per share (with a USD 0.35 minimum charge)
• Australian Markets: For monthly share trades of less than AUD 3,000,000, the fee is USD 0.08% per trade (with a AUD 5 minimum charge)
• Hong Kong Markets: For monthly share trades of less than HKD 15,000,000, the fee is USD 0.08% per trade (with a HKD 12 minimum charge)

2. Fixed Pricing Plan Fees

• ETFs: USD 0.005 per share, USD 1 minimum, and 1% of trade value maximum.
• US shares: USD 0.005 per share, USD 1 minimum, and 1% of trade value maximum.

1. Example 1: 100 Shares @ USD 25 Share Price = Total Fixed Fee USD 1.00
2. Example 2: 1,000 Shares @ USD 25 Share Price = Total Fixed Fee USD 5.00
3. Example3: 1,000 Shares @ USD 0.25 Share Price = Total Fixed Fee USD 2.50

 (The fees above includes all exchange and regulatory fees).

• Options : Fixed pricing only available on IBKR Lite accounts.
• Bonds: Fixed Income uses a Tiered commission structure. Commissions are calculated based on volume and any external fees are added on.
• Mutual Funds: A variety of non-US mutual funds may be purchased with no transaction fee, while most other funds are priced at EUR 4.95, inclusive of all regulatory and exchange fees.
• Forex: 0.20 basis points fee on interbank/spot currency rate. 0.20 basis points, per our basis points calculator, is 0.002%. There is a USD 2 minimum fee, which means you would need to transfer USD 100,000 to meet the minimum. For all transactions lower than USD 100,000, you will pay USD 2. This fee applies to transactions whereby NZD is converted into USD, for example, to buy US stocks. For example, if you transfer USD 1,000 from New Zealand Dollars, you'll pay a one-off USD 2. You can then buy and sell shares in USD and not have to pay any further forex fees until you convert the USD back into NZD.

In addition to the pricing plans, there are also monthly subscription charges, known as 'Account Maintenance Fees​' (we outline these below, with examples of the ongoing costs involved).

Our view on fees:

• You can see the full examples from the Monthly commissions charged by Interactive Brokers website here.
• We note that the examples given were for transactions with large amounts (e.g., USD 1 mil+) and therefore may not be relevant for the majority of MoneyHub users.
• Due to the variability between fixed and tiered fees across the exchanges, MoneyHub cannot conclusively say whether one plan is better than the other.
• However, we believe that one option to figure out which pricing plan is cheaper is to use a paper account (i.e. simulated trading) and execute similar trades using both pricing plans to check the final transaction costs.
• Ultimately, we believe that for the casual investor, the fees charged by both plans are industry-leading and that any difference between both plans will be immaterial.
• However, while the transaction fees are the best in the market, the ongoing monthly charges (either a maximum of USD 10 or 20) make Interactive Brokers less competitive than US-focused platforms such as Hatch and Stake which don't charge ongoing fees. If you're an occasional investor with a small to modest-sized investment balance, these fees can easily eat into your profits. 

Account Maintenance Fees​

Know this first: There are no account balance minimums, but there are maintenance fees which can be significant depending on your balance.  However, a standard activity fee of up to USD 10 per month, less monthly commissions, is incurred. Interactive Brokers calculates this as $10 less monthly commissions.

Example:

• Monthly commissions charged by Interactive Brokers = USD 6
• Standard Activity Fee = USD 10 – USD 6
• Net Account Maintenance Fees​ = USD 4

Important: On an account with a low equity balance (below USD 2,000) or a balance is maintained in a closed account, then the standard activity fee increases to USD 20 per month, less commissions. 

Example:

• Monthly commissions charged by Interactive Brokers = USD 6
• Standard Activity Fee = USD 20 – USD 6
• Net Account Maintenance Fees​ = USD 14

Young investor bonus: If you are the age of 25 or under, then the standard activity fee is only USD 3 per month. 

Example:

• Monthly commissions charged by Interactive Brokers ​ = USD 1.50
• Standard Activity Fee = USD 3 – USD 1.50
• Net Account Maintenance Fees​ = USD 1.50

Note that if you are aged 25 and under and have a low equity balance, then your standard activity fee is USD 3 per month. 

Fee waivers – the monthly account fee is waived if any of the following criteria are met:

1. It is the first three full calendar months on initial funding
2. Your account has a net liquidation value of more than or equal to USD 100,000 or non-USD equivalent
3. The total assets for all related accounts > [(number of related accounts) * (USD 100,000)]

Interest Rates
Client accounts are eligible to receive credit interest on cash balances, but, for the majority of the currencies offered, current rates are 0% for they most popular currencies (including USD, NZD, AUD).

Other Features - Share Transfers to Interactive Brokers, Platform Safety and Security, and Customer Support

Beyond account fees and plan options, our review outlines the possibilities and costs of transferring existing shares into Interactive Brokers. We also look at who owns the platform, how your investments are protected, and the range of customer support available to New Zealand-based customers.

Share transfers from other platforms

Interactive Brokers offers share transfers in and out of their platform, supported by ACATS and FOP methods for US shares and other methods for other international shares. 

In a nutshell:

1. If your current broker supports transfers via the ACATS and FOP method, a transfer notification can be initiated within the client portal. Interactive Brokersdoes not charge any fees for incoming or outgoing ACATS transfers. However, the sending or receiving broker may charge a fee.
2. For example, if one is transferring US-listed shares from Hatch, Stake or Sharesies to Interactive Brokers, DriveWealth (Hatch, Stake and Sharesies' dealer/broker) will charge USD 100 on this transfer. You can see the DriveWealth fee schedule here.
3. Transfer time will take from 3 – 8 business days, depending on the delivering broker. 
4. The cost of share transfers varies across different regions and brokers. You can see a full list on the Interactive Brokers website here.

How Safe is the Interactive Brokers Platform?

As with many other US share trading platforms we have reviewed, your account with Interactive Brokers LLC is protected by:

1. The Securities Investor Protection Corporation ("SIPC") for a maximum coverage of $500,000 (with a cash sub-limit of $250,000), and 
2. Under Interactive Brokers LLC's excess SIPC policy for up to an additional $30 million (with a cash sub-limit of $900,000), subject to an aggregate limit of $150 million. 

Furthermore, Interactive Brokers is a publicly listed entity on the NASDAQ, which means that you can review its financial statements online. On a consolidated basis, IBG LLC exceeds $8.5 billion in equity capital and over $6 billion in excess of regulatory requirements.

Additionally, the company is regulated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Their subsidiaries across the world are regulated by their respective local jurisdiction's securities commission.

Interactive Brokers Customer Support

Interactive Brokers offers 24/7 live chat, email, and telephone service. General enquiries can be answered via telephone service Monday to Friday (USA time, so Tuesday to Saturday New Zealand time). Additionally:

• Due to the global network Interactive Brokers operates in, 24-hour online live chat customer service each business day is available. We called their telephone service based in Australia, and noted that there was a wait time of roughly 10 minutes.
• Be aware there is no New Zealand-listed phone number, so Interactive Brokers customers need to be comfortable calling Australian, Hong Kong, Swiss, Canadian or American phone numbers. ​

Interactive Brokers' Pros and Cons

Interactive Brokers has a large number of benefits, but it won't be for everyone. Our extensive list of pros and cons outlines the most important benefits and drawbacks to help you decide if it's suitable for you. 

Pros

• The product range: Interactive Brokers offers a wide range of financial products (from shares, options, bonds and more) from all over the world which is great for New Zealand investors looking to invest overseas (and beyond the traditional US markets as offered by Hatch, Sharesies and Stake.
• Wider variety of shares: Interactive Brokers offers a much wider variety of shares that are not available on other platforms that use DriveWealth as their broker (such as Hatch, Sharesies and Stake.
• Their industry-leading trading platform: Interactive Brokers Trader Workstation (TWS) provides users with a wide range of financial products in over 100 markets worldwide, all in one place. They also provide tools for technical analysis, such as charting. Users can also opt for a paid service providing real-time access to comprehensive news, research, fundamentals and market data from Reuters, Morningstar, Zacks and so on. 
• Paper trading: If you are looking to practice trading, Interactive Brokers offers a paper trading account so that you can simulate a trading environment with all of the trading tools professionals have without risking any of your own money. Our guide to share investing simulations has more details. 
• Impact Dashboard: If ethical investing matters to you, IBKR Pro has an impact dashboard whereby users can select social issues that matter to them, and Interactive Brokers​ will suggest companies that are closely aligned to individual preferences. Interactive Brokers will also show how new stock purchases will impact your ‘score’. 
• Low trading fees: For US shares, at trades start at USD 1.00 minimum (for the fixed pricing plan) and USD 0.35 (for the tiered pricing plan). This pricing is well below most other platforms.
• App: There’s an app for both Apple (rated 3.4/5) and Android (rated 3.5/5), both with reasonably positive reviews.
• Limit and Stop orders: You can buy shares at a set price or set an alert to when the share falls to that level. If the market price matches yours or goes lower, your order will be filled.
• FX fees: 0.002% with a USD 2 minimum, which is the lowest cost provider compared to competitors such as Hatch (0.50%), Stake (1%) and Sharesies (0.40%). The more you invest, the more you save using Interactive Brokers (vs another platform). 
• Fractional shares: IBKR Pro offers the ability to buy fractional shares.
• Short positions: IBKR offers the ability to open short positions (i.e., selling a stock when you don’t own the underlying asset), which no other established New Zealand broker offers. This is only available if you have a “Margin” type account, and won’t be available for the casual investor.  

Cons

• High inactive fee: The monthly account fee of USD 10 per month is high, especially for investors who don’t trade very often. Furthermore, this fee increases to USD 20 for low account balance users (account values below USD 2,000). This fee will eat into long term returns.
• The withdrawal fee: There is a NZD 15 fee for each withdrawal request subsequent to the first free withdrawal at the start of each month. 
• Technical and complex trading platform: Interactive Brokers offers a platform that has a lot of tools for the user. However, this can add to the complexity of the platform and can be overwhelming for the beginner or novice investor. For some investors, the website is difficult to navigate due to the number of tools and features on offer.
• Product offering: Some of the products offered involve a high degree of risk and are not suitable for all investors. Depending on your experience, you may not have access to certain financial products.
• Idle funds: No interest is currently paid out on idle funds. 
• Sign up process: The sign-up process for IBKR takes considerably longer than other brokerages out there, especially when compared to Hatch, Sharesies and Stake. Their verification process is more extensive as required under the laws of their local jurisdiction as well as to determine what sort of account levels to provide. ​

Important Must-Know Interactive Brokers Facts

Interactive Brokers has a lot of additional benefits for new users. It also has higher-than-standard ongoing fees - if plan to invest in US markets but you're an inactive investor or don't plan to trade frequently, Hatch or Stake may be more cost effective. Neither charge monthly fees, whereas Interactive Brokers does.

Our essential must-know facts before signing up to an account are as followed: 

1. Compared to the other US share trading platforms currently offered in New Zealand, Interactive Brokers charges a relatively high monthly account fee, particularly if you have a low balance account. Fees should always be incorporated into your returns, therefore you should consider whether it is better for you to go with another provider without monthly fees (such as Hatch or Stake) if you have a low account balance, or are a casual long term investor.
2. Interactive Brokers offer a free trial account with all of its trading platforms, with a paper trading value of USD 1,000,000 in a simulated trading account. This gives you an opportunity to learn how to use their tools and services, including the Desktop TWS which is Interactive Brokers’ full-featured flagship trading platform, IBKR Mobile for Android and IOS, and the client portal, which allows for account management. Our virtual share trading platforms guide has further options should you want to practice on other platforms. 
3. IBKR Pro’s fee structure on trades tend to support those who trade frequently and in large amounts. The fixed and tiered pricing plan will vary depending on the exchange you are transacting in. You should consider testing out which fees are lower by using a paper account.
4. IBKR Pro has a waiver on the account fee for the first three months on initial funding, which is a great opportunity to test out the live platform before deciding to continue paying for it. 
5. The platform offers extensive tools such as charting and other information, which is useful but can also make it seem more complicated to a beginner investor.
6. You might not get all the functions offered by IBKR Pro when you apply for an account depending on your individual circumstances. This is for investor protection as some of these financial products (e.g., options, margin trading) can lead to significant losses.
7. Interactive Brokers offers on-demand learning which provides several resources to help you better understand their products and services, markets and technology. Traders' Academy Courses and Interactive Tours helps you explore stocks, options, futures, currency trading, as well as guides you through their Trader Workstation and TWS online trading tools.

The Competition – Interactive Brokers vs Others (Stake, Hatch, Sharesies, ASB Securities, Direct Broking, Among Others)

​With low trading fees and a 0.002% FX fee for trading in USD (with a minimum USD 2 fee per conversion), we compare Interactive Brokers​ to other popular platforms available in New Zealand. Share trading alternatives include:

• Hatch - US trades incur a flat $3 per order to buy or sell up to 300 shares. After 300 shares, it's $0.01 a share. The FX fee is 0.50%. Hatch includes all regulatory fees as part of its $3 fee. No account fee is charged.
• Stake – Zero trading fees and a 1% FX fee for balance funding and withdrawing. No account fee is charged for the basic membership. 
• Sharesies - 0.5% brokerage fees to buy or sell for orders up to $3,000 and an additional 0.1% for amounts over that. Deposits and withdrawals incur a 0.4% fee on the interbank rate, with no minimum transfer. Accounts fees are NZ$1.50 per month for a portfolio of NZ$50 to NZ$3,000 or NZ$3.00 per month for a NZ$3,000+ portfolio
• ASB Securities - US share trades incur a 0.80% brokerage fee (with a minimum of $50 per trade, plus agency fee of 0.4% with a minimum of $40 per trade for orders up to $50,000). The FX fees are around 1.50% on the spot rate per our ASB Securities review.
• Direct Broking - US share trades incur a 0.6% or $69.50 brokerage fee (whichever is greater), then a $500 minimum order value. The FX fees are around 1.50% on the spot rate per our Direct Broking review.

FX Fees in a Nutshell: Overall, the interbank exchange rate offered by Interactive Brokers is unrivalled. The USD 2 minimum fee will be incurred if you fund USD 100,000; anything higher than that and you'll pay the 0.002% fee on the amount translated. For example, a USD 10,000 transfer will cost:

• USD 2 (maximum) with Interactive Brokers (0.002%, minimum USD 2 charge)
• USD 50 with Hatch (0.5%)
• USD 100 with Stake (0.5%)
• USD 40 with Sharesies (0.4%)
• USD 150 with ASB Securities (1.50% estimate)
• USD 150 with Direct Broking (1.50% estimate)

However, if you transfer a lot more money into Interactive Brokers, for example, USD 100,000, the foreign exchange fees are significant:

• USD 2 (maximum) with Interactive Brokers (0.002%, minimum USD 2 charge)
• USD 500 with Hatch (0.5%)
• USD 1000 with Stake (0.5%)
• USD 400 with Sharesies (0.4%)
• USD 1500 with ASB Securities (1.50% estimate)
• USD 1500 with Direct Broking (1.50% estimate)

Interactive Brokers is a fraction of the price of other platforms, which means more of your money goes into investing. 

Interactive Brokers - Frequently Asked Questions

Interactive Brokers offers a huge amount of investment options. However, its pricing can be complicated; our frequently asked questions below anticipate some common queries.

Can NZ residents sign up for IBKR Lite?

​IBKR Lite is currently only offered to direct US clients. NZ residents can sign up to IBKR Pro, which is what we cover in this guide.

Is there an upfront fee to open an account?

​No, it is free to open an account with Interactive Brokers. However, bear in mind that a monthly account fee will be charged after the third month of first funding your account.

Is there a minimum investment amount with Interactive Brokers?

There is no minimum; you can invest as little as you like. However, keep in mind the account fees of USD 20 per month on low account balances (USD 2,000).

What happens to my funds if Interactive Brokers goes bust?

Client money is segregated in special bank or custody accounts, which are designated for the exclusive benefit of clients of Interactive Brokers. By properly segregating the client's assets, if no money or stock is borrowed and no futures positions are held by the client, then the client's assets are available to be returned to the client in the event of a default by or bankruptcy of the broker.

I started reading r/wallstreetbets and wanted to buy some options. Is this available on Interactive Brokers?

It depends. When you sign up with Interactive Brokers, they will assess your application on your level of experience in trading the particular product and your net worth. Therefore, your account may or may not have access to options. Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. 

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