Interactive Brokers Requirements

A couple of you had recommended getting started with Interactive Brokers as a student in college. I went to go create an account and it said you must have 1. $20,000+ in total assets 2. $20,000+ in liquid assets

I can satisfy the first requirement but i'm nowhere near the second. Did any of you get asked this question or did you just put down an accepted answer to get around it?

9 Comments
 

use think or swim...

They let you test the desktop software with paper money and they give the most for your money, in my oppinion.

For minimum of 3,500, you get what other discount brokers only provide with a minimum of 20k plus in an account...

 
Best Response

Not a big fan of IBKR - I use it for option trading since it's $1 a contract.

Not a big fan of Think or Swim...platform is expensive for options imo.
What do you want to trade first? Options, stocks, futures, forex? If you can give me a better idea on what you would like to do...I can steer you toward the best platform. As a matter of fact....I just thought of something. Go to Assent - get Series 7 licensed and your costs will be a buck a trade for options and then $1 per hundred shares. Platform is good...but you have to pay for the monthly platform...or you can call your orders into the desk.

2ndly - if you want to trade futures/forex...there are a ton of places - forex is free - they just take the spread and futures are about $2.75 in and $2.75 out.

ideatingYou can lie about the asset reqs - they don't check.

Surprisingly false. This is what I thought until they asked for proof. Luckily I just used my SA pay stub to show them I had the reqs.

Jack: They’re all former investment bankers who were laid off from that economic crisis that Nancy Pelosi caused. They have zero real world skills, but God they work hard. -30 Rock
 
Revsly
ideatingYou can lie about the asset reqs - they don't check.

Surprisingly false. This is what I thought until they asked for proof. Luckily I just used my SA pay stub to show them I had the reqs.

Perhaps it is on a case by case basis....they didn't check with me.

However I did ace (above 90%) the options trading quiz so perhaps they thought that I was knowledgeable enough about trading such that they didn't feel a need to check.

CLGCTrader....I just thought of something. Go to Assent - get Series 7 licensed and your costs will be a buck a trade for options and then $1 per hundred shares. Platform is good...but you have to pay for the monthly platform...or you can call your orders into the desk.

yea thats a brilliant idea...go bust your ass studying and find a firm to sponsor you for a series 7 license, and pay monthly all for recreational/practice trading!

youll be spending more money then you will be investing...

I would also reccomend ThinkorSwin...take a look at their platform and download it to your desktop...worst case is you dont like it and you delete it from your computer.

check out what they have to offer:

https://www.thinkorswim.com/tos/displayPage.tos?webpage=clientApplicati…

 

Enim illo culpa numquam dolor. Soluta qui dolore sit. Id eum numquam reprehenderit vel ea provident.

Non quis beatae et cumque commodi qui. Quod accusantium dolorum blanditiis veritatis necessitatibus. At consequatur aliquam in commodi. Dolores autem laboriosam distinctio.

Maxime omnis maxime eos. Cum deserunt laborum vitae consequuntur quibusdam aut culpa. Veniam vel sed aut.

Voluptates fugit dolorum corrupti natus aperiam. Aliquid soluta similique mollitia commodi.

Jack: They’re all former investment bankers who were laid off from that economic crisis that Nancy Pelosi caused. They have zero real world skills, but God they work hard. -30 Rock

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (48) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”