Interactive Brokers Review

Interactive Brokers

Overall Rating

4.5

Summary

Interactive Brokers has been around since 1978 in the trading world and this fact is obvious from the offerings of the broker. It has an impressive asset index that can enable anyone and everyone to diversify their portfolio and their facilities ensure that it will be a great experience for those who do. With the best tools and platform, Interactive Brokers stands out in the sea of brokers you will find

You have heard about online brokers, but the question is why do you need their services? A lot has changed in this technologically advanced world and these days, you don’t have to venture in the market physically when you want to become a trader. But, even if you are trading online, you will still require the services of a broker. This is due to the fact that they provide you access to numerous financial markets through their trading platform. Therefore, you cannot start your trading journey without an online broker. The problem is that there are hundreds of thousands of brokerages to be found.

ROBOT	RATING	PROPERTIES	TRADE
	#1 Software	83% Win Rate$250 Min DepositAccepts Credit Card	TradeRead Review

Yes, this should be an advantage because it means you have options, but it can also make things very confusing. Like other markets, this one also has its fair share of scams and if you don’t make the right choice, you could be scammed. Even if the broker is a legitimate one, there is a possibility that their trading conditions may not work for you or they don’t provide you with the assets and features you need. Switching brokers comes with its own share of problems that you want to avoid at all costs. So, what should you do?

Your aim should be to find trustworthy and well-rounded brokers, such as Interactive Brokers, which have many years of experience under their belt. This experience allows them to work on their flaws and provide a much better trading experience to their clients. The incentives, services and features that you find at Interactive Brokers indicate that the broker is committed to providing a positive experience to traders who choose to sign up with it. Let’s explore the different aspects of Interactive Brokers in order to understand what makes this broker a good option for any trader:

Interactive Brokers homepage

Sign up process

Obviously, when you want to start trading with any broker, you would first have to sign up with it and make an account. When you decide to sign up at Interactive Brokers, you will notice the different account options it offers you. There is substantial variety available and it is quite impressive because most brokers don’t offer this many options. Why does Interactive Brokers offer more? The broker wishes to cater to a larger market and has taken into account the budget, flexibility and tolerance of different kinds of traders in formulating its account options.

As far as the sign up process is concerned, it is very straightforward and easy. You can register by just entering your email address, username and password. You will be required to choose the currency you wish to use for trading, which could be EUR or GBP. The broker also follows a KYC (Know Your Customer) policy, which means you have to submit some documents to prove your identity and address, such as a passport and bank statement. These are required for account verification, which is essential if you want to start trading right away.

Account options to Choose From

As mentioned above, Interactive Brokers has chosen to be very generous when it comes to account options. They have offered variety that can suit traders from different backgrounds and they are outlined below:

Silver: This is the basic account type that can be used by people who are new to the market and have never traded before. Therefore, the account can be opened with a minimum deposit of €500. This is good for beginners because they don’t have a lot of money when they start, but they can deposit as much as €2,500 in this account. It has a 30% loyalty bonus, 24/5 customer support, gives access to education center and also comes with 10% leverage. Other features of the account include trading sessions twice a month, trading signals and alerts, advanced charts and daily market review.

Gold: This is the next option and is for traders with a little experience in the market as you have to deposit €2,500. The features of the Silver account are accessible in this one as well, but it does come with a few extras. The loyalty bonus increases as does the leverage. The recommendations and reviews you receive go from monthly to weekly and free webinars can be attended, which can be very useful sources of information.

Platinum: The third account option has been formulated with seasoned traders in mind because it requires a minimum deposit of €10,000 whereas the maximum deposit is €50,000. The Gold account also comes with a higher leverage of 30% and now the full education center can be accessed, which is a good thing because seasoned traders already know the basics. An expert account consultant is provided at this point and trade volumes are also increased. The recommendations and reviews are now daily instead of weekly and trades become risk free. The video library is also accessible now.

Diamond: This is the last account option that Interactive Brokers has to offer and it has been designed for professional traders who have a lot of experience. Thus, they can afford to open an account by depositing a minimum of €50,000 and can increase their investment to as much as €250,000. The leverage is the highest in this account because experienced traders know the risk and can handle them better than anyone else. The trading signals also become exclusive, a personal VIP consultant is available and also a trading coach. You can find the lowest possible spreads in this account, attend VIP events, get exclusive strategies and 100% loyalty bonus.

How is the Trading platform?

Now that you know what account types the broker has to offer, the next thing you need to know about Interactive Brokers is the trading platform they support. As stated in the beginning, this is the most important feature of an online broker and one that needs to be up to the mark. Interactive Brokers may not offer the MT4 trading platform that’s popular in the market, but this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t give you any good option. As a matter of fact, the broker has put in a lot of effort to devise a unique proprietary trading platform. With this software, you will be able to enjoy a horde of features and services that pave the way for seamless trading.

There is a web-based option that can be used, which can be accessed straight from the browser and doesn’t have to be downloaded. This is an advantage because web-based platforms are less likely to suffer from any performance issues and lags. Moreover, their security updates are the responsibility of the broker and not yours, which can also be convenient. In addition, you don’t need to be bound to a single device on which it is downloaded because the software works on any device supporting a browser and connected to the internet.

Apart from that, Interactive Brokers has also come up with mobile solutions for iOS and Android for the ease of its clientele. Many people nowadays prefer to trade on the go and it is something they can do easily with the mobile trading platform. Nonetheless, even when using a mobile platform, you don’t have to compromise in terms of performance and features because it offers the same tools as its web-based counterpart.

Banking

This is a vital aspect of an online broker because how will you trade without money? Likewise, you are trading to earn profits and why will you trade if you cannot withdraw your profits? Hence, checking out a broker’s banking policies and options is also necessary and Interactive Brokers has ensured that it offers something for everyone. As aforementioned, two currencies are currently supported by the broker, which are GBP (Great Britain Pound) and EUR (Euro). The deposits usually don’t incur any fee by the broker, but a third party like your bank may charge you for it.

As per the AML (Anti-Money Laundering) policy of the broker, the bank account, credit card or debit cards that you use need to be in the same name as the one you are using for the account. You can use either Visa or MasterCard for adding funds to your account and the transfer is done almost immediately. But, bank wire transfers take a bit longer to be processed. Keeping up with modern advancements, Interactive Brokers has also added a plethora of e-payment options to their platform, which include Neteller and Skrill.

When it comes to withdrawals, Interactive Brokers has a minimum withdrawal limit imposed, which is about 100 in the currency you choose. This limit applies, whether you are using your cards or wire transfer for making a withdrawal. Online withdrawals can also be made with PayPal and Neteller, which take about three days for the transaction to be processed whereas bank transfers require 10 days. Interactive Brokers has a unique policy for cost of withdrawals; the first one every month can be made for free. Additional withdrawals in the same month will be charged 25 GBP or EUR.

Customer support of the Company

When you use a product or service for the first time, there is a chance that you might have some questions and concerns about it. You may want to know how something works or what steps have to be taken to complete a procedure. This is applicable to an online brokerage as well. Not all brokers work the same way and trading platforms are also different. Consequently, when you are using a broker for the first time, there is a possibility that you may have questions or may require assistance at some point. Customer support can be crucial at this point and so Interactive Brokers has made sure that their support is not lacking in any aspect.

They have formed a responsive and reliable customer support team that works round the clock to cater to the needs of anyone who signs up on their platform. The best thing about their team is that they give a quick response, which can make a big difference in the trading world. Furthermore, there are numerous channels that one can use for reaching out to their representatives. If you are more comfortable with email, you can go down that route or you can also call them up directly. A live chat feature is also available or a web-based contact form can be used. They are available 24/5 and you can get your answers promptly.

Security Features

It is a fact that a broker’s security standards need to be scrutinized because cybercrimes are very common and you certainly don’t want your information or finances to be compromised. Interactive Brokers has put a lot of emphasis on the security of its services. It is evident from the KYC and AML policies they have implemented as both of them help keep scammers and fraudsters away from their platform. In addition to that, the broker has opted for 256-bit SSL encryption, which means that any data that’s entered by the traders on their website is encrypted instantly. There is a very strong firewall as well and the broker has security experts on staff that monitor the website regularly to ensure there are no security loopholes that can be exploited by anyone. All passwords are also encrypted right away to maximize security.

Referral programs and bonuses

An appealing feature of Interactive Brokers is that the broker gives its clients many other ways to earn money, other than trading. Sure, you can trade via the broker’s platform, but you can also earn when you refer the broker to other people you know. When someone you have referred signs up, you receive a commission. Other than that, Interactive Brokers also has bonuses and reward schemes that can be profitable opportunities for traders who want to maximize their earnings.

Bottom Line