Interactive Brokers Review 2025: Pros & Cons
| Updated: |(Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links)
Are you looking for a great broker? Look no further!
Interactive Brokers (IB) has all the features you need as a passive investor. Plus, their fees are almost unbeatable in the industry.
I have been using IB for several years and could not be more satisfied. They offer a wide range of products at excellent prices.
In this review, you will find all you need to know about Interactive Brokers, what you can do with IB, how much IB will cost you, and much more!
By the end of this review, you will know whether IB is a good broker for you!
| Custody Fees | 0% per year |
|---|---|
| Inactivity Fees | 0 CHF |
| Buy Swiss ETF | 5-15 CHF |
| Buy American Stock | 0.50 – 1 USD |
| Currency Exchange Fee | 2 USD |
| Languages | English, French, German, and Italian |
| Mobile Application | Yes |
| Web Application | Yes |
| Custodian Bank | 8 different US banks |
| Established | 1978 |
| Headquarters | United States |
What is Interactive Brokers?
The broker you need to buy stocks and ETFs reliably and at extremely affordable prices. Trade U.S. stocks for as little as 0.5 USD!
- Extremely affordable
- Wide range of investing instruments
Interactive Brokers (IB) is a well-established brokerage firm (a broker) from the United States. IB was founded in 1978 already.
Today, Interactive Brokers is a huge brokerage company. They are the largest electronic brokerage firm in the United States. They are also leading the forex broker market. IB is also profitable, with over one billion US dollars in yearly revenue. IB employs more than 1500 employees worldwide.
IB offers access to stocks, bonds, options, futures, and other financial instruments on the leading stock exchange in the world. You will have access to all the investing instruments you will ever need.
If you are going to trade US bonds, it is worth mentioning that IB offers access to the US bond market 22 hours a day, 5 days a week. This makes it very available to buy US bonds during European hours.
So, here is precisely what IB offers as a broker.
Interactive Brokers Account Types
Interactive Brokers offers two types of accounts.
The default account type is the Cash account. With this account, you can only trade with the money you have in it. I am using this account type, which is good for most people.
The other account type is the Margin account. With this account, you can trade on margin, which means that you can buy stocks with money you do not have. So, IB will lend you money to trade on the stock market, and you will pay interest on the money loaned to you.
Generally, with margin accounts, you have a certain level of margin. For instance, if you have 10K cash and a 4:1 margin, you will have 40K available.
If you are interested in margin accounts, you should first read IB’s page on Margin accounts. You should also be careful about the risks of trading on margin.
For most people, a Cash account will be the best choice. If you do not know about margin accounts, do not consider getting a Margin account. You could lose a lot of money if you do not know what you are doing. On the other hand, if you know what you are doing and want to use leverage, you can choose a Margin account.
It is also worth noting that you can get a free trial. In this trial, you will get paper money. And you can simulate investments in the stock market with your paper money. This is a good way to start investing without putting any of your money. For many people, this is a good way to put them at ease with investments. Once they have mastered the account, they can seamlessly upgrade the free trial account to a live account and start trading for real.
Interactive Brokers Fees
In the long term, you need to reduce your fees. Investing fees are extremely important.
Interactive Brokers has two fee systems:
- Fixed Fee System
- Tiered Fee System
The fixed fee system is straightforward. You will pay a fixed fee for each exchange. For instance, you will pay 0.10% on transactions on the Swiss Stock Exchange (with a minimum of 10 CHF).
The tiered fee system is much more complicated. You pay individual fees, such as clearing fees, trade reporting fees, and transaction fees. The rules are different for each stock exchange.
The complexity of the tiered fee system turns many people away. However, for simple investors, the tiered system is often significantly cheaper. In most of my calculations, the tiered fee system was less expensive than the fixed system. So, if you want the lowest fees possible, you should generally opt for the tiered system.
I will not go into details about all the fees of Interactive Brokers because they are complex. But overall, the fees of Interactive Brokers are really low. For instance, here is a comparison I did for the best brokers in Switzerland:
When you compare IB with other brokers available in Switzerland, we can see that the fees of Interactive Brokers are excellent. If you trade a few times per month, your costs will be really low!
If you want to register your Swiss shares in the share register, you will have to pay 150 CHF. This is relatively expensive, even compared to Swiss brokers. However, this is something not everybody needs and is not necessary for each position. But if you are planning to register your shares, it is important to know this fee.
Currency Conversion Fee
IB is doing currency conversion at the best rate available. However, conversions are not free.
If you are doing a manual conversion, you will pay 0.002% of the conversion, with a minimum of 2 USD. Unless you are doing massive conversions, you can assume you will pay 2 USD.
If you are letting IB do automated conversions (with a cash account only), you will pay 0.03% of the conversion size, without minimum.
The automated system is cheaper for conversions below 6500 CHF and manual conversions are cheaper after that.
Overall, these fees are incredibly cheap! This is among the best available fees for currency conversions. And this is orders of magnitude better than a Swiss broker.
However, it is worth mentioning that Interactive Brokers does not like accounts that are solely used for currency conversions, without investing. Some people had some features blocked on their accounts for doing that.
Custody / Inactivity Fee
Fortunately, there are no custody fees or inactivity fees at IB!
IB’s no custody fee advantage over most other brokers is fantastic! Not only do they have outstanding transaction fees, but having no custody fees is fantastic!
Cash Interest Rates
The interest rate on CHF cash was negative in the past. However, it has been growing steadily since 2023.
Currently, the interest rate on CHF balances is 0.0% (as of April 2025). And the interest rate on USD balances is 0.0% up to 10'000 USD and 4.080% above that (as of December 2024).
You can get the current interest rate on this page.
Other fees
One fee that is worth mentioning is the withdrawal fee. Indeed, you are only allowed one withdrawal per month. If you do more than one withdrawal in a month, you will pay for each one starting from the second one. Each paid withdrawal is 11 CHF for a CHF withdrawal and 8 EUR for an EUR withdrawal and 10 USD for a USD withdrawal.
Opening an account with Interactive Brokers
Are you ready to take control of your financial future? “Invest Your Money in the Stock Market” is your ultimate guide to building wealth through smart investing in Switzerland.
This step-by-step manual demystifies the world of stocks and ETFs, empowering you to invest confidently on your terms.
Opening an account with Interactive Brokers is not complicated, but it will take some time. The procedure asks many questions and has many steps.
First, they will ask for general information about you (name, address, and such). You will also need to select the type of account you want. This choice is essential. This step is also where you will choose the base currency of your account.
The second step of the procedure is to provide financial information. IB will ask you how much money you have and how much experience you have with stocks. And you will have to choose which instruments you want to invest in. Do not worry too much since you can register for new investing instruments later.
The next step is about accepting the terms and conditions of Interactive Brokers. I would recommend at least skimming through them. After this, they will ask for proof of your identity and extra tax-related information.
Finally, you only need to fund your account for it to be complete. While this is not the most straightforward procedure, it is not too complicated.
If you want more information on the process, I have a guide on creating an Interactive Brokers account.
Subaccounts
It is worth mentioning that you can have subaccounts in your Interactive Brokers account. It means that you can manage several accounts in the same primary account.
The best usage of subaccounts is if you want to invest for your children and easily separate your stocks from theirs. Legally, the stocks are still yours since you cannot create accounts for minors. Nevertheless, it is good to see them separate. I have bought a share of VT every month for my son.
If you want further information, I have an article about investing in stocks for your children.
Using IB to trade
Interestingly, IB has many user interfaces:
- The standard web application
- The mobile application (IBKR Mobile)
- The WebTrader web interface
- The IBKR Desktop application, for Windows and Mac
- The Trading Workstation (TWS) desktop application
So, there should be an interface for everybody!
You can do most things from all interfaces. For instance, you can trade stocks from each of these interfaces. The problem with IB is that many people have been discussing the TWS interface. So, many beginners believe they should use it. However, the TWS interface is the most complicated of these interfaces by far.
I have never used the TWS application for trading. It is just too complicated for most investors. You only need the Account Management interface if you are a simple investor and invest in ETFs. If you prefer phones, you can also use the IBKR Mobile application to trade.
From account management, you can trade everything you want. And you can also transfer money to and from your account. All these operations are relatively simple.
You can fund your account for free with a bank transfer. First, you must declare your bank account in IB, and then you can make a deposit. Withdrawals work the same way. You can only send money to accounts in your name. I never had any issues with either deposits or withdrawals.
For currencies, you have multiple choices:
- You can do a forex trade directly. For instance, you could buy USD.CHF, which is buying USD with CHF.
- You can use the currency converter and let IB do the operation for you.
- Since April 2024, You can let IB do the currency conversion for you by buying shares in a currency you do not have. For instance, if you buy VT in USD and only have CHF, IB will do the conversion for you. This will only work on a cash account, since a margin account would go negative on the currency you do not have.
In any case, IB is outstanding at converting currencies. They use an excellent rate and have very low fees.
It is also worth noting that you can automate your investments with IB. You can set up standing orders starting weekly or monthly. If you use a recurring order for the transfer, you can entirely automate your investments. This feature is something some people are looking for.
If you want further instructions, I have a guide on how to fund your IB account and trade an ETF.
Other features
IBKR has some other interesting features.
I would like to mention the Stock Yield Enhancement Program. If you enable this option in the settings, IB can lend your shares to other investors. This system is called securities lending.
I like that IB shares 50% of the profit with you if you use that option. This sharing starkly contrasts with other brokers that would lend your shares by default without giving you any profits.
I am not saying everybody should enable this option, but for me, this indicates that IB is a great broker.
Another interesting feature is that you can trade fractional shares. This feature allows you to buy fractions of shares. This feature is helpful if you want to buy some expensive shares or if you want to purchase many companies without having a large portfolio. You can read more about fractional trading at IB.
One thing that is missing from Interactive Brokers is the ability to register Swiss shares as a shareholder. Some people want to be registered so they can attend shareholder meetings and receive some gifts.
Is IB safe?
If you invest significant money, you want your broker to be safe. So, we must look at the safety and security of IB.
Regulations
First, we can take a look at regulations.
Interactive Brokers has seven legal entities depending on the customers’ country. For instance, Interactive Brokers LLC works in the US, while Interactive Brokers (UK) Limited works for European clients.
Each of these entities is regulated. For instance, the US Entity is regulated by the Security Exchange Commission (SEC), and the UK entity is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). So, overall, IB is extremely well-regulated.
Financial Strength
Currently, Interactive Brokers is considered very strong financially. They have a strong capital position and advanced risk controls.
The company manages over two million accounts and executes almost two million daily trades. These are substantial numbers showing that IB has many active users.
In April 2023, IB had over 7 billion USD above the regulatory capital they needed. The company invests mostly in the short term to ensure it has enough money to cover issues in the short term. So, IB’s money is not locked when it needs to be available.
Overall, Interactive Brokers’ financials are good. The company has not shown any signs of financial trouble.
Protections
On top of that, protection in case of bankruptcy is also critical. Even though IB is financially strong, we still want to know what would happen should it go bankrupt.
It is important to know that IB does not segregate each country. This means a Swiss investor using IB UK will use the same trading system as a US investor. This is great news for protection!
The SIPC will protect US Investors. It protects your assets up to 500K USD, but it will only protect your cash up to 250K USD. And since Swiss investors are protected like US customers, we also get SIPC protection!
Now, there is an exception for some instruments. For instance, Contracts for Difference (CFDs) are prohibited in the United States. But they are offered to other investors. If you use them, the protection for your CFDs will fall to the FCA protection, up to 85K GBP.
Again, you have excellent protection against bankruptcy with Interactive Brokers. We have higher protection with IB than with a Swiss broker.
It is important to note that since Brexit, European investors have been using other entities of IB. In that case, the protection is worse since you will not get SIPC protection on stocks, only FCA. But Swiss investors still have SIPC protection.
If you want to learn more, I have an entire article about broker bankruptcy.
Technical security
Finally, technical security is also essential.
With Interactive Brokers, you will have strong technical security. All communications with the server are encrypted, but all honest brokers use encrypted traffic.
Most importantly, you can use Two-Factor Authentication for your account. You have two choices for that. First, you will be able to use the IBKR Mobile Application for that. Every time you log in from the web interface, you must confirm the login and enter one more code on your phone. But you can also use your standard TOTP application to generate a code. This second factor adds a great layer of security to your account.
So, Interactive Brokers has excellent security!
My Experience with IB
I started investing with Interactive Brokers when DEGIRO suddenly blocked access to US ETFs to Swiss Investors. Since then, I have been delighted with Interactive Brokers. I have been investing with IB for more than three years.
My entire stock portfolio is in my IB account. I buy new ETF shares every month from the default web interface, but I have also tried other interfaces. The IBKR Mobile application is very well done, but I generally prefer using my desktop computer rather than my phone.
I do everything from the Account Management interface, which suits all my needs. IB also fits my needs perfectly well. With time, I have learned to ignore most of the tool’s features. I only need a few features for my trading.
Since I sometimes get paid in USD, I can wire the money directly to my Interactive Brokers account. That way, I would not have to pay any currency exchange fees and could invest the money directly.
Overall, I am happy with my experience with IB. I never had an issue with the broker, and all my transfers reached IB very quickly. When I needed to withdraw money for the downpayment on our house, I had no problems. All my trades have been flawlessly executed. The reporting on the web interface is also precisely what I need. I can only recommend IB!
IB Reputation
It is essential to look at a broker’s reputation before using it to invest in the stock market.
As a source of review, I always use TrustPilot. So, we look at the reviews of IB on TrustPilot. On average, users rate IB at 3.3 stars. Before looking at this, I was expecting a higher score.
First, we look at what people do not like about IB. We can categorize most of the negative reviews into two categories:
- Poor user interfaces. It takes a while to get used to the IB user interface. But after some time, it is straightforward to use.
- Poor customer service. It seems that many people have issues getting help from customer service. I cannot comment on that since I have never used their customer service. But I know people in Switzerland who did and have never had issues with them.
Overall, I am not too worried about these negative comments. A lot of them do not seem serious. And many commenters seem pissed off at making mistakes with the platform. But of course, it would be better if they are fewer negative reviews.
One good thing is that most reviews (39%) rate IB at five stars. So, we should also look at what positive reviews are saying:
- Excellent customer service. It is interesting to note that there are both negative and positive reviews of IB’s customer service.
- Excellent fee system
- Excellent order execution
- Good platforms
So, we can see that overall the reviews are mixed for IB. I think it comes from the fact that it takes a while to get used to it. Once you get used to it and focus only on the things you need, IB is quite simple to use.
Interactive Brokers Awards
One way to see how a broker is doing is to check out the awards they got from external sources. Over the years, Interactive Brokers has received many awards.
They received seven awards only in the year 2022:
- Best Online Brokers of 2022, by Barron’s
- Three awards from Investopedia, including best broker for international investing
- Several award titles from stockbrokers.com
- Several award titles from forexbrokers.com
- Several award titles from brokerchooser
While this is not the only thing that matters, awards are a good sign for Interactive Brokers.
Alternatives to Interactive Brokers
There are many alternatives out there.
The one that is the most interesting for a Swiss investor is DEGIRO. However, we should also compare IB with Swiss brokers.
Interactive Brokers vs DEGIRO
|
My top pick
|
Good broker for Europe
|
|
5.0
|
4.0
|
|
No custody fees
|
Very affordable
|
|
|
|
|
- Great prices
- Many investing instruments
- Excellent execution
- Access to US ETFs
- A little intimidating at first
- Affordable
- Wide range of investing instruments
- Expensive currency conversions
- No access to US ETFs
- Lend your shares by default
For European investors, DEGIRO is another interesting alternative. So, it is interesting to compare these two brokers.
The first main difference between the two brokers is that only Interactive Brokers offers access to US ETFs to Swiss investors. This difference makes IB a much better choice than DEGIRO for Swiss investors. It will make a significant difference in the performance of your portfolio. If you invest with DEGIRO, you must invest in inferior European funds.
But we can also look at the fees of both brokers. There are a few differences between DEGIRO and IB:
- IB is much cheaper for the American Stock Market
- DEGIRO is very slightly cheaper for the European Stock Market
- IB is much cheaper for Foreign Exchange (FOREX)
There are a few differences in the features part as well. IB is also a FOREX broker, so you can hold many currencies in your account. And foreign currency exchanges are cheap. On the other hand, DEGIRO offers automatic currency exchanges when you buy and sell, but it is much more expensive than IB (unless you do small conversions).
You can also opt for manual currency conversions on DEGIRO, making currency conversions even more expensive. Overall, DEGIRO is not a great choice for trading currencies.
For the user interface, DEGIRO is slightly easier to use than IB. On the other hand, IB has many more features, but simple investors will likely not need many of these features.
Also, there is another difference in share lending. By default, DEGIRO will lend your shares to other investors. You, unfortunately, have no choice about that.
On the other hand, IB will not lend your shares by default. But with IB, you can choose to do that (it is called Stock Yield Enhancement Program), and then IB will give you some percentage of the profits. IB’s approach is much superior in that it does not lend your shares by default.
Finally, IB was established in 1978, while DEGIRO only started offering brokerage accounts to retail investors in 2013. So, IB has more extensive experience.
So, overall, Interactive Brokers is a much better broker than DEGIRO. You will be able to access US ETF if you are Swiss. And you will be able to get excellent service at very low prices.
If you want more details, you can read my DEGIRO Review.
Interactive Brokers vs Swissquote
|
Best broker overall
|
Best Swiss Broker
|
|
Primary Rating:
5.0
|
Primary Rating:
4.5
|
|
Extremely cheap
|
Very affordable
|
|
Pros:
|
Pros:
|
|
Cons:
|
Cons:
|
- Outstanding prices
- Many investing instruments
- Excellent execution
- Access to US ETFs
- Good reputation
- A little intimidating at first
- Swiss broker
- Easy to use
- Many investing instruments
- Access to US ETFs
- Good reputation
- Expensive to trade US shares
- Expensive currency conversion
Many Swiss investors prefer to use a Swiss broker. So, we should compare Interactive Brokers vs Swissquote, a great Swiss online bank.
Both brokers offer access to US ETFs and have roughly the same features. If you are a simple passive investor like me, both brokers will have more than enough features for you.
You can trade with both brokers from your computer and your mobile phone or tablet. Swissquote is slightly easier to use than Interactive Brokers, but not by a long shot.
The main difference between these two brokers is price. If you use a stock exchange other than the Swiss Stock Exchange, IB is much cheaper than Swissquote. In some cases, IB can be 100 times cheaper than SQ. This difference can be very significant.
In addition, SQ has some custody fees, while IB has zero account management fees. So, if you are looking to optimize the price, IB is the clear winner.
For many investors, Swissquote will have the advantage of being in Switzerland. It may make it easier to deal with them if you have issues, while it could be complicated with IB. So, if you are looking for an affordable (not cheap) Swiss broker, Swissquote is an interesting alternative.
For more information, read my review of Swissquote or my comparison of Swissquote vs Interactive Brokers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum deposit for Interactive Brokers?
There is no minimum deposit at Interactive Brokers. You can open an account without any money inside. Since there are no inactivity fees, this is perfectly fine for a small amount.
Is Interactive Brokers safe?
Yes. Interactive Brokers has been around for more than 40 years and has a great reputation. On top of that, it is well regulated in several different countries. Finally, your money is insured at Interactive Brokers for up to 500’000 USD, thanks to SIPC.
Is Interactive Brokers good for beginners?
Yes. While it is not the simplest broker out there, IB allows you to get started with little money and very low fees. The basic interface is simple enough to use and will allow you to do everything you need to start investing in the stock market.
What Interactive Brokers entity should I use?
As a Swiss investor, I recommend using the Interactive Brokers UK entity that offers the best regulations, protection, and features.
Who is Interactive Brokers good for?
Interactive Brokers is great for all investors that want to trade themselves and do not mind a foreign broker.
Who is Interactive Brokers not good for?
Interactive Brokers is not the best if you want to keep it very simple. If you are afraid of using a foreign, there are some Swiss alternatives, but at higher fees.
Can you use an IB account for currency conversions only?
No. IB may block your account if you use it only for currency conversions, without investing.
Can you register Swiss shares in your name with IB?
No, you cannot. Currently, it is not possible to register Swiss shares in your name as a shareholder with Interactive Brokers.
Summary
Interactive Brokers
Interactive Brokers is an excellent broker with everything you need to buy stocks and ETFs, reliably and at extremely affordable prices. With IB, you can trade U.S. stocks for as little as 0.5 USD!
Product Brand: Interactive Brokers
5
Pros
- A vast range of investments
- Very low fees
- No custody or inactivity fees
- Very professional service
- Offers US ETFs to Swiss Investors
- Good overall reputation
- Long experience
- Excellent security
Cons
- It can be intimidating at first
- Too many user interfaces
- Cannot register Swiss shares as a shareholder
Conclusion
The broker you need to buy stocks and ETFs reliably and at extremely affordable prices. Trade U.S. stocks for as little as 0.5 USD!
- Extremely affordable
- Wide range of investing instruments
Overall, Interactive Brokers is an excellent broker. Their fees are incredible, and their service is top-notch. Interactive Brokers should be your choice if you want a professional broker at a very fair price.
Since they are still offering US ETFs to Swiss investors (why US ETFs are the best), Interactive Brokers is currently the best broker for Swiss investors. No other broker even comes close if you want to optimize your portfolio.
I have been using Interactive Brokers for more than five years now. IB is the broker I am currently recommending to Swiss investors. It is also an excellent choice for European investors. I am pleased about IB and plan to continue using it for a long time.
Many people argue that we should not pay fees for brokers since there are free brokers. However, you have to be careful. There are many downsides to commission-free brokers. I much prefer paying very little for a great broker than not paying for a bad broker.
If you are interested in IB, I have a guide on opening an IB account.
What about you? What do you think of Interactive Brokers?
More reading
Yuh Review 2025: One app to pay, save and invest
Postfinance and Swissquote launched a new digital bank: Yuh. Yuh combines banking, investing, and cryptocurrencies in a single service!
Trading 212 Review 2025 – Pros & Cons
Trading 212 is a European broker with commission-free trading of stocks! Is that enough to make it good? We find out in this in-depth review.
Guide to Interactive Brokers Multiple User Interfaces
Find out when to use which of the four user interfaces of Interactive Brokers: Account Management, TWS and the mobile application.
Learn easy ways to optimize your finances and save thousands in Switzerland with our exclusive e-book. Learn about the most cost-effective financial services tailored for savvy residents and expats!
Get Your FREE Swiss Money-Saving Guide
Hi Baptiste and thanks again for this blog.
As you know, I’m currently with the Irish branch of IBKR being an EU resident.
My intention is to retire to Switzerland in a few years. What would happen to my IBKR account? Would/could it be transferred to the British branch as this would make more sense in terms of broker protection and how easy would this be? Would I have to sell and then repurchase my ETFs held with the Irish or could they be transferred directly?
Many thanks for your insights
Best
Max
Hi Max,
I think that’s more a question for the support of IB.
It will highly on whether regulations allow them to support CH customers in the IE branch.
In any case, it would make sense to move to the UBK branch to get better protection and access to US ETFs.
When people were moved around because of Brexit and new regulations, they did not have to sell anything, they were just transferred by IB. I would hope they could do the same in this case.
Hi question about Swiss tax declaration: assuming you have a mix of European, Swiss and US stock paying dividends. Does IB withhold the tax and if so how do they provide a report to file with your tax return. If they do not withhold how do you report your dividend or interest income to Swiss Tax authoritied. Do they provide a detailed year-end report of all your income?
IB withhold the taxes when necessary and you can find this information on the activity statement (you can do it monthly or yearly).
However, even if IB withholds it, you still need to declare it on your tax declaration.
Are you using the Stock Yield Enhancement Program? If so, where on the platform can you see the results? I don’t see any (yet) after turning on the feature a couple of months ago…
I tried it about a year ago. You can get all numbers in the activity report. However, depending on yourp portfolio, this will generate hundreds of records per month for each action on the program.
Were you happy with Stock Yield Enhancement Program? Would you recommend to use it?
Note that it will highly depend on your portfolio. For a full passive portfolio, it will not generate much.
But yes, I was happy with it, it was a steady extra source of income. However, it generated many many small payments on the activity report making it hard to read. But that’s probably minor for most people.
As you know, most bonds are not available for online trading but they are trading over the counter (OTC). How is your experience with IB for executing bond transactions?
Hi,
I have no experience executing bond transactions on IB.
It is indeed strange. Just wondering, did any other people commented on how long it took until IB paid them back the withholding interest?
Thanks again!
Hello Baptiste,
Thank you for your article. I live in Switzerland and I am European. I was wondering if you have to pay taxes of your earnings (through your IB account) in US or only in Switzerland?
If you have to make a tax declaration in US, how does it works?
Thank you very much for your help
Hi Leticia,
We fortunately dont’ have to fill a US tax declaration. We are only eligible for taxes in Switzerland.
Thanks a lot for your quick reply.
Just to confirm, is this true if you purchase funds, ETFs, and also equities?
Thanks a lot!
At least for equities and ETFs, yes. For funds, I would assume so, but I have never held US funds other than ETFs.
Dear Baptiste,
thank you very much for all the information you share on your website. It’s been very useful and now I am myself an IB user.
I have a specific question on the withdrawal process. Since the direct debit system based on the ACH transfers is the only option without costs (and it’s only for US citizens), the other possibility for people residing in Switzerland come with some costs.
Option a)
withdrawing money by transferring funds to a Wise account (only possible in USD) and from there to the personal Swiss bank account
-> IB charges 1USD for every transfer (except the first one in each month) + Wise charges a variable exchange fee.
Option b)
withdrawing money via a bank wire. However, for UBS (my bank) the transfer will go through a correspondent UBS branch in the US before being routed to my personal account
-> IB charges 10USD for every transfer (except the first one in each month)+ unknown processing fees charged by UBS or its correspondent bank.
Which method do you follow when withdrawing funds from your IB account?
Do you know how much UBS charges in processing fees for their correspondent bank in the US?
Thank you very much for your help.
Paolo
Hi Paolo,
Are you trying to withdraw CHF?
I have withdrawn money several times from my account and never paid any fee. I have wired money to my Migros Bank and it did not charge any fee. Why does UBS route a CHF transfer to a US bank?
I would avoid Wise because you will pay a portion of the transfer, which is bad.
I have no idea about the details of UBS.
Hi Baptiste,
many thanks for your quick reply.
I realized the issue was related to the currency. I switched to CHF now and set up a wire transfer.
There was no warning about possible fees related to this method but I’m performing a small transfer to check this out.
Thank you again for your help.
Paolo
Awesome! Let us know if there are any fees, that would be interesting to know.
No fees :)
Thanks for sharing and good to know!
I tried to open Interactive Broker account. But its terrible process to open just the account itself.. Highest degree of personal questions even to extent of listing all your assets, properties, what you do, your company name etc a. Finally, tnd ask you to transfer money even before they approve the account. They ask for opening account “Proof of Liquid Net Worth. We kindly ask you to upload the supporting document to finalize the application process.”
Why they need Proof of liquid worth? Don’t they limit my exposure to the money I put in your account?
Also there response time and the way they communicate seems highly American burocracy. You never know how they use all this information and your rest of assets may become exposed just for few saving of commission.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I was not asked any proof of liquid net worth in my case. But I believe all these questions are dictated by regulations, not their own desire to have all this information.
An excerpt from the people over at schweizerfinanzblog.ch: “Einlagensicherung: Offenbar gibt es hier für CH-Kunden eine Änderung, wie uns auf unsere Anfrage am 28.3.2023 seitens des deutschsprachigen IBKR-Support mitgeteilt wurde. So sollen die Barmittel und Wertschriften von CH-Kunden im Konkursfall von IBKR neu durch die britische Organisation FSCS in der Höhe von 85’000 £ geschützt sein statt bisher durch die Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), welche eine maximale Deckungssumme von 500’000 USD anbot, davon 250’000 für Barmittel.”
This is contrary to what you are saying here. Do you know who is right?
This has already been covered in the comments below. Repeating here my previous comment:
Hello Baptiste,
Thank you for your article. I live in Switzerland and interested in IB account. Do you know if IB withhold any tax on interest earned from cash in the account?
Thanks!
Hi Matt,
No, I don’t think it does. You will have to declare the interest earned on cash on your tax declaration and you will pay the full amount there.
Hello Baptiste,
I have a question regarding the withholding tax again.
As discussed before, there should be no withholding tax for interested earned on cash balance. However, a 30% withholding tax was charged in the account. I contacted IB and was told they needed some time to correct the withholding tax, and after it is corrected the withholding tax would be retrospectively credited (but they did not know how long it would take to correct it).
I was wondering if you experienced the same problem with withholding tax at the beginning? and if so, how long did it take for IB to correct the withholding tax?
Thanks!
Hi Matt,
I did not experience that. But I have seen in the comments a few times that people did get wrong witholding and that was then paid back. But I don’t know how it works, this is weird.