Is Interactive Brokers regulated?
Yes, at the top tier everywhere it operates. Interactive Brokers Group is listed on Nasdaq, joined the S&P 500 in 2025, and runs through companies regulated by the SEC and CFTC in the US, the FCA in the UK, the Central Bank of Ireland and, in Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (Interactive Brokers Singapore Pte Ltd, licence CMS100917). It reported USD 22.3 billion of equity capital in mid-2026.
Unlike most brokers in our reviews, IBKR has no offshore company. Whichever company holds your account, it answers to a tier-1 regulator.
Interactive Brokers in your country
- Singapore: Interactive Brokers Singapore Pte Ltd, MAS-licensed.
- UAE: IBKR has a DIFC branch licensed by the DFSA since 2024, but its licence covers arranging deals and custody, not forex or CFDs. IBKR doesn’t publish which company holds a UAE resident’s trading account.
- Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Malaysia: IBKR takes clients from more than 200 countries but doesn’t publish which company serves these four. Expect one of its US, UK or Irish companies.
- India: Indian residents open accounts with Interactive Brokers India, which is SEBI-regulated. IBKR says they are barred from trading futures, options or margin products on non-Indian markets, which rules out leveraged forex and CFDs.
Because every possible company is tier 1, the weaker-entity rule we normally apply makes no difference here.
Fees and account types
IBKR is the cheapest forex broker we’ve reviewed for anyone trading size. Spot forex costs 0.20 basis points of the trade value, falling to 0.08 at very high volumes, with a minimum of USD 2 per order. Prices come from 17 dealers with spreads as tight as 0.1 pip, and IBKR doesn’t mark them up. The minimum order charge means small trades cost relatively more.
There’s no minimum deposit and no inactivity fee. IBKR doesn’t publish an average EUR/USD spread, and we couldn’t confirm its gold or CFD pricing for Singapore.
Deposits and withdrawals
Funding is bank-based: wire, local transfers and regional methods depending on the IBKR company. There are no card or e-wallet deposits. Each month includes a free withdrawal allowance, after which IBKR charges a small fee, USD 10 for a wire. We didn’t find stated processing times.
Platforms
Trader Workstation is built for professionals: powerful, but it takes time to learn. IBKR also offers simpler desktop and mobile apps, GlobalTrader, APIs and a TradingView connection. There’s no MT4 or MT5.
Is Interactive Brokers safe?
Financially, very. US securities accounts carry SIPC cover plus excess insurance, and the group publishes audited SEC filings every quarter. We found no negative balance protection: IBKR’s terms say you remain liable for any deficit.
Its record has blemishes. In 2020 it paid about USD 38 million to the SEC, FINRA and CFTC for failing to file suspicious activity reports, and in July 2025 it settled with the US Treasury’s OFAC for USD 11.8 million over sanctions breaches it disclosed itself. The Philippine SEC issued an advisory against it in 2026. There is no Islamic account.
Who Interactive Brokers suits
Experienced traders in Singapore and the Gulf who want rock-bottom forex costs, tier-1 regulation and access to stocks, futures and bonds worldwide from one account. Beginners, MetaTrader users and anyone who needs a swap-free account will find it hard going.