【May 2025 update】This account now has a referral bonus. The referred customer can receive up to $1,000: net funds transferred into the account within one year of opening can earn a 1% bonus after 12 months. The maximum qualifying transfer is $100,000, which earns a $1,000 bonus. If you already plan to invest with this account, the transfer effectively comes with an extra bonus, which is pretty nice. If you only want the 1% bonus, there’s a trick so you don’t have to leave the money there for that long. According to Planet users, you only need to move the funds in during month 11, then leave them there for about a month to get the 1% match bonus. That works out to a 12% annualized return!

Also, this account can be opened with a Chinese passport and address, so if you’re in China and want to open a U.S. brokerage account, Interactive Brokers is very convenient. According to feedback shared by Planet users, China-based brokerages such as Futu and Tiger may send customer information back to mainland China, and large account balances could potentially trigger tax scrutiny. It’s recommended to diversify part of your assets into IB; IB is a U.S. broker and has not yet shared user data with mainland China.

About Interactive Brokers (IB)

Interactive Brokers (IB) is a U.S.-based multinational brokerage firm. By average daily revenue trades, it operates the largest electronic trading platform in the United States. The company offers brokerage services for stocks, options, futures, cash-settled futures, futures options, forex, bonds, funds, and some cryptocurrencies. In terms of safety and professionalism, Interactive Brokers is a leader in the industry.

Here are some key numbers

  • IBKR: listed on Nasdaq
  • $12.2 billion in equity capital
  • 75.5% privately held
  • $9 billion in excess regulatory capital
  • 2.2 million client accounts
  • 2.05 million daily average revenue trades
  • 10 regulated entities worldwide

Some of Interactive Brokers’ notable advantages include

  • Invest in 150 markets across 33 countries using 26 currencies
  • Interactive Brokers offers low commissions and access to stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and funds through a single integrated account
  • Access to U.S. and global markets
  • Fund your account in multiple currencies and trade assets denominated in multiple currencies
  • Market data access 24 hours a day, 6 days a week
  • No account minimum
  • No maintenance fees
  • Trade U.S. stocks without paying excessive foreign exchange fees

Sign Up

Interactive Brokers supports customers in more than 200 countries and regions, and they can trade stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, funds, and more across 150 markets worldwide through a single account.

The list of supported countries and regions is below

If you are a U.S. resident, you can open an account directly using your Social Security number (SSN), and tax treatment follows standard U.S. tax rules.

If you are in mainland China, you can also open the account directly with Interactive Brokers in the U.S. After registration, the W-8 series forms will be generated automatically.

If you are a resident of another Asian region other than India, Hong Kong, and Japan, and you choose to continue with your account application, your account will be opened with Interactive Brokers LLC in the United States. Interactive Brokers LLC is a member of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), and is regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). If you choose to continue opening the account, you agree to the above terms.

They’ve already provided detailed instructions on the official website.

Fees

The trading-related fees for the U.S. market are shown below. If you’re an individual user, IBKR Lite is enough in most cases, and there are no platform fees.

There are still some third-party fees

Their biggest advantage is that the margin rate is very attractive. According to a 2021 report by StockBrokers.com, theirs was the lowest among all platforms.

Idle Cash Interest Rate

They’ve launched a new feature that lets idle funds in your account earn up to 4.58% APY. However, only the cash balance above $10,000 qualifies.

IBKR Trading Platform

Interactive Brokers’ trading platforms have a lot of features. If you really want to get serious about investing, this platform is a great fit. It has features for everyone from beginners to advanced investors.

It also offers a very comprehensive set of tools.

Summary

Compared with the investing platforms we’ve introduced before, Interactive Brokers’ advantages are its scale, professionalism, and reputation. But it doesn’t offer much in the way of sign-up bonuses. If you value a comfortable and professional investing experience, it’s a solid choice.

For introductions to other platforms and their sign-up bonuses, see the table below.

Stock Market Basics

Here are some popular U.S. stock brokerages and their account-opening bonuses:

Overview Sign-Up Bonus Quick Take
Moomoo $200 in stock vouchers + $1,000 in Anthropic stock + 8.1% APY Feature-rich with a strong Chinese-language experience. Its market data, Level 2 quotes, options, and cash management features are useful for everyone from beginners to active traders.
TradeUp 50 shares of NVDA + a chance to win 5 shares + 4% for three months Well suited to active trading, with competitive trading fees and margin rates for U.S. tax residents. It supports Web Trading and Level 2 quotes and offers Chinese-language customer service.
Webull 12 fractional shares + one month of Premium membership Strong charting and active-trading features, including technical indicators, options, and premarket and after-hours trading. A good fit for frequent traders.
BBAE Up to $650 in rewards Convenient for Chinese users to open an account; applications are accepted without an SSN or ITIN. It offers good Chinese-language support, but currently charges a platform fee, making it less suitable for frequent trading with small amounts.
Robinhood A chance to win 1 share of stock Its simple interface is easy to use, making it suitable for first-time U.S. stock investors. Gold members also get a higher yield on uninvested cash and lower margin rates.
Interactive Brokers Up to $1,000 A highly capable broker with access to global markets and multiple currencies. Its margin costs are competitive, and Chinese residents can also open accounts. A good fit for experienced investors and those investing globally.
TradeStation $250 Geared toward professional and active traders, with powerful advanced charting, strategy backtesting, and automated trading tools. Most long-term investors may not need these features.
Schwab Up to $1,000 Well suited to long-term investing and larger portfolios, with convenient access to ETFs and CDs. Checking accounts and global ATM access are also advantages, but the default yield on uninvested cash is relatively low.
Fidelity Account opening link A long-established full-service brokerage suited to long-term investing, ETFs, and retirement accounts. It also offers good cash management, making it a solid choice as a primary long-term brokerage.
BIT (formerly Matrixport) Earn $210 by depositing and trading Suitable for Chinese users and digital asset investors. You can use funds such as USDT and USDC to invest in U.S. stocks. It is not a traditional U.S. brokerage, so review its fees and asset custody structure separately.
SoFi Invest $75 for opening an account Easy to use and supports Stock Bits, making it suitable for small investments and long-term investing. It has fewer advanced market data and trading tools, so it is not ideal for frequent trading.
M1 Finance Get $10 when you deposit Focused on Pies and automated investing. It is well suited to setting a stock and ETF allocation and investing regularly over the long term, but not to active trading.

If you don’t have an SSN or ITIN but still want to invest in U.S. stocks, consider the brokerages and platforms below. They accept a full set of Chinese documents, and you can register with a national ID card or passport. None participates in China’s CRS.

  • BBAE: Welcoming to Chinese users; no SSN or ITIN required to open an account
  • BIT (formerly Matrixport): Open an account with a national ID card; approval can take just a few hours.
  • Bitget: Complete identity verification with a national ID card or Chinese passport

If you’re in China and want to invest in U.S. stocks, see this overview:

Registration Link