59.7% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider
- Good Money Guide experts highlight that Interactive Brokers' General Investment Account (GIA) is tailored for sophisticated investors, offering access to a wide range of investment products including derivatives and options. The platform is noted for its low-cost structure, with no account charges and minimal dealing commissions, making it one of the cheapest options available. However, slow customer service is mentioned as a drawback.
- Across 1375 user reviews on Good Money Guide, averaging 4.6/5, customers frequently commend the platform's low fees, broad market access, and advanced trading tools. Many users appreciate the ease of use and comprehensive service, while some express concerns about the complexity of the platform and occasional delays in customer support responses.
Interactive Brokers General Investment Account Expert rating
Our expert rating is the average of the areas listed here, each scored out of 5 by our team.Our experts have rated Interactive Brokers General Investment Account across one key area of our review framework.
- Excellent5.0
Pros
- Excellent market coverage
- Advanced investment platform
- Low-cost investing
Cons
- Customer service can be slow
See full expert review
Our verdict
Interactive Brokers’ (IBKR's) GIA is aimed at sophisticated investors, and offers access to derivatives, options, and futures. The platform is one of the cheapest across all asset classes. Capital is at risk.
Is IBKR's GIA a Good Account?
IBKR's GIA is its “universal account” that lets you invest in all asset classes via shares, CFDs, futures, options or funds.
The account is excellent for sophisticated investors who want to manage their own portfolios with complex order types. It's ideal for active investors who need access to a wider range of investment products like derivatives, options, and futures. IBKR is also one of the cheapest investment platforms across all asset classes, as it was built on offering electronic discount brokerage.
Fees
There is no account charge for general investment accounts at IBKR. When you buy and sell shares minimum dealing commissions are £1 in the UK or 0.05% of the deal size.
Special Offers
IBKR clients can earn $200 for each qualified referral while giving their friend the opportunity to earn up to $1000 of IBKR stock.
What is IBKR's Platform Like to Use?
The investment platform is a slimmed-down version of its exceptional desktop trader station. For investing it gives you a good overview of shares and funds.
Customer reviews for Interactive Brokers
Customer ratings come from reviews left on this site. Every review is read and approved before it is published.Based on 1,375 reviews
- Excellent74%
- Very good14%
- Basic7%
- Poor2%
- Bad2%
What customers like
- Low fees and competitive pricing
- User-friendly platform
- Fast execution and reliability
What customers dislike
- Poor customer service
- Confusing account management
- Slow response times
Read customer reviews
4/5
Pros:
Lots of investment options
Cons:
Improve the online service
5/5
Pros:
Easy and cheap
Cons:
Client atention and more markets
3/5
3/5
Pros:
Low cost and informative, but not good for small cap.
Cons:
Improve availability for smaller shares on their portal platform
3/5
4/5
Pros:
Range
Cons:
Deposit funds with debit cards or simple bank transfers
3/5
Pros:
Wide range of instruments
Cons:
Improve platform
3/5
Pros:
good data
Cons:
expensive for what it is
5/5
Pros:
low cost yet sophisticated
Cons:
be more user friendly
5/5
Pros:
Range of investments
5/5
Pros:
easy to trade
Cons:
Tends to be cheaper
5/5
Pros:
Depth of trading ability
Cons:
Better interface
4/5
Pros:
Has the essentials
Cons:
No thoughts
3/5
Pros:
Ease of use
Cons:
N/A
5/5
Pros:
low cost currency exchange
5/5
Pros:
Save my time
Cons:
Admin
3/5
3/5
Pros:
Dealing
5/5
Pros:
Currency handling
Cons:
Fees based on shares traded makes trading uk shares expensive
4/5
- Expert opinion: Interactive Brokers (IBKR) full review