Interactive Brokers Announces Commission-Free Trading Service IBKR Lite

Interactive Brokers announced the release Thursday of IBKR Lite, a commission-free trading service .

The development is a complement to existing services that will be rebranded as IBKR Pro. Now, with IBKR Lite, investors will be able to engage in cost-free trading of U.S. exchange-listed stocks and ETFs.

“Interactive Brokers has always been known as the low-cost broker for sophisticated investors and institutions. We are able to provide superior pricing due to our focus on automation,” Chairman and CEO Thomas Peterffy said in a statement. 

“In order to attract a broader audience, we wanted to remove any impediments to opening an IBKR account. With the addition of no commissions or fees to trade U.S. exchange-listed stocks and ETFs, no account minimums and no cost to maintain an account for IBKR Lite, we believe Interactive Brokers will offer the best pricing options for both professional and retail investors.”

What It Does

Clients, both new and existing, will be able to select between using IBKR Lite and IBKR Pro for a limited number of times.

Like other competitors, Interactive Brokers will route IBKR Lite orders to market makers in exchange for order flow payments. IBKR Pro users will continue to receive the best prices the brokerage can secure via sophisticated algorithms.

“In the past few years, many financial firms have lowered their fees, and some have even introduced so-called free trades. But there’s usually a catch, such as a limited number of transactions. IBKR Lite clients will be able to trade U.S. exchange-traded stocks and ETFs as little or as much as they want and it won’t cost them a dime,” Peterffy said. 

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