The below information applies to trading of non-US index options, OTC CFDs and non-US index futures (when combined with non-US index options)

Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited

Customer Assets
Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited (“IBUK)’’ is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA“), register no. 208159. IBUK is a wholly owned subsidiary of Interactive Brokers Group (IBG LLC). IBUK provides client money and client asset services in accordance with FCA Client Assets regulations “CASS”.

Client money is protected as follows:
Client money rules apply to all regulated firms that receive money from a client, or hold money for a client in the course of carrying out MiFID business and/or designated investment business.

Client money is entirely segregated from IBUK’s own money. In the event of a failure of an authorised firm, clients’ monies held in the segregated accounts will be returned to the clients rather than being treated as a recoverable asset by general creditors. If there was a shortfall, the client may be eligible to claim for compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (“FSCS”).

Client money is ring-fenced in separate bank accounts which are held in trust on behalf of the clients. These accounts are distributed across a number of banks with investment grade ratings to avoid a concentration risk with any single institution. When IBUK makes the selection and appointment of a bank to hold client money, it takes into account the expertise and market reputation of the bank, its financial standing and any legal requirements or market practices related to the holding of client money that could adversely affect clients' rights.

IBUK will allow client money to be held in a client transaction account by an exchange, a clearing house or an intermediate broker but only if the money is transferred to them for the purpose of a transaction or to meet a client’s obligation to provide collateral for a transaction.

Each day, IBUK performs a detailed reconciliation of client money held in client money bank accounts and client transaction accounts and its liabilities to its clients to ensure that client monies are properly segregated and sufficient to meet all liabilities in accordance with the FCA’s CASS rules. All monies credited to such bank accounts are held by the firm as trustee (or if relevant, as agent).

FCA regulations also require IBUK to maintain a CASS Resolution Pack to ensure that in the unlikely event of the firm's liquidation, the Insolvency Practitioner is able to retrieve information with a view to returning client money and assets to the firm's clients on a timely basis.

Financial Services Compensation scheme

Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited (“IBUK”) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) as an investment firm and a participant in the Financial Services Compensation scheme (“FSCS”). Certain eligible clients qualify for
compensation under the FCA Compensation rules.

The main points relating to eligibility are:

• FSCS pays compensation only to eligible claimants when an authorised firm is in default and will carry out an investigation to establish whether or not this is the case.
• FSCS pays compensation only for financial loss and the limits for U.K. Investment firms are covered below.
• The FSCS was set up mainly to assist private individuals, although smaller businesses are also covered.
• Larger businesses are generally excluded.

Investments

FSCS provides protection if an authorised investment firm is unable to pay claims against it e.g. when an authorised investment firm goes out of business and cannot return assets to its clients. Assets classified as investments for authorised investment firms under the FSCS include stocks and shares, futures, options, cfds, other regulated instruments and money deposited by clients.

Compensation Limits

The actual level of compensation you receive will depend on the basis of your claim. The FSCS only pays compensation for financial loss. Compensation limits are per person per authorised firm. Compensation levels are subject to change and for current details please refer to the FSCS website at http://www.fscs.org.uk / .
 

The below information applies to customers who were or are continuing to trade all products (except metals and OTC CFDs) through IB LLC.

Interactive Brokers LLC (“IBLLC”)

Customer Assets
Customer money is segregated in special bank or custody accounts, which are designated for the exclusive benefit of customers of IBLLC. This protection (the SEC term is “reserve” and the CFTC term is “segregation”) is a core principle of securities and commodities brokerage. By properly segregating the customer's assets, if no money or stock is borrowed and no futures positions are held by the customer, then the customer's assets are available to be returned to the customer in the event of a default by or bankruptcy of the broker.

Securities accounts with no borrowing of cash or securities
Securities customer money is protected as follows:

• A portion is deposited at 14 large U.S. banks in special reserve accounts for the exclusive benefit of IBLLC's customers. These deposits are distributed across a number of banks with investment-grade ratings so that we can avoid a concentration risk with any single institution. No single bank holds more than 5% of total customer funds held by IBLLC.
• A portion may be invested in U.S. Treasury securities, including direct investments in short-term Treasury bills and reverse repurchase agreements, where the collateral received is in the form of U.S. Treasury securities. These transactions are conducted with third parties and guaranteed through a central counterparty clearing house (Fixed Income Clearing Corp., or “FICC”). The collateral remains in the possession of IBLLC and held at a custody bank in a segregated Special Custody Account for the exclusive benefit of customers. U.S. Treasury securities may also be pledged to a clearing house to support customer margin requirements on securities options positions.
• Customer cash is maintained on a net basis in the reserve accounts, which reflects the net credit balances of customers in excess of customer debit balances. To the extent any one customer maintains a margin loan with IBLLC, that loan will be fully secured by stock valued at up to 200% of the loan.
• Current SEC regulations require broker-dealers to perform a detailed reconciliation of customer money and securities (known as the “reserve computation”) at least weekly to ensure that customer monies are properly segregated from the broker-dealer's own funds.

Customer-owned, fully-paid securities are protected in accounts at depositories and custodians that are specifically identified for the exclusive benefit of customers. IBLLC reconciles positions in securities owned by customers daily to ensure that these securities have been received at the depositories and custodians

Commodities accounts

Commodities customer money is protected as follows:

• A portion is pledged to futures clearing houses to support customer margin requirements on futures and options on futures positions or held in custody accounts identified as segregated for the benefit of IB's customers.
• A portion is held at commodities clearing banks/brokers in accounts identified as segregated for the benefit of IBLLC customers to support customer margin requirements.
• Cash in commodities accounts is protected in accordance with US commodities regulations. CFTC rules prohibit an FCM from commingling customer funds with its own money, securities or property. Customer funds must be separately accounted for and segregated as belonging to commodity or option customers. The titles of accounts in which customer funds are deposited must clearly indicate this and show that the funds are segregated as required by the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”) and CFTC Rules. Customer funds may not be obligated to anyone except to purchase, margin, guarantee, secure, transfer, adjust or settle trades, contracts or commodity option transactions of commodity or option customers. These requirements also extend to U.S. customers trading on foreign exchanges.

Securities accounts with margin loans

For customers who borrow money from IBLLC to purchase securities, IBLLC is permitted by securities regulations to pledge or borrow stock valued at up to 140% of the value of the loan. Typically, IBLLC lends out a small portion of the total stock it is permitted to lend out.

• As an example, at June 30, 2011, IBLLC lent $800 million value of customers' stock out of the $13.0 billion made available to it by margin customers.
• When IBLLC lends customers' stock, it must put additional money into the special reserve accounts for the exclusive benefit of customers. In the example above, the full value of $800 million of customer stock that was lent was segregated in the special reserve accounts.

Account Protection

Customer securities accounts at IBLLC are protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (“SIPC”) for a maximum coverage of $500,000 (with a cash sublimit of $250,000) and under IBLLC's excess SIPC policy with certain underwriters at Lloyd's of London for up to an additional $30 million (with a cash sublimit of $900,000) subject to an aggregate limit of $150 million. Futures, and options on futures are not covered. As with all securities firms, this coverage provides protection against failure of a broker-dealer, not against loss of market value of securities.

For the purpose of determining a customer account, accounts with like names and titles (e.g. John and Jane Smith and Jane and John Smith) are combined, but accounts with different titles are not (e.g. Individual/John Smith and IRA/John Smith).

SIPC is a non-profit, membership corporation funded by broker-dealers that are members of SIPC. For more information about SIPC and answers to frequently asked questions (such as how SIPC works, what is protected, how to file a claim, etc.), please refer to the following websites:

http://www.SIPC.org

http://www.finra.org/InvestorInformation/InvestorProtection/SIPCProtecti...

or contact SIPC at:

Securities Investor Protection Corporation
805 15th Street, N.W. - Suite 800
Washington, D.C. 20005-2215
Telephone: (202) 371-8300
Facsimile: (202) 371-6728

Request a DSC+

1. Click on the button Request Physical Device.

2. The shipping address will be shown in the device information screen. If your address is outdated or invalid, you can amend it by clicking on Change Address and following the on-screen instructions. If you do not need to update your address, please proceed to step 3.

3. Enter a four-digit Soft PIN¹ for your DSC+. Please make sure to remember the PIN you are typing since it will be necessary to activate and to operate your device. When applicable and desired, you may change the account on which the 20 USD deposit will be kept on hold².  Complete this step by clicking on Continue.

4. The system will show you a summary of your selection. Please make sure the information displayed is correct. Should you need to perform changes, click on the white Back button under the information field (not your browser back button), otherwise submit the request by clicking on Continue.

5. You will receive a final confirmation containing the estimated shipment date³. Click on Ok to finalize the procedure.

Notes

1. For PIN guidelines, please consult KB2269.

2. The Security token and the shipment are both free of charge. Nevertheless, when you order your device, we will freeze a small amount of your funds (20 USD).  If your device is lost, intentionally damaged, stolen or if you close your account without returning it to IBKR, we will use that amount as a compensation for the loss of the hardware. In any other case, the hold will be released once your device has been returned to IBKR. More details on KB1861.

3. For security reasons, the replacement device is set to auto-activate within three weeks from the shipment date. IBKR will notify you when the auto-activation is approaching and when it is imminent.

References

• See KB1131 for an overview of the Secure Login System
• See KB2636 for information and procedures related to Security Devices
• See KB2481 for instructions about sharing the Security Login Device between two or more users
• See KB2545 for instructions on how to opt back in to the Secure Login System
• See KB975 for instructions on how to return your security device to IBKR
• See KB2260 for instructions on activating the IB Key authentication via IBKR Mobile
• See KB2895 for information about Multiple 2Factor System (M2FS)
• See KB1861 for information about charges or expenses associated with the security devices
• See KB69 for information about Temporary passcode validity

Si por alguna razón necesita devolver su dispositivo de acceso seguro a
Interactive Brokers, por favor, siga las siguientes instrucciones.

1. Descargue e imprima el “Formulario de Devolución de Acceso
Seguro”
2. Complete el formulario y haga un paquete con el dispositivo.
3. Envie su paquete a la dirección indicada abajo.

Para su seguridad, se recomienda utilizar una compañía que ofrezca un
número de rastreo (por ejemplo UPS, FedEx, DHL o USPS), ya que
usted será responsable de la devolución del token. Por favor, espere tres días
después
del envío para que su cuenta refleje la recepción por parte de IB del
dispositivo. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que el tiempo de entrega puede variar
debido a los retrasos del operador de carga.

Acción Adicional para Las Devoluciones de Reemplazo
Si se trata de una devolución para reemplazo y no por el cierre de una
cuenta, por favor llame a nuestro equipo de soporte técnico al 1-877-442-
2757, opción 2 y luego opción 6 para que nos notifique de su aparato
defectuoso y le proporcionaremos con un código temporal de seguridad que
le permitira seguir teniendo acceso a su cuenta hasta que reciba su nuevo
dispositivo de acceso seguro.

Para los usuarios de Platino:
Si esta devolviendo un dispositivo seguro de Platino (negro en forma de
una calculadora cuadrada) y requiere un dispositivo de reemplazo tendrá que
ir al Menú Gestión de Cuenta o Account Management, para solicitar un
nuevo dispositivo. Esto es necesario debido a las características de seguridad
de este dispositivo. Sólo se puede solicitar un nuevo
dispositivo después de que IB haya reconocido que ha recibido el
dispositivo devuelto.
Esto se debe ha que un solo dispositivo a la vez puede estar vinculada a su
cuenta. Una vez ordenado, por favor asegúrese de imprimir la página de
confirmación que contiene su número de PIN y la frase de única que se
necesita para activar el nuevo dispositivo.

Para los usuarios de los Alpine:
Si va a devolver un dispositivo de Alpine conexión segura (azul de forma
ovalada) IB reemplaza el dispositivo con base en las respuesta positiva de
"Sí" a las preguntas del questionario de dispositivos STP Formulario Return:
"¿Es necesario un dispositivo de reemplazo?"
No hay medidas adicionales que debe tomar en la página web.
Para preguntas y aclaraciones, por favor póngase en contacto con uno de
nuestros especialistas en seguridad al 1-877-442 2757, opción 2 y luego la
opción 6 o envie un correo electrónico a tac@interactivebrokers.com
Dirección postal para clientes de EE.UU. y Canadá: Dirección postal de
la UE y los clientes asiáticos:

Preliminary checklist:

Before setting up the IP Restrictions, you will need to:

• Know your WAN IP Address. That is the IP address exposed on the external (Internet) side of your network and it is different from your local IP address (called as well LAN IP address). If you trade from a company office, you can ask your IT or Networking department for the WAN IP address of your computer. If you connect to the Internet through a private broadband/cable/satellite connection you can get this information from your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
• Make sure that your IP address is static. This means your IP address will always remain the same, and will not change upon router/modem reboot or after a certain time period. The same entities which provided you with the WAN IP address, can as well clarify whether it is a static or dynamic one.
• Be aware that IP Restrictions are not effective immediately. Our systems apply the filters during their daily overnight restart. It can take up to 24 hours until they are active, depending on the time you submit your IP Restrictions request. The same applies when you modify or remove existing IP Restrictions. Please be sure to consider this when you are planning your course of action.
• The IP Restrictions will be applied to ALL Trading Platforms offered by IBKR. It will not affect Client Portal access, which will remain accessible from any IP address.

Note:

Please take note that the technical ability to misrepresent one's IP address exists, and full account protection is only ensured by using SLS Two-Factor Authentication (ibkr.com/sls).

If you have any questions on the topic, please feel free to contact IBKR's Technical Assistance Center.

How to set the IP Restrictions:

1. Login to Client Portal and click the menu icon in the top-left corner.
2. From the left side menu, click on Settings, then on User Settings. Then click on the wheel (configure) icon next to IP Restrictions.
   
3. You will see a brief description of the effects of IP Restrictions. To set up a new IP Restriction, click on Add IP Restriction.
4. Select the Trader from the drop-down list and enter the IP Address (in the format xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx) you want to allow for him. Then click on Continue.
5. If you logged into Client Portal without using the Two-Factor Authentication, you will now receive an email¹ containing a Confirmation Number. Enter it in the Confirmation Number field. Once done, click on Continue to submit the request. If you logged in to the Client Portal using a security device, please proceed directly to point 6.
6. If the operation completed successfully, you will see a confirmation screen. Click OK.
   
7. The system will now list your active IP Address restrictions. Should you want to create an additional one, click again on Add IP Restriction, otherwise navigate away from this section
   

Opt-out and IP Restrictions for Penny Stocks traders:

Clients who have elected to perform an opt-out, thus using the Two-Factor Authentication only for the Client Portal, must activate the IP Restrictions in order to be able to activate Penny Stocks Trading Permissions.

Additional best practices for securing your computer and your network: 

• When logging into the TWS, activate the checkbox “Use SSL” on the login screen. SSL (Secure Socket Layer) guarantees that all the information exchanged between your computer and our servers is protected using 128-bit encryption.
• Use a firewall to prevent unauthorized access to the services exposed by your network or/and computer. During the firewall set-up, please make sure you authorize the host/ports listed in section DESKTOP TWS of KB2816.
• Use antivirus software to identify and eliminate viruses which might have infected your computer.  As new viruses are constantly being created, you need to update the threats database of your antivirus software regularly.
• Use anti-malware software to detect and remove spyware/malware programs which can collect various types of personal information, monitor your browsing activity and interfere with the control of your computer. Nowadays many antivirus solutions include a built-in anti-malware protection.
• Refrain from using wireless connections (Wi-fi) which are public, unsecured or not operated by you. If the use of a unsecured network (e.g. public Wi-Fi hotspot) becomes necessary, do not log into any financial institution account you may have, including your IBKR account.