Hello everyone! I’m thinking about opening an account with Interactive Brokers but want to hear from real users first. I’m mainly worried about how reliable they are as a company and whether they actually deliver what they promise.
I’d really appreciate if you could share your honest experiences with them. Have you run into problems when trying to withdraw your money? How are their support team when you need help? Are there any hidden costs I should know about? Also curious about their early morning trading hours and if that works smoothly.
Basically looking for any honest feedback about what it’s actually like to trade with them. Thanks for your time!
Data feeds crashed twice during big news events in my 3 years with them. Lost decent profits both times. They don’t compensate you for outages like that.
Margin rates are solid though - way better than most retail brokers.
Here’s what nobody talks about: their order routing is sketchy sometimes. I’ve had limit orders just sit there while price blew past my level. Happened enough that I switched to mostly market orders.
Also, forex spreads go nuts during rollover. Time your exits right if you’re swing trading currencies.
Been with IB for eight years. Withdrawals hit your account in one business day. Phone support is solid during market hours, but chat support can be unreliable. Watch for inactivity fees if you don’t trade often. TWS has a steep learning curve. The mobile app is average but nothing special. Forex and futures work well during extended hours. Executions are reliable. The interface seems outdated compared to newer brokers, but once you get used to it, all the necessary tools are available.
The monthly minimum fees catch people off guard - they’re based on your account size and how active you are.
Withdrawals work fine for me, but some methods have fees so check first.
What surprised me most? Forex execution improved big time when I upgraded account tiers. Basic accounts have way wider spreads than what they show you.
I have been with Interactive Brokers for three years and I’ve found their withdrawals to be smooth. My money reaches my bank in 1 to 2 business days.
The commissions are clear, but pay attention to the monthly minimums if your trading activity is low. Support can be slow during busy times, but they are knowledgeable once you reach them.
Trading during pre-market and extended hours has worked well for me, with no execution issues. The platform has a learning curve, but it is solid after you get used to it.
I’ve been with them for about a year now. Just heads up - they’ll hit you with inactivity fees if you’re not trading regularly. The platform’s pretty overwhelming when you first log in, but you get used to it and it does the job.
