U.S. Microcap Stock Restrictions

Introduction
To comply with regulations regarding the sale of unregistered securities and to minimize the manual processing associated with trading shares that are not publicly quoted, IBKR imposes certain restrictions on U.S. Microcap Stocks. A list of those restrictions, along with other FAQs relating to this topic are provided below. 

Microcap Restrictions

  • IBKR will only accept transfers of blocks of U.S. Microcap stocks from Eligible Clients. Eligible Clients include accounts that: (1) maintain equity (pre or post-transfer) of at least $5 million or, clients of financial advisors with aggregate assets under management of at least $20 million; and (2) have less than half of their equity in U.S. Microcap Stocks.
  • IBKR will only accept transfers1 of blocks of U.S. Microcap Stocks where the Eligible Client can confirm the shares were purchased on the open market or registered with the SEC;
  • IBKR will not accept transfers1 of or opening orders for U.S. Microcap Stocks designated by OTC as Caveat Emptor or Grey Market from any client. Clients with existing positions in these stocks may close the positions;
  • IBKR will not accept transfers of U.S. Microcap Stocks to cover a short position established at IBKR;
  • Execution-only clients (i.e., execute trades through IBKR, but clear those trades elsewhere) may not trade U.S. Microcap Stocks within their IBKR account. (IBKR may make exceptions for U.S.-registered brokers);


Microcap FAQs

What is a U.S. Microcap Stock?
The term “Microcap Stock” refers to shares (1) traded over the counter or (2) that are listed on Nasdaq and NYSE American that have a market capitalization of between $50 million to $300 million and are trading at or below $5. For purposes of this policy, the term Microcap Stock will include the shares of U.S. public companies which have a market capitalization at or below $50 million, which are sometimes referred to as nanocap stocks or trade on a market generally associated with Microcap Stocks.

To avoid situations where minor, short-term fluctuations in a stock price cause repeated reclassification, any stock classified as U.S. Microcap will remain in that classification until both its market capitalization and share price exceed $300 million and $5, respectively, for a 30 consecutive calendar day period.

As Microcap Stocks are often low-priced, they are commonly referred to as penny stocks. IBKR may make exceptions, including for stocks traded at low prices that recently had a greater market cap. In addition, IBKR will not consider ADRs on non-US companies to be Micro-Cap stocks.

Where do Microcap Stocks trade?
Microcap Stocks typically trade in the OTC market, rather than on a national securities exchange. They are often electronically quoted by market makers on OTC systems such as the OTC Bulletin Board (OTCBB) and the markets administered by the OTC Markets Group (e.g., OTCQX, OTCQB & Pink). Also included in this category are stocks which may not be publicly quoted and which are designated as Caveat Emptor, Other OTC or Grey Market.
In addition, U.S. regulators also consider stocks listed on Nasdaq or NYSE American trading at or below $5 with a market capitalization at or less than $300 million to be Microcap Stocks.

What happens if IBKR receives a transfer from an Eligible Client where one or more of the positions transferred is a Microcap Stock?
If IBKR receives a transfer containing a block of a Microcap stock, IBKR reserves the right to restrict the sale of any Microcap position(s) included in the transfer unless the Eligible Client provides appropriate documentation establishing that the shares were either purchased on the open market (i.e., on a public exchange through another broker) or were registered with the SEC pursuant to an S-1 or similar registration statement.

Eligible Clients can prove that shares were purchased on the open market by providing a brokerage statement or trade confirm from a reputable broker reflecting the purchase of the shares on a public exchange. Eligible Clients can establish that the shares are registered by providing the SEC (Edgar system) File number under which their shares were registered by the company (and any documents necessary to confirm the shares are the ones listed in the registration statement).

NOTE: All customers are free to transfer out any shares we have restricted at any time.

What restrictions will IBKR apply to Prime accounts?
Clients whose activities include Prime services are considered Eligible Clients solely for the purposes of those trades which IBKR has agreed to accept from its executing brokers. However, while Prime accounts may clear U.S. Microcap Stocks at IBKR, those shares will be restricted until such time IBKR confirms that the shares are eligible for re-sale under the procedures discussed above. 

To remove the restriction for shares purchased on the open market, please have the executing broker provide a signed letter on company letterhead or an official Account Statement stating that the shares were purchased in the open market. The letter or statement must also include the below required criteria. Alternatively, if the shares were acquired through an offering the letter or statement must provide documents or links to the relevant registration statement and state that the shares were part of it.

Required Broker Letter Criteria:
1) IBKR Account Number
2) IBKR Account Title
3) Trade Date
4) Settlement Date
5) Symbol
6) Side
7) Price
8) Quantity
9) Time of Execution
10) Exchange
11) Must be signed
12) Must be on Firm's official letterhead

To summarize: Sell Long trades will be accepted if the long position is no longer restricted. Sell Short trades will be accepted. Buy Long trades will be accepted and the position will be restricted until Compliance is provided with sufficient information to remove the restriction. Buy Cover trades and intraday round trip trades will not be accepted.


What happens if a stock you purchase gets reclassified as Grey Market or Caveat Emptor?

If you purchase a stock in your IBKR account that at a later date becomes classified as a Caveat Emptor or Grey Market stock, you will be allowed to maintain, close or transfer the position but will not be able to increase your position.


What are some of the reasons why Microcap Stock trading may be restricted in my account?
There are two primary reasons why you might be restricted from trading in a Microcap Stock:

  • Potential Affiliation to Issuer: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Rule 144 places certain limitations on trading of stocks (including Microcap Stocks) by an “affiliate” of the issuer. If IBKR observes trading activity or holdings in a Microcap Stock that are close to the trading volume thresholds under Rule 144 (“Rule 144 Thresholds”), IBKR may restrict the customer from trading the Microcap Stock until a compliance review is completed.
  • Transfer of Microcap Stock: If the customer has recently transferred a Microcap Stock into their IBKR account, IBKR may restrict the customer from trading in that security until a compliance review is completed.

If one of the above reasons apply, trading will be restricted in the security and a notification will be sent to the customer’s message center in Account Management. This notification will describe the reason for the restriction and the steps the customer must take before IBKR will consider lifting the restriction.


Why does IBKR consider me to be a potential affiliate of a Microcap Stock issuer?
An “affiliate” is a person, such as an executive officer, a director or large shareholder, in a relationship of control with the issuer.

Rule 144 applies to all securities, including Microcap Stocks. However, given the heightened risks associated with trading Microcap Stocks, if a customer’s trading and/or holdings in a Microcap Stock are close to the Rule 144 Thresholds, IBKR will restrict the customer’s trading in the Microcap Stock.  This restriction will remain in effect pending a compliance review into the customer’s potential affiliate status.

For the Potential Affiliate review, why do I need to ask for a new review every two weeks?
A customer’s affiliate status may change soon after IBKR completes the above-referenced Potential Affiliate review. As such, IBKR believes it is appropriate to refresh a Potential Affiliate review every two weeks if a customer’s trading activity and/or holdings in the Microcap Stock remain close to the Rule 144 Thresholds.

Where can I find a list of stocks that IBKR has designated as U.S. Microcaps?
A list of stocks designated as U.S. Microcaps by IBKR is available via the following link: www.ibkr.com/download/us_microcaps.csv

Note that this list is updated daily.

Where can I find additional information on Microcap Stocks?
Additional information on Microcap Stocks, including risks associated with such stocks may be found on the SEC website: https://www.sec.gov/reportspubs/investor-publications/investorpubsmicrocapstockhtm.html
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1This includes transfers by any method (e.g., ACATS, DWAC, FOP), conversion of Canadian listings to their U.S. equivalent via “Southbound” transfer, transfers to cover existing short positions, IB Prime customers executing with other brokers and clearing to IBKR, etc.

 

South African Rand (ZAR) - Onshore/Offshore

Overview: 

Explanation of Onshore/Offshore South African Rand (ZAR)

Background

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has currency exchange control rules in place for South African residents. A South African resident is a person (i.e. a natural person, body corporate, foundation, trust or partnership) whether of South African or any other nationality who has taken up residence, is domiciled or registered in the Republic of South Africa (RSA). A resident account is also the account of persons resident, domiciled or registered in the Common Monetary Area (CMA). The CMA comprises of the Republic of South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland. There are no exchange control restrictions between the members of the CMA and they form a single exchange control territory.

The rules stipulate that there is a yearly limit placed on the amount of ZAR that can be taken out of the country by South African residents – i.e. taken "Offshore". ZAR that remain in South Africa are deemed “Onshore”.

Each resident can take the following amounts offshore per calendar year:

  • ZAR 1 million can be taken offshore as a “Single Discretionary Allowance”
  • ZAR 10 million can be taken offshore as an “Foreign Capital Allowance”

Only institutions licensed as “Authorised Dealers” (AD) are able to send ZAR outside of South Africa and so offshore. An AD is responsible for reporting the offshoring of any ZAR to the SARB. As a result, residents sending ZAR offshore must accurately state the purpose for which the ZAR is being sent. Residents must receive approval from an AD before they are able to send any ZAR offshore. Prior to taking ZAR offshore as part of the Foreign Capital Allowance, residents must also have additional clearance from the SA tax authorities.

The full exchange control rulebook from the SARB can be found here: https://www.resbank.co.za/RegulationAndSupervision/FinancialSurveillanceAndExchangeControl/EXCMan/Pages/default.aspx

Current Situation

Our cashiering account is a non-resident account. Therefore, we are permitted to:

  • Receive deposits in ZAR from other non-resident accounts.
  • Disburse ZAR from our cashiering account to non-resident accounts.
  • Receive deposits from accounts of South African residents.
  • Disburse ZAR to accounts of South African residents.
     

盈透證券歡迎您

Overview: 

現在您的賬戶已完成入金并獲批,您可以開始交易了。以下信息可以幫助您入門。

  1. 您的資金
  2. 設置您的賬戶以進行交易
  3. 如何交易
  4. 在全球範圍進行交易
  5. 拓展您IB經驗的五個要點

 

1. 您的資金
存款&取款基本信息。所有轉賬都通過您的賬戶管理進行管理
存款
首先,通過您的賬戶管理 > 資金 > 資金轉賬 > 轉賬類型:“存款”創建一個存款通知(如何創建存款通知)。第二步,通知您的銀行進行電匯轉賬,在存款通知中提供詳細銀行信息。
取款
通過您的賬戶管理 > 資金 > 資金轉賬 > 轉賬類型:“取款”創建一個取款指令(如何創建取款指令
如果您通知要進行超出取款限額的取款,則會被視為異常取款,我們因此將需要匹配銀行賬戶持有人和IB賬戶。如果目的地銀行賬戶已被用作存款,那麼取款將會被處理;否則,您必須聯繫客戶服務并提供所需文件。
錯誤排查
存款:我的銀行發出了資金,但我沒有看到資金記入我的IB賬戶。可能的原因:
a) 資金轉賬需要1至4個工作日。
b) 存款通知缺失。您必須通過賬戶管理創建存款通知并向客戶服務發送一條咨詢單。
c) 修改詳情缺失。轉賬詳情中缺失您的姓名和IB賬戶號碼。您必須聯繫您的銀行索取完整的修改詳情。
d) IB發起的ACH存款7個工作日內限額為10萬美元。如果您開立的是初始要求為11萬美元的投資組合保證金賬戶,最好選擇電匯存款以減少您第一筆交易的等待時間。如果選擇ACH,會需要等待近2周時間,或者可以選擇臨時升級至RegT。
取款:我已經請求了取款,但我沒有看到資金記入我的銀行賬戶。可能的原因:
a) 資金轉賬需要1至4個工作日。
b) 被拒。超出最大取款限額。請檢查您賬戶的現金餘額。注意,出於監管要求,存入資金時會有三天置存期,之後才可以被取出。
c) 您的銀行退回了資金。可能是因為接收銀行賬戶與匯款銀行賬戶名稱不匹配。

 

2. 設置您的賬戶以進行交易
現金與保證金賬戶的區別:如果您選擇快速申請,默認您的賬戶類型為配備美國股票許可的現金賬戶。如果您想使用槓桿并以保證金交易,參見此處如何升級為RegT保證金賬戶
交易許可
為了能夠交易特定國家的某一特定資產類別,您需要通過賬戶管理獲得該資產類別的交易許可。請注意,交易許可是免費的。但您可能需要簽署當地監管部門所要求的風險披露。如何請求交易許可
市場數據
如果想獲取某一特定產品/交易所的實時市場數據,您需要訂閱交易所收費的市場數據包。如何訂閱市場數據
市場數據助手會幫助您選擇正確的數據包。請觀看該視頻,其解釋了市場數據助手是如何工作的。
客戶可以通過從未訂閱的代碼行點擊免費延時數據按鈕選擇接收免費的延時市場數據。
顧問賬戶
請閱讀用戶指南顧問入門指南。在這裡,您可以看到如何向您的顧問賬戶創建其他使用者以及如何授予其訪問權限等等。

 

3. 如何交易
如果想學習如何使用我們的交易平台,您可以訪問交易者大學。在這裡您可以找到我們以10種語言提供的實時與錄製網研會以及有關交易平台的課程與文檔。
交易者工作站(TWS)
要求更高級交易工具的交易者可以使用我們做市商設計的交易者工作站(TWS)。TWS有著便於操作的電子表格式界面,可優化您的交易速度和效率,支持60多種定單類型,配備可適應任何交易風格的特定任務交易工具,并可實時監控賬戶餘額與活動。試試兩種不同模式:
魔方TWS:直觀可用性, 簡便的交易准入,定單管理,自選列表與圖表全部在一個窗口呈現。
標準模式TWS:為需要更高級工具與算法的交易者提供高級定單管理。
基本描述與信息 / 快速入門指南 / 用戶指南
互動課程:TWS基礎 / TWS設置 / 魔方TWS
如何下單交易:標準模式TWS視頻 / 魔方TWS視頻
交易工具:基本描述與信息用戶指南
要求:如何安裝適用於Windows的Java / 如何安裝適用於MAC的Java / 需打開端口4000和4001
登錄TWS / 下載TWS
網絡交易者(WebTrader)
偏好乾淨簡潔界面的交易者可以使用我們基於HTML的網絡交易者。網絡交易者便於查看市場數據、提交定單以及監控您的賬戶與執行。從各瀏覽器使用最新版本網絡交易者
快速入門指南 / 網絡交易者用戶指南
簡介:網絡交易者視頻
如何下單交易:網絡交易者視頻
登錄網絡交易者
移動交易者(MobileTrader)
我們的移動解決方案可供您隨時隨地用您的IB賬戶進行交易。IB TWS iOS版和IB TWS BlackBerry版是為這些型號定制設計的,而通用的移動交易者支持大多數其他職能手機。
基本描述與信息
定單類型 可用定單類型與描述 / 視頻 / 課程 / 用戶指南
模擬交易 基本描述與信息 / 如何獲得模擬交易賬戶
一旦您的模擬交易賬戶創建成功,您便可用模擬交易賬戶分享您真實賬戶的市場數據:賬戶管理 > 管理賬戶 > 設置 > 模擬交易

 
4. 在全球範圍進行交易
IB賬戶為多幣種賬戶。您的賬戶可以同時持有不同的貨幣,可供您從一個賬戶交易全球範圍內的多種產品。
基礎貨幣
您的基礎貨幣決定了您報表的轉換貨幣以及用於確定保證金要求的貨幣。基礎貨幣在您開立賬戶時決定。客戶隨時可通過賬戶管理改變其基礎貨幣。
我們不會自動將貨幣轉換為您的基礎貨幣
貨幣轉換必須由客戶手動完成。在該視頻中,您可以學習如何進行貨幣轉換。
要開倉以您賬戶所不持有之貨幣計價的頭寸,您可以有以下兩種選擇:
A) 貨幣轉換。
B) IB保證金貸款。(對現金賬戶不可用)
請查看該課程,其解釋了外匯交易方法。

 

5. 拓展您IB經驗的五個要點
1. 合約搜索
在這裡,您會找到我們的所有產品、代碼與說明。
2. IB知識庫
IB知識庫包含了一系列術語、指導性文章、錯誤排查技巧以及指南,旨在幫助IB客戶管理其IB賬戶。只需在搜索按鈕輸入您想要了解的內容,您便會得到答案。
3. 賬戶管理
我們的交易平台可供您訪問市場,賬戶管理則可供您訪問自己的IB賬戶。使用賬戶管理可管理賬戶相關任務,如存入或取出資金、查看您的報表、修改市場數據與新聞訂閱、更改交易許可并驗證或更改您的個人信息。
登錄賬戶管理 / 賬戶管理快速入門指南 / 賬戶管理用戶指南
4. 安全登錄系統
為向您提供最高級別的在線安全,盈透證券推出了安全登錄系統(SLS),通過安全登錄系統訪問賬戶需要進行雙因素驗證。雙因素驗證旨在于登錄時採用兩項安全因素確認您的身份:1) 您的用戶名與密碼組合;和2) 生成隨機、一次性安全代碼的安全設備。因為登錄賬戶需要既知曉您的用戶名/密碼又持有實物安全設備,所以參加安全登錄系統基本上可以杜絕除您以外的其他任何人訪問您賬戶的可能性。
如何激活您的安全設備 / 如何獲取安全代碼卡 / 如何退還安全設備
如果忘記密碼或丟失安全代碼卡,請聯繫我們獲取即時幫助。
5. 報表與報告
我們的報表與報告方便查看和進行自定義,覆蓋了您盈透賬戶的方方面面。如何查看活動報表

 

如何通過銀行電匯轉帳存入資金?

要向賬戶進行電匯存款,您首先需要通過客戶端提供存款通知。登錄客戶端後依次選擇轉帳與支付>轉帳資金菜單選項。在這裡,轉帳類型選擇“存入資金”,存款方式選擇“銀行電匯”。

系統會提示您輸入發款銀行詳細信息,包括存款金額、幣種和匯款機構。您完成信息填寫後,系統會以可打印的形式顯示所有詳細信息(如,ABA號碼、Swift BIC代碼以及銀行賬戶號碼),您可將這些信息提供給銀行以發起電匯轉帳。

請注意,創建存款通知至關重要,因為您的銀行在電匯資金時所需要的信息會因電匯幣種的不同而不同。此外,存款通知還可幫助確保資金到達後立即匹配到您的賬戶。

如還有其它疑問,請聯繫我們的客戶服務中心。您可從以下網站鏈接查看我們的聯繫方式和工作時間:https://individuals.interactivebrokers.com/cn/index.php?f=2440

Depositing Shares Held in the Direct Registration System (DRS)

Overview
The Direct Registration System (DRS) allows shareholders to register their U.S. share holdings on the books and records of the issuer in an electronic rather than paper certificate form through the issuer’s designated transfer agent. Once held in a DRS account, the shares may then be transferred electronically via the Depository Trust Company (DTC) to your IB account where transactions may take place or where the shares may be afforded margin loan value.

It should be noted that not all shares are DRS eligible. In general, most U.S. exchange traded securities are, but many OTC shares, as well as shares subject to a restriction and therefore held in certificate form, are not.

Transfer Process
To deposit shares held in your DRS account to your IB account you will need to log into Account Management and create transfer instructions. These instructions require that you provide IB with certain information regarding your DRS account (e.g., account number and taxpayer ID) which you will need to obtain from and/or confirm with your transfer agent. It’s important that you provide IB with information which matches that of your DRS account, otherwise your transfer agent will reject the request and you will be charged a rejection fee. Information regarding fees for rejected as well as settled transactions are posted on the website.

Once the DRS account information has been confirmed, log into Account Management and proceed as follows:

1. Select the Funding and then Position Transfers menu options;

2. From the Position Transfer screen, select a transfer method of DRS-Direct Registration System and transfer type of Deposit via the drop-down menus;

3. You’ll be directed to the DRS Transfer screen where the taxpayer ID you’ve provided to IB is displayed. If this does not match that which you maintain for your DRS account, you will first need to reconcile and correct the information so it matches prior to proceeding with the transfer request. Requests submitted with a mismatched taxpayer ID will result in the transfer being rejected by your transfer agent and your account being subject to a rejection processing fee;

4. Enter your DRS account number and click the Continue button. Note that requests submitted with an account number that doesn't match that of your DRS account will result in the transfer being rejected by your transfer agent and your account being subject to a rejection processing fee;

5. Enter the symbol of the security you intend to transfer as well as the share quantity. Note that requests submitted with a symbol not held within or a share quantity which exceeds that held in your DRS account will result in the transfer being rejected by your transfer agent and your account being subject to a rejection processing fee;

6. Enter your electronic signature and click the “Continue” button to confirm your transfer request.

IB will then notify DTC who will match the security to its associated transfer agent and send them notification of your request. Assuming the DRS account and share information you’ve provided is correct, the transfer agent will post the shares for delivery to IB.  Note that while transfer requests typically settle within 2 -5 business days, the transfer agent may take longer to respond to the notification and, if no response is received within 30 days, the request will be canceled.


IMPORTANT NOTE
If you are transferring shares from a joint account or are a non-US person, special consideration needs to be provided to the taxpayer ID you provide to IB for matching to your DRS account. In the case of a joint account, the ID will generally be one of the SSNs of the joint account holders or a default value of 999999999. In the case of a non-US person, where no US taxpayer ID exists, a default value of 111111111 is often used. In either case, you will need to verify with the transfer agent the identifier they will recognize for matching purposes. If the transfer agent requests an identifier which doesn’t match one of the elections provided within Account Management, please contact Customer Service for transfer assistance.

Welcome to Interactive Brokers

Overview: 

Now that your account is funded and approved you can start trading. The information below will help you getting
started as a new customer of Interactive Brokers.

  1. Your Money
  2. Configure your account to trade
  3. How to trade
  4. Trade all over the World
  5. Five points to enrich your IB experience

 

1. Your Money
Deposits & Withdrawals General Info. All transactions are administered through your secure Account Management
Deposits
First, you create a deposit notification through your Account Management > Funding > Fund Transfers > Transaction Type: “Deposit” How to create a deposit notification. The second step is to instruct your Bank to do the wire transfer with the bank details provided in your Deposit Notification.
Withdrawals
Create a withdrawal instruction via your secure Account Management > Funding > Fund Transfers > Transaction Type: "Withdrawals" How to create a withdrawal instruction
If you instruct a withdrawal over the Withdrawal limits, it will be considered an exceptional withdrawal and we will therefore need to match bank account holder and IB account. If destination bank account has been used for a deposit, withdrawal will be processed; otherwise, you must contact customer service and provide the documents needed.
Troubleshooting
Deposits: My bank sent the money but I do not see it credited into my IB account. Possible reasons:
a) A fund transfer takes 1-4 business days
b) A Deposit Notification is missing. You have to create it via your Account Management and send a ticket to Customer Service
c) Amending details are missing. Your name or IB account number is missing in the transfer details. You have to contact your bank and ask for the full amending details.
d) ACH initiated by IB is limited to 100k USD in a 7 business period. If you opened a Portfolio Margin account where the initial requirement is 110k, a wire deposit might be the better deposit option to reduce wait time for your first trade. If selecting ACH a wait time of almost 2 weeks or a temporary downgrade to RegT can be possible solutions.
Withdrawals: I have requested a withdrawal but I do not see the money credited to my bank account. Possible reasons:
a) A fund transfer takes 1-4 business days
b) Rejected. Over the max it can be withdrawn. Please check your account cash balance. Note that for regulatory requirements, when the funds are deposited, there is a 3 day holding period before they can be withdrawn.
c) Your bank returned the funds. Probably because receiving bank account and remitting bank account names do not match.

 

2. Configure your account to trade
Difference between Cash and Margin accounts: If you have chosen the FastTrack application, by default your account type is a cash account with US stock permission. If you would like to get leverage and trade on margin, here how to upgrade to a RegT Margin account
Trading Permissions
In order to be able to trade a particular asset class in a particular country, you need to get the trading permission for it via your Account Management. Please note that trading permissions are free. You might however be asked to sign risk
disclosures required by local regulatory authorities. How to Request Trading Permissions
Market Data
If you want to have market data in real-time for a particular product/exchange, you need to subscribe to a market data package charged by the exchange. How to subscribe to Market data
The Market data assistant will help you choose the right package. Please watch this Video explaining how it works.
Customers have the option to receive delayed market data for free by clicking the Free Delayed Data button from a non-subscribed ticker row.
Advisor Accounts
Have a look at the user guide getting started as advisors. Here you see how to create additional users to your advisor account and grant them access and much more.

 

3. How to trade
The Trader's University is the place to go when you want to learn how to use our Platforms. Here you will find our webinars, live and recorded in 10 languages and tours and documentation about our various Trading Platforms.
Trader Workstation (TWS)
Traders who require more sophisticated trading tools can use our market maker-designed Trader Workstation (TWS), which optimizes your trading speed and efficiency with an easy-to-use spreadsheet interface, support for more than 60 order types, task-specific trading tools for all trading styles, and real-time account balance and activity monitoring. Try the two models
TWS Mosaic: for intuitive usability, easy trading access, order management, watchlist, charts all in one window or
TWS Classic: the Advanced Order Management for traders who need more advanced tools and algos.
General Description and Information / Quick start guide / Usersguide
Interactive Tours: TWS Basics / TWS configuration / TWS Mosaic
How to place a trade:  Video Classic TWS / Video Mosaic
Trading tools: General Description and InformationUsers guide
Requirements: How to install Java for WindowsHow to install Java for MAC / Port 4000 and 4001 needs to be open
Login TWSDownload TWS
WebTrader
Traders who prefer a clean and simple interface can use our HTML-based WebTrader, which makes it easy to view market data, submit orders, and monitor your account and executions. Use the latest WebTrader from every browser
Quick Start Guide / WebTrader User's Guide
Introduction: Video WebTrader
How to place a Trade: Video WebTrader
Login WebTrader
MobileTrader
Our mobile solutions allow you to trade your IB account on the go. The mobileTWS for iOS and the mobileTWS for BlackBerry are custom-designed for these popular models, while the generic MobileTrader supports most other Smart phones.
General Description and Information
Order Types Order Types available and Description / Videos / Tour / Users guide
Paper Trading General Description and Information / How to get a Paper Trading Account
Once your paper account is created, you can share the market data of your real account with your paper trading account: Account Management > Manage Account > Settings > Paper trading

 
4. Trade all over the World
IB accounts are multi-currency accounts. Your account can hold different currencies at the same time, this allows you to trade multiple products around the world from a single account.
Base Currency
Your base currency determines the currency of translation for your statements and the currency used for determining margin requirements. Base currency is determined when you open an account. Customers may change their base currency at any time through Account Management.
We do not automatically convert currencies into your Base currency
Currency conversions must be done manually by the customer. In this video you can learn how to do a currency conversion.
In order to open a position denominated in a currency that you do not have in your account, you have two possibilities:
A) Currency conversion.
B) IB Margin Loan. (Not available for Cash Accounts)
Please see this course explaining the mechanics of a foreign transaction.

 

5. Five points to enrich your IB experience
1. Contract Search
Here you will find all our products, symbols and specifications.
2. IB Knowledge Base
The Knowledge Base is a repository of glossary terms, how-to articles, troubleshooting tips and guidelines designed to assist IB customers with the management of their IB accounts. Just enter in the search button what you are looking for and you will get the answer.
3. Account Management
As our trading platforms give you access to the markets, the Account Management grants you access to your IB account. Use Account Management to manage account-related tasks such as depositing or withdrawing funds, viewing your statements, modifying market data and news subscriptions, changing your trading permissions, and verifying or changing your personal information.
Log In Account Management / AM Quick Start Guide / AM Users Guide
4. Secure Login System
To provide you with the highest level of online security, Interactive Brokers has implemented a Secure Login System (SLS) through which access to your account is subject to two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication serves to confirm your identity at the point of login using two security factors: 1) Something you know (your username and password combination); and 2) Something you have (an IB issued security device which generates a random, single-use security code). As both knowledge of your username/password and physical possession of the security device are required to login to your account, participation in the Secure Login System virtually eliminates the possibility of anyone other than you accessing your account.
How to Activate your Security Device / How to Obtain a Security Code Card / How to return Security device
In case you forgot your password or lost your security code card, please call us for immediate assistance.
5. Statements and Reports
Easy to view and customize, our statements and reports cover all aspects of your Interactive Brokers account. How to view an Activity Statement 

 

Mailing Address For Check Deposits to Interactive Brokers

Overview: 

For paper and mail based deposit of funds

Before sending your check deposit, you should write your account number on the check. We highly encourage you to create a deposit notification, which allows us to efficiently identify your incoming funds for proper credit to your account. 

The specific mailing instructions, including the printing of the deposit form, and addresses will be displayed during the deposit notification process. The IBKR address for sending your check will be printed on the deposit form.

Upon receipt of this deposit the notice should update to provide the availability date of the deposit.

Background: 
  • To ensure proper handling and to avoid unnecessary delays, please instruct your financial institution not to mail checks directly to our bank.
  • Please take note that Interactive Brokers Canada customers cannot fund their accounts with cheques or bank drafts.
  • Deposit notifications do NOT move any funds; you must contact your bank to move the funds into your IBKR account. 

In order to create a Check deposit notification, you will need to visit our secure website: www.interactivebrokers.com.  Be prepared to provide your username, password and any additional secure log-in information when submitting your notice.

1. Log into Client Portal

2. Select Transfer & Pay

3. Click on Transfer Funds

4. Your Transaction Type: Deposit

5. The Currency: USD

6. Choose the Method: Check

and follow the prompts.

Next, mail your check with the Confirmation Page to one of the addresses listed below.

 

(If you are sending your check via overnight delivery service (FedEx, DHL, UPS, etc))

Interactive Brokers LLC

2 Pickwick Plaza

Attn: IBCD

Greenwich, Connecticut 06830

United States

 

(If you are sending your check via regular mail or US Postal Service (USPS) EXPRESS MAIL)

Interactive Brokers LLC

P.O. Box 7579

Attn: IBCD

Greenwich, Connecticut 06836-7579

United States

 

Please Note:

  • The person who signs the check must be the account holder.
  • Your name must be printed on the check.
  • You must sign and date your check.
  • Payee Name must be Interactive Brokers LLC

IRA: Retirement Account Resource Center

IMPORTANT NOTE: This article has been customized for use by self-directed Individual Retirement Account (IRA) owners for information purposes only.  Persons are encouraged to consult a qualified tax professional with the investments and elections within the IRA.   IB does not provide tax advice.  For detailed information regarding IRAs, you may consult the IRS Publication 590-A about IRA contributions and the IRS Publication 590-B about IRA distributions.

This resource center provides a central reference point for information concerning the various IRA account types offered by IB. 

Important Notice - Select IRA Tax Reporting for key information with transaction and tax reporting in your IRA.

 

Account Management IRA Reference

Account Management IRA Tab

Beneficiary Options

Charitable Distributions

Conversions to a Roth IRA

Direct Rollovers - How & When

Frequently Asked Questions

Recharacterizations from a Roth IRA

Required Minimum Distributions

Rollover Rules & Conditions

Understanding Tax Forms

 

 

 IRS Circular 230 Notice: These statements are provided for information purposes only, are not intended to constitute tax advice which may be relied upon to avoid penalties under any federal, state, local or other tax statutes or regulations, and do not resolve any tax issues in your favor.

IRA: Rollover Rules & Conditions

 

This information is for general educational purposes only.  Individuals should consult with their financial adviser or legal counsel to determine how rollover regulations affect their unique situations.

Generally, an IRA rollover is a tax-free distribution to you of cash or other assets from one retirement plan that you contribute to another retirement plan.  The contribution to the second retirement plan is called a rollover contribution.

This article outlines the types of IRA rollover transactions, rules and conditions, IB's Rollover Certification form, and rollover transaction details.  Select from list below for details:

Rules & Conditions

Rollover Certification

Eligible Rollover Transactions

Ineligible Transactions

  

Rules & Conditions

Prior to completing an IRA Rollover transaction, we recommend that you review the rules and conditions surrounding eligibility.  Interactive Brokers can accept as a tax-free transaction an eligible rollover distribution as defined under the Internal Revenue Code.  Included in this article is information about eligible transactions, as well as the Interactive Brokers  IRA Rollover Certification form.

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IRA Rollover Certification

Before accepting an IRA rollover transaction into an Interactive Brokers LLC IRA, we require that you review your eligibility for the rollover and certify your understanding of the rollover rules and conditions.  The IRA Rollover Form includes the IRA Rollover Certification

The Transfer Funds page within the Client Portal lets you notify IB of an IRA Rollover deposit of funds into your account. From the Transfer & Pay menu select Transfer Funds and then Make a Deposit.  Select one of the saved deposit instructions and follow the prompts on the screen or create a new deposit instruction by selecting the Currency of the deposit from the drop-down menu. Click Connect or Get Instructions for the method you will use to transfer funds. And finally follow the remaining instructions provided to initiate the transfer with your bank.

 

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Rollover Transactions

Two types of IRA rollover transactions exist with different guidelines and delivery methods:

  1. Direct Rollover - a transfer of assets from an employer-sponsored retirement plan directly to an eligible IRA.  If you choose to receive the distribution first, then you may roll over the funds to the IRA within 60 days.
  2. Indirect Rollover - a distribution from an IRA paid to you, followed by a rollover into another IRA within 60 days.  The IRS allows an indirect rollover of each IRA's funds once during a twelve-month period.

(Note:  A distributions directly from one IRA trustee to another IRA trustee is a Trustee-to-Trustee transfer.  It is not affected by the twelve-month waiting period.)

For additional information about rollovers, visit Understanding Rollovers.  See also IRS Publication 590-A, Contributions to Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) for more specific guidelines on moving retirement plan assets.

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Eligible Rollover Transactions

Almost any distribution from a qualified plan can be rolled over to an IRA.  Your retirement account may be eligible for one of the following eligible rollover transactions.

Traditional IRA or SIMPLE IRA to Traditional IRA Rollover

  • Funds or property deposited less than 60 days of receipt by the IRA owner from the previous IRA
  • During the preceding 12 months, no other distributions from the distributing IRA were rolled over
  • The assets involved in the transaction have not been rolled over in the past 12 months
  • Required Minimum Distribution satisfied (if over 73)
  • For SIMPLE IRAs, after two years from the first contribution

Roth IRA to Roth IRA Rollover

  • Funds or property deposited less than 60 days of receipt by the IRA owner from the previous IRA
  • During the preceding 12 months, no other distributions from the distributing IRA were rolled over
  • The assets involved in the transaction have not been rolled over in the past 12 months

Rollover or Direct Rollover from Qualified Plan into a Traditional IRA

  • Eligible participant (participant, spouse beneficiary, or former spouse due to divorce)
  • Funds or property deposited less than 60 days of receipt by the participant from the previous plan
  • Funds received from an eligible qualified retirement plan
  • Required Minimum Distribution satisfied (if over 73)
  • Consists of funds, property, or proceeds from the sale of property distributed from the qualified plan
  • All of the funds are eligible to be rolled over

Roth IRA to Roth IRA Rollover

  • Funds or property deposited less than 60 days of receipt by the IRA owner from the previous IRA
  • Required Minimum Distribution satisfied (if over 73)

Ineligible Rollover Transactions

Some funds distributed from a retirement plan are not eligible for rollover into an IRA.  The following transactions are not eligible rollover transactions.

  • Any portion of a distribution from a retirement plan not rolled over
  • Required Minimum Distributions
  • Distribution of excess contributions and related earnings
  • Retirement plan loan treated as a distribution
  • Hardship distributions
  • Distributions part of substantially equal payments (73-t)
  • Dividends on employer securities
  • Non-spousal death benefit distributions
  • The cost of life insurance coverage

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Click here to return to the Retirement Account Resource page.

Disclaimer:  IB does not provide tax advice. These statements are provided for information purposes only, are not intended to constitute tax advice which may be relied upon to avoid penalties under any international, federal, state, local or other tax statutes or regulations, and do not resolve any tax issues in your favor. We recommend that you consult a qualified tax adviser or refer to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

How to send documents to IBKR using your smartphone

Overview: 

Interactive Brokers allows you to send us a copy of a document even if you do not currently have access to a scanner. You can take a picture of the requested document with your smartphone.

Below you will find the instructions on how to take a picture and send it per email to Interactive Brokers with the following smartphone operating systems:

If you already know how to take and send pictures per email using your smartphone, please click HERE - Where to send the email to and what to include in the subject.

 

iOS
1. Swipe up from the bottom of your smartphone screen and tap the camera icon.

If you do not have the Camera icon, you can tap the Camera app icon from the home screen of your iPhone.

Normally your phone should now activate the rear camera. If it activates the front one, tap the camera switch button.


2. Place your iPhone above the document and frame the desired portion or page of the document.

 

3. Make sure to have uniform, sufficient lighting and not to cast any shadow on the document due to your position.  Hold the smartphone firmly with your hand/s and avoid shaking. Tap on the shutter button to take the photo.

 

4. Tap the thumbnail image in the lower left-hand corner to access the picture you have just taken.


5.  Make sure that the picture is clear and the document is well legible. You can enlarge the picture and see it in detail by swiping apart two fingers on the picture itself.

If the picture does not present a good quality or lighting, please repeat the previous steps in order to take a sharper one.


6. Tap the share icon in the lower left-hand corner of the screen.



7. Tap the Mail icon.

Note: to send emails your phone has to be configured for that. Please contact your email provider if you are not familiar with this procedure.

 

8. Please see HERE how to populate the To: and Subject: fields of your email. Once the email is ready, tap the up arrow icon on the top right to send it.

 


Android
1. Open your applications list and start the Camera app. Alternatively start it from your Home screen. Depending on your phone model, maker or setup, the app might be called differently.

Normally your phone should now activate the rear camera. If it activates the front one, tap the camera switch button.

 

2. Place your Android above the document and frame the desired portion or page of the document.

 

3. Make sure to have uniform, sufficient lighting and not to cast any shadow on the document due to your position.  Hold the smartphone firmly with your hand/s and avoid shaking. Tap on the shutter button to take the photo.


4.  Make sure that the picture is clear and the document is well legible. You can enlarge the picture and see it in detail by swiping apart two fingers on the picture itself.

If the picture does not present a good quality or lighting, please repeat the previous steps in order to take a sharper one.


5. Tap the empty circle icon in the lower right-hand corner of the screen.   

 

6. Tap the share icon in the lower left-hand corner of the screen.


7. In the sharing menu that will be displayed now tap the icon of the email client set up on your phone. In the example picture below, it is called Gmail but the name may vary according to your specific setup.

Note: to send emails your phone has to be configured for that. Please contact your email provider if you are not familiar with this procedure.

8. Please see HERE how to populate the To and Subject fields of your email. Once the email is ready, tap the airplane icon on the top right to send it.

 


WHERE TO SEND THE EMAIL AND WHAT TO INCLUDE IN THE SUBJECT
The email has to be created observing the below instructions:
1. In the field To: type:

  •   newaccounts@interactivebrokers.com if you are a resident of a non-European country
  •   newaccounts.uk@interactivebrokers.co.uk if you are a European resident

2. The Subject: field must contain all of the below:

  •     Your account number (it usually has the format Uxxxxxxx, where x are numbers) or your username
  •     The purpose of sending the document. Please use the below convention:
    • PoRes for a proof of residential address
    • PID for a proof of identity

 

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