Interactive Brokers – Is it Legit? (February 2026)

It should never be difficult to determine if a company is trustworthy.  Just consider the following,

• Age
• Registrations and Licensure
• Track Record
• Client Base
• Past reprimands

If a company manages to hit most of these, it is a good sign.  With regard to Interactive Brokers, the company manages to score nearly full points.

Not only has it been in operation for nearly half a century, the company boasts a fantastic track record of providing reliability and security to 2.5M+ accounts.  Equally important are its various designations held around the world under regulatory bodies like the SEC, CFTC, FINRA, and more.

The only point where Interactive Brokers shows a kink in its armor is past reprimands.  On various occasions, the company has found itself the on the receiving end of charges laid out by the CFTC and SEC, stemming from AML procedures, to poor record keeping and more.

Overall, while it is not perfect, Interactive Brokers is clearly a trustworthy company that continues to underscore this fact over time.

With over 150 global markets and 27 currencies supported, there is something for everyone.

Interactive Brokers offers investors an expansive gateway to various global financial markets, catering to both novice and experienced individuals with a comprehensive portfolio that includes stocks, ETFs, bonds, options, futures, forex, and cryptocurrencies. The platform provides access to over 150 markets worldwide, including premier financial centers like New York, London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, enabling traders to capitalize on global opportunities around the clock.

Known for its impressive liquidity and cost-effective trading environment, Interactive Brokers is ideal for investors seeking efficient, low-cost trading options. Its advanced trading technologies and tools provide superior charting capabilities, real-time market data, and comprehensive analytical resources to support informed trading decisions.

Stock traders have access to an extensive selection of over 40,000 stocks, including the option for U.S. extended-hours trading, allowing for flexibility in response to market changes outside of standard trading hours. Additionally, the platform’s vast range of ETFs, exceeding 8,300, enables swift and economical portfolio diversification. By investing in ETFs tracking various indices and sectors, traders can spread their investments across different market segments, enhancing growth potential and managing risk.

While there is always room for improvement, the sheer quantity and variance across assets on offer by Interactive Brokers gives it a near perfect score.

While expected fees will vary based on user location, they can largely be broken down into two categories: IBKR Lite, and IBKR Pro.  Each of which have no account minimums, and no account fees.

IBKR Lite is an account type targeted toward retail and casual traders.  With it, many users can expect $0 per share on stocks and ETFs.  Meanwhile, as its name would imply, IBKR Pro is an account type offered by Interactive Brokers tailored toward professional traders/investors.  With it, users can expect $0.0005-$0.005 per share on stocks and ETFs.

Both IBKR Lite and IBKR Pro can expect the same fees for the following products.

• Options ($0.15-$0.65 per contract)
• Futures ($0.25-$0.85 per contract)
• Spot Currencies ($0.08-0.20 basis points X Trade Value per order)
• Bonds (10 basis points X Face Value per order)
• Mutual Funds (3% Trade Value up to $14.95 per transaction, and $0 on 19,000+ No Transaction Fee Funds)

Whether you are a casual or professional trader, you will find that the fees offered by Interactive Broker are among the best, making its appeal that much greater.

Interactive Brokers offers multiple trading platforms, the platform that is offered is based on your trading location and other factors. These include:

Trader Workstation (TWS) is an advanced trading platform designed for active traders and investors, offering the ability to trade stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and funds across more than 150 markets worldwide from a single, integrated platform. Its Mosaic interface provides intuitive usability, combining trading, order management, charting, watchlists, and portfolio tools in a customizable workspace. Users can access direct trading functions, real-time quoting, technical analysis tools, and manage orders and portfolios easily. TWS also features comprehensive news, research, and market data access, including real-time updates from leading news services and world-class analyst research.

Key features include:

• Multiple order types and trading algos to limit risk and optimize execution.
• Real-time monitoring to stay informed on account status and market conditions.
• Customizable alerts and watchlists to track market changes and trading opportunities.
• Integrated research, news, and market data from top providers like Reuters and Dow Jones.
• Classic TWS for advanced tools and quick click order entry, alongside the intuitive Mosaic interface for a comprehensive trading experience.

Interactive Brokers’ Client Portal is designed for ease of use, allowing investors to view, trade, and manage their accounts through a single login without any downloads. It streamlines account management by providing a clear, comprehensive overview of your investments and financial metrics in one intuitive interface. Here are the highlights:

• Streamlined Account Overview: The Client Portal offers a simplified view of your account, displaying essential metrics like Net Liquidation Value, P&L, and Buying Power in real-time.
• Portfolio Performance Tracking: It features easy-to-understand charts for tracking both cumulative and monthly returns, helping you gauge your investment performance over time.
• Efficient Organization: All crucial information, including rate of return, portfolio positions, recent transactions, and notifications, is neatly organized on the homepage for quick monitoring and trading.
• Comprehensive Access: With one login, you get access to everything you need to manage your account, including placing orders, viewing recent trades, and accessing messages and notifications.
• Advanced Features: The portal provides detailed quotes, customizable charts with technical indicators, and a live news stream to keep you informed about relevant market developments.

The Client Portal by Interactive Brokers merges simplicity with functionality, offering an all-encompassing tool for efficient account management and investment oversight.

For advanced traders they also offer APIs, and other tools.

Alongside this easy access to a bevy of tools, Interactive Brokers does well by appealing to a broad range of investors through its various platform tiers.  As previously mentioned, these include both IBKR Lite and IBKR Pro.

While IBKR Pro gives a full-fledged trading experience, those who choose an IBKR Lite account will have access to a streamlined service and fees to reflect casual trading habits.  Interactive Brokers indicates that users are not locked into a chosen tier, and can change if they like.

With such a broad range of services, platforms, and fee structures available, it is obvious that Interactive Brokers and its intuitive interfaces receive full marks.

For a company as seasoned as Interactive Brokers, it is only reasonable to expect good customer service.  In today’s world, this means supporting as many of the following as possible.

• Correspondence (Email/Live Chat/Telephone)
• 24/7 Hours of Operation
• System Status Beacons
• Access to Documentation (Tax Forms/Trading Activity/Etc.)
• Languages and Regions Supported

Regarding correspondence with the company and its hours of operation, Interactive Brokers states that it “provides 24-hour customer service each business day via regional Client Services Centers located throughout America, Europe, and Asia.”

The company also provides all the documentation a trader/investor needs and boasts a status beacon on its website to notify users of outages.

Finally, with service desks across 13+ countries, Interactive Brokers excels in its languages and regions supported.

It should be noted that while correspondence with the company is generally accessible and acceptable, there can, at times, be longer-than-expected responses to emails. Furthermore, while the company offers 24-hour support, this only applies Monday through Friday, with restricted hours on Saturdays and nothing on Sundays.

When considering customer support, Interactive Brokers once again does quite well, and although not perfect, should serve the vast majority of users adequately.

Interactive Brokers has established the IBKR Campus to offer comprehensive financial education to both clients and the public. Through a variety of learning tools and resources, it aims to enhance understanding of trading, financial markets, and the advanced trading tools offered by Interactive Brokers. Here are the core components of the IBKR Campus:

• Traders’ Academy: A free educational platform designed for both individual and professional investors seeking to deepen their knowledge of markets, asset classes, currencies, and trading tools. It offers a range of courses from stock trading basics to advanced options trading strategies.
• Traders’ Insight: Provides economic commentary and insights through articles, videos, and podcasts from industry leaders, covering a wide spectrum of topics including the global economy, stock market trends, and various financial instruments.
• IBKR Quant: Catered to those interested in quantitative analysis, this blog offers insights and articles from coders and developers in the quantitative finance space, featuring actionable code-based examples for financial market analysis.
• IBKR Podcasts: Offers audio commentary on financial and macroeconomic events, featuring discussions with industry experts, researchers, and veterans in the financial field, covering a diverse range of topics and asset classes.
• IBKR Webinars: An educational resource that allows participants to learn about various financial topics and asset classes through live sessions with industry leaders, providing insights into options trading, commodities, ETFs, volatility, and more.

The IBKR Campus serves as a gateway to broadening financial knowledge, providing users with the tools and insights needed to navigate the complexities of the financial markets effectively.

Furthermore, with its FAQs, Interactive Brokers has generated a comprehensive guide, filled with nearly any question a trader may have surrounding its services and assets on offer.

With a broad array of educational content on offer across various mediums, it is hard to find fault in Interactive Brokers approach to education, giving it full marks.

Add it all up, and what is Interactive Brokers?  It is one of the best options available today for casual and professional traders alike looking to trade a wide array of low-fee assets and investment products.  It offers a comprehensive suite of services, accessible by much of the world.

Through its decades of experience, the company has built out its supporting departments, offering solid customer service, easy access to educational content, and more.

Finally, all of the features and capabilities in the world mean nothing if you cannot trust the investment platform of your choice.  Here, with its age, registrations/licensing, etc., Interactive Brokers is indeed, clearly, trustworthy.