{"id":11814,"date":"2022-04-09T17:14:54","date_gmt":"2022-04-09T15:14:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience-2025-best-broker-for-swiss-investors\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T12:34:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T11:34:09","slug":"interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience (2026): Best broker for Swiss investors?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Since its foundation in 1977, Interactive Brokers has developed from a US pioneer in electronic trading to one of the world&#8217;s leading online brokers.<\/strong> <strong>In this report on our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience, we show where this powerful and award-winning US provider scores over the competition and what you should pay particular attention to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/themes\/schweizerfinanzblog\/components\/post-info-component\/post-info-component.css\">\n<div class=\"post-info-component\">\n\t\t<div class=\"von-and-comments\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/ueber-uns\/\">Stefan &#038; Toni<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t <span>| <a href=\"#comments\">194 Comments<\/a><\/span> \t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"post-dates\">\n\t\tupdated on 1\/13\/2026\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/themes\/schweizerfinanzblog\/components\/kurz-bundig-component\/kurz-bundig-component.css?v=2\">\n\n<div  id=\"OebVXBE\" class=\"kurz-bunding mb-3\" style='background-color:#f9f9fa'>\n\t<div class=\"d-flex kurz-bunding-title\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"kurz-bunding-icon\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lifghtbulb2.png\">\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<p class=''>\n\t\t\tShort &amp; sweet\t\t<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"kurz-bunding-content\">\n\t\t<ul>\n<li>The numerous award-winning US company Interactive Brokers (often referred to as IB or IBKR) was <strong>founded in 1977<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>IBKR develops <strong>powerful trading tools<\/strong> and offers them to other brokers and end customers.<\/li>\n<li>The contractual partner for CH customers is <strong>Interactive Brokers UK<\/strong>, the place of jurisdiction is London.<\/li>\n<li>Separate custody of customer funds and generous deposit protection stand for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Fgeneral%2Ffinancial-strength.php%0A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">high security standards<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>IBKR scores particularly well with its <strong>low costs<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>No custody account fees<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>no stamp duty  <\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Fpricing%2Fcommissions-home.php%3Fre%3Dapac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Attractive transaction fees<\/a> based on two pricing models: from <strong>$0.35<\/strong> on US exchanges or from <strong>CHF 1.50<\/strong> on European exchanges (incl. CH)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D16588\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Extremely low currency exchange fees<\/a>: Basic fee of <strong>2$<\/strong>, max. <strong>0.002%<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>You can hold <strong>several foreign currency accounts<\/strong> with IBKR.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Portfolio analyses<\/strong> are possible at the touch of a button, for example according to the degree of diversification. A separate tool, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Fportfolioanalyst%2Foverview.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">PortfolioAnalyst<\/a>, is also available for in-depth evaluations, which is also available free of charge to non-customers. <\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D45778\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Fractional trading<\/a> and <strong>automated savings plans<\/strong> are possible for many shares and ETFs.<\/li>\n<li>Trading access is possible via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D16130\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">several platforms<\/a>: on desktop and mobile devices, web-based and via app.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Support &amp; training:<\/strong> IBKR provides <strong>free support<\/strong>, also in German if required. Written inquiries are sometimes only answered after a week or more. In addition to traditional support, there is a <strong>demo account <\/strong>for those who are undecided as well as a <a href=\"https:\/\/ibkrcampus.eu\/?src=schweiz13&amp;ibban=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">learning center<\/a>, including explanatory videos in German on how to get started at IBKR.  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n<style>\n\t#OebVXBE .kurz-bunding-content li::marker{\n\t\tcolor: #37c392;\n\t}\n\t#OebVXBE .kurz-bunding-call-to-action a{\n\t\tbackground-color: #1bab78;\n\t\tcolor: #FFFFFF;\n\t}\n\n<\/style>\n\n\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#Preliminary_remarks_on_our_Interactive_Brokers_Switzerland_experience\">Preliminary remarks on our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Focus_on_ETFs\">Focus on ETFs<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Transparency_noticenbsp\">Transparency notice&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Traditional_broker_with_a_pioneering_spirit\">Traditional broker with a pioneering spirit<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Awards_underline_strong_market_position\">Awards underline strong market position<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#What_is_IBKR8217s_business_model_today\">What is IBKR&#8217;s business model today?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_safe_is_IBKR\">How safe is IBKR?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Which_exchanges_can_be_used_to_trade_with_IBKR\">Which exchanges can be used to trade with IBKR?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_comprehensive_is_the_ETF_product_range\">How comprehensive is the ETF product range?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Which_account_types_does_IBKR_offer\">Which account types does IBKR offer?<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Cash8221_account_type\">Cash&#8221; account type<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#The_8220Margin8221_and_8220Portfolio_Margin8221_account_types_8211_prerequisite_for_Lombard_loans\">The &#8220;Margin&#8221; and &#8220;Portfolio Margin&#8221; account types &#8211; prerequisite for Lombard loans<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Individual_and_joint_accounts_for_all_account_types\">Individual and joint accounts for all account types<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#What_fees_apply\">What fees apply?<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Custody_fees\">Custody fees<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Brokerage_fees_transaction_costs\">Brokerage fees (transaction costs)<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Staggered8221_price_model\">Staggered&#8221; price model<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Fixed_price8221_price_model\">Fixed price&#8221; price model<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#ETFs_without_transaction_fees\">ETFs without transaction fees<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Transaction_fees_for_real_trades\">Transaction fees for real trades<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Currency_exchange_fees\">Currency exchange fees<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Tip_no_1_Make_targeted_use_of_foreign_currency_holdings\">Tip no. 1: Make targeted use of foreign currency holdings<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Tip_no_2_Use_IBKR_as_a_currency_exchange_office\">Tip no. 2: Use IBKR as a currency exchange office<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Tip_no_3_Make_targeted_use_of_ETFs_with_foreign_currencies\">Tip no. 3: Make targeted use of ETFs with foreign currencies<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Stamp_duty_transaction_tax\">Stamp duty (transaction tax)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Other_fees\">Other fees<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#What_are_the_IBKR_trading_platforms_good_for\">What are the IBKR trading platforms good for?<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#PortfolioAnalyst_8211_free_analysis_tool_not_a_trading_platform\">PortfolioAnalyst &#8211; free analysis tool (not a trading platform)<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#TWS_and_IBKR_Desktop_for_active_traders\">TWS and IBKR Desktop for active traders<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#The_Client_Portal\">The Client Portal<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#How_well_diversified_is_your_portfolio\">How well diversified is your portfolio?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_green_is_your_portfolio\">How green is your portfolio?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Apps_for_smartphones_IBKR_Mobile_and_IBKR_GlobalTrader\">Apps for smartphones: IBKR Mobile and IBKR GlobalTrader<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Free_demo_version_for_the_undecided\">Free demo version for the undecided<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#Our_use_cases_for_the_Interactive_Brokers_Review\">Our use cases for the Interactive Brokers Review<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_does_the_account_opening_process_work\">How does the account opening process work?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_do_I_transfer_money\">How do I transfer money?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#What_to_consider_when_transferring_a_custody_account\">What to consider when transferring a custody account<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Change_to_joint_account_requires_securities_account_transfer\">Change to joint account requires securities account transfer<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_does_the_ETF_purchase_work\">How does the ETF purchase work?<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Fractional_trading_and_recurring_investments_savings_plan_possible\">Fractional trading and recurring investments (savings plan) possible!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#How_competent_and_efficient_is_the_helpdesk\">How competent and efficient is the helpdesk?<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Learning_Center_IBKR_Campus\">Learning Center \/ IBKR Campus<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#What_Interactive_Brokers_alternatives_are_there\">What Interactive Brokers alternatives are there?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Conclusion_from_our_Interactive_Brokers_Switzerland_experience\">Conclusion from our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience<\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#This_might_also_interest_you\">This might also interest you<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Updates\">Updates<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Disclaimer\">Disclaimer<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Preliminary_remarks_on_our_Interactive_Brokers_Switzerland_experience\">Preliminary remarks on our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Focus_on_ETFs\">Focus on ETFs<strong style=\"color: revert; font-size: revert; display: inline !important;\"><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p data-start=\"219\" data-end=\"489\">Anyone familiar with our blog knows that we pursue a <strong data-start=\"264\" data-end=\"340\">passive, cost-effective and broadly diversified buy-and-hold strategy<\/strong>. In our view, this can be implemented most effectively with <strong>equity ETFs<\/strong>, which is why we are deliberately focusing on this investment vehicle in this review.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"496\" data-end=\"689\">If you (also) want to invest in <strong>individual shares<\/strong> <strong data-start=\"551\" data-end=\"592\"><span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Interactive Brokers<\/span><\/span><\/strong> is also very attractive &#8211; as this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz12d&amp;url=%2Fen%2Ftrading%2Fus-stock-trading-costs-for-uk-and-eu.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">IBKR price comparison table for US shares<\/a> shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 data-start=\"298\" data-end=\"634\"><span id=\"Transparency_noticenbsp\">Transparency notice&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In order to report credibly and realistically at first hand, Toni and Stefan became <strong>customers of <span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Interactive Brokers<\/span><\/span><\/strong> in the course of researching this report. Since then, they have both held significant securities positions with IBKR, taking advantage of the favorable exchange rates, among other things. <\/p>\n<p data-start=\"641\" data-end=\"1022\">The offer of the renowned US provider convinced us overall, which is why we entered into a <strong>cooperation with Interactive Brokers<\/strong>. This article contains referral links. If you use these links, we may receive a small fee. There are no additional costs for you. Our assessment remains unaffected by this.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz14&amp;url=%2Fde%2Fhome.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"d-none d-md-block alignnone wp-image-11742\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Banner_Desktop_EN_neu-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"2100\" height=\"690\"><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz14&amp;url=%2Fde%2Fhome.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"d-block d-md-none alignnone wp-image-11751\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Banner_Mobile_EN_neu-4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"992\" height=\"892\"><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Traditional_broker_with_a_pioneering_spirit\">Traditional broker with a pioneering spirit<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyone who thinks that <strong>Interactive Brokers<\/strong>, <strong>IB<\/strong> or <strong>IBKR <\/strong>(B\u00f6rsenticker), as this US company is also known, is just another startup in the fintech sector will now be proven wrong. Interactive Brokers can look back on a <strong>long and pioneering company history of around 50 years<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The original organization was founded in 1977 as a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Market_maker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">market maker<\/a> under the name TP &amp; Co. and was renamed Timber Hill Inc. in 1982. renamed. It was the first to use fair value price sheets on a trading floor in 1979.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The founder and current Chairman of the Board of Directors is <strong>Thomas Peterffy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In his long professional career, Peterffy has proven himself to be a doer with a strong pioneering spirit. In 1983, he was the first to use handheld computers for trading. In 1987, he created the first fully automated algorithmic trading system to automatically create orders and send them to a market.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Between 1993 and 1994, the Interactive Brokers Group and its subsidiary Interactive Brokers LLC were formed to control its electronic brokerage and keep it separate from Timber Hill, which conducts market making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2014, Interactive Brokers was the first online broker to offer direct access to <a href=\"https:\/\/exchange.iex.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IEX<\/a>, a private forum for trading securities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, around 70% of IBKR&#8217;s shares are held by employees and companies associated with IBKR; founder Peterffy is the largest shareholder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you would like to find out more about the company history of Interactive Brokers, you can find more detailed information on the IBKR homepage in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D17406%0A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">&#8220;About us&#8221;<\/a> section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Awards_underline_strong_market_position\">Awards underline strong market position<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The numerous independent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D40118\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">awards<\/a> are a further indication of how successfully IBKR has positioned itself on the market over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-3272 size-full\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D40118\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"781\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Auszeichnungen_2025.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7038\" style=\"aspect-ratio:2.5600812542319913;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Auszeichnungen_2025.png 2000w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Auszeichnungen_2025-768x300.png 768w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Auszeichnungen_2025-1536x600.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Best broker here, best broker there: a small selection of the numerous awards Interactive Brokers has received on its website.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Interactive Brokers summarizes what it considers to be the most important arguments in favour of IBKR on its website under the heading <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D6358%0A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">&#8220;Why IBKR&#8221;<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"What_is_IBKR8217s_business_model_today\">What is IBKR&#8217;s business model today?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>IBKR develops powerful trading tools and offers them to other brokers and end customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two important sources of income for IBKR therefore consist of license fees from third-party brokers and trading commissions from private clients, including interest income from the granting of securities loans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we will see later, IBKR offers its private clients several account types, various trading platforms and a wide range of conditions, which clearly demonstrates IBKR&#8217;s claim: <strong>The focus is not only on the supposed professionals and heavy traders, but basically all investors should be addressed, starting with newcomers to the stock market. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"How_safe_is_IBKR\">How safe is IBKR?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Interactive Brokers is a <strong>regulated broker-dealer<\/strong> that has proven to be very <strong>crisis-resistant<\/strong> in its 50-year history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>IBKR also positions itself as a very secure broker and underlines its great <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Fgeneral%2Ffinancial-strength.php%0A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">financial strength<\/a>. The current state of IBKR&#8217;s finances can be seen in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/de\/index.php?f=38210\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">audited annual reports<\/a>, which IBKR publishes transparently for the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But how am I protected if IBKR does get into serious financial difficulties? In the unlikely worst-case scenario of &#8220;bankruptcy&#8221;, the following <strong>four security aspects<\/strong> <strong>in <\/strong>particular should be relevant for you as a <strong>Swiss<\/strong> <strong>investor: <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Separate custody of client assets and reserves:<\/strong> This strict separation of company capital and client assets is required by law, as IBKR is not a bank. IBKR determines the amount of cash and securities owed to a client on a daily basis and holds these funds separately for the exclusive benefit of the client. In addition, reserves are held as a buffer.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Account Protection #1:<\/strong> Cash and stocks, which includes equity ETFs, are generally subject to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sipc.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC)<\/a> <strong>deposit insurance<\/strong>. This provides for maximum cover of <strong>$500,000<\/strong>, including up to $250,000 for cash. Assets in other currencies are protected in the corresponding equivalent value to the USD.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Account Protection #2:<\/strong> Cash in excess of $250,000 is protected under the Insured Bank Deposit Sweep Program through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fdic.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FDIC insurance<\/a> of up to <strong>$2.5 million<\/strong>, for a total coverage of $2.75 million. IBKR transfers each participating customer&#8217;s unrestricted balances daily to one or more banks, up to $246,500 per bank, so that interest accrues and the FDIC protection limit is not exceeded.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Securities lending only optional:<\/strong> IBKR will not lend your securities if you finance them with your own cash. This rule should appeal to risk-averse individuals in particular. Two exceptions: First, for investments of $50,000 or more, securities can be <strong>optionally<\/strong> lent. This allows you to participate 50% in the resulting income. Secondly, securities lending is possible when using borrowed capital (applies to the &#8220;Margin&#8221; and &#8220;Portfolio Margin&#8221; account types). Click here for more information on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D20524%0A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">IBKR securities lending<\/a>.     <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And for all those who are skeptical about US providers due to the legal system there, the all-clear can be given: The contractual partner for customers from Switzerland is <strong>Interactive Brokers UK<\/strong>, which ultimately means that the <strong>place of jurisdiction<\/strong> would be <strong>London<\/strong>. This is stated in the &#8220;Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited and Interactive Brokers LLC Client Agreement&#8221; (Chapter A17, Section 1.1). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, it should not come to that. On request, IBKR has assured us that any disputes should first be resolved <strong>out of court and by mutual agreement<\/strong>. A so-called <strong>complaint ticket<\/strong> is available for this purpose, which can be used to submit complaints and similar concerns.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Which_exchanges_can_be_used_to_trade_with_IBKR\">Which exchanges can be used to trade with IBKR?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>IBKR offers a comprehensive range of services with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D6356%0A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">all major international stock exchanges<\/a> &#8211; including the Swiss SIX. It should be noted that IBKR manages SIX under the abbreviation &#8220;EBS&#8221; (Electronic Stock Exchange Switzerland).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"How_comprehensive_is_the_ETF_product_range\">How comprehensive is the ETF product range?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you decide on Interactive Brokers, you should check whether your desired ETFs are available at all. Practical: Even if you are not a client, you can find out more about IBKR&#8217;s ETF product range via the following link: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D6356%0A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">ETF product range by exchange (click on the red button &#8220;Search for products and exchanges&#8221;)<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1295\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_ETFs_an_CH_Boerse_2026-1-scaled.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_ETFs_an_CH_Boerse_2026-1-scaled.png 2560w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_ETFs_an_CH_Boerse_2026-1-768x388.png 768w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_ETFs_an_CH_Boerse_2026-1-1536x777.png 1536w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_ETFs_an_CH_Boerse_2026-1-2048x1036.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interactive Brokers&#8217; product range is also impressive with regard to the Swiss stock exchange: over 3,000 securities, including 2,439 ETFs, are available (as at 3.1.2026).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What is pleasing is not only the comprehensive ETF offering, which covers numerous stock exchanges worldwide, but also the fact that IBKR now offers <strong>reasonable filtering and sorting options<\/strong> as well as a <strong>direct search for individual securities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are still struggling to find your favorite ETF or stock, just let us know the <strong>ISIN or ticker\/symbol<\/strong> and &#8211; if relevant &#8211; the <strong>stock exchange<\/strong> in a comment below. As IBKR clients, we have direct access and may be able to help you get there faster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you already have an IBKR account, you can also use the <strong>market scanner<\/strong> to search for ETFs. For ETFs, however, the filtering and sorting options are currently limited to products listed on the <strong>US Nasdaq stock exchange<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Which_account_types_does_IBKR_offer\">Which account types does IBKR offer?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At IBKR you can choose from the following three <strong>account types<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cash and cash equivalents<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Margin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Portfolio Margin<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Below we briefly discuss their most important characteristics and distinguishing features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Cash8221_account_type\">Cash&#8221; account type<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The &#8220;Cash&#8221; account type is likely to be the first choice for most Swiss investors. This is because, unlike the other two account types, <strong>securities lending is optional<\/strong> here, and there is <strong>no minimum investment amount<\/strong> and <strong>no lending<\/strong>. We will therefore focus on this account type in this report on our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"The_8220Margin8221_and_8220Portfolio_Margin8221_account_types_8211_prerequisite_for_Lombard_loans\">The &#8220;Margin&#8221; and &#8220;Portfolio Margin&#8221; account types &#8211; prerequisite for Lombard loans<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>These two account types appeal to risk-oriented investors with strong nerves who wish to (partially) finance their investments with <strong>securities or Lombard loans<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This enables them to achieve a <strong>leverage<\/strong> effect. This means that if prices rise, there are substantial profits to be made. In the opposite case, losses accumulate.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The conditions for Lombard loans from Interactive Brokers are among the most attractive on the market compared to the competition.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-63\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-63\" aria-describedby=\"tablepress-63-description\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\"><\/td><th class=\"column-2\">CHF<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">EUR<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">USD<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-striping row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">DEGIRO<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2,50%* &#8211; 4,00%<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">4,75%* &#8211; 6,25%<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">5,25%* &#8211; 6,90%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Interactive Brokers<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">1,50%**<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">3,451%**<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">5,14%**<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Saxo Bank<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2,00%***<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">3,91%***<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">6,80%***<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">Swissquote<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">3,00%<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">4,93%<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">6,82%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<span id=\"tablepress-63-description\" class=\"tablepress-table-description tablepress-table-description-id-63\">Different margin conditions depending on currency and provider as of 12 January 2026. *Fixed advance, i.e. interest is charged on the entire amount allocated, regardless of how much is actually used. **Up to CHF\/EUR 90,000 or USD 100,000, then gradually cheaper. ***For the Classic account model; lower interest rates for the Platinum and VIP account models.<\/span>\n<!-- #tablepress-63 from cache -->\n\n\n<p data-start=\"134\" data-end=\"237\">You can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D46996%0A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">always find the current interest rates for Lombard loans<\/a> on the Interactive Brokers website.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"244\" data-end=\"472\">For leverage with securities such as ETFs, we recommend downloading the separate IBKR software <strong data-start=\"336\" data-end=\"364\">Trader Workstation (TWS).<\/strong> Among other things, information on the initial margin and maintenance margin can be called up there.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"479\" data-end=\"846\">In the case of &#8220;concrete gold&#8221; &#8211; regardless of whether it is a home or an investment property &#8211; debt financing is the rule and widely accepted by society. When it comes to securities, however, we tend to observe a skeptical or even negative attitude in the media. You can find out how we classify this in the article <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/lombard-loan-when-buying-etfs-a-booster-for-your-return-on-equity-or-playing-with-fire\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"5022\">Lombard loan when buying ETFs: Booster for your return on equity or playing with fire?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Individual_and_joint_accounts_for_all_account_types\">Individual and joint accounts for all account types<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>All three account types mentioned are available to you both as an individual customer and as a joint tenant, i.e. with two account holders. <\/strong>The latter is available as a &#8220;Joint Tenants with Rights of Survivorship&#8221; option, among others, and can be an interesting option for better <strong>financial protection in the event of the death of an account holder <\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience, switching from one account type to another with a transfer of cash and securities is also easy and free of charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"What_fees_apply\">What fees apply?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>High fees, which unfortunately still occur all too often, especially with Swiss brokers, reduce your returns year after year. Innovative foreign providers such as Interactive Brokers show that it can also be much cheaper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience, we have analyzed the following cost blocks for the <strong>IBKR account type &#8220;Cash&#8221;<\/strong>, which are common for Swiss investors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Custody fees<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Brokerage fees (transaction costs)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Currency exchange fees<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stamp duty (transaction tax)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Other fees<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Custody_fees\">Custody fees<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast to most Swiss brokers, Interactive Brokers Switzerland <strong>does not charge any custody account fees<\/strong>, regardless of how many transactions you carry out and how high your deposit is. Positive for you: Saving on these <strong>ongoing costs<\/strong> ultimately benefits your return. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Brokerage_fees_transaction_costs\">Brokerage fees (transaction costs)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The transaction-related brokerage fees consist mainly of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Fpricing%2Fcommissions-home.php%3Fre%3Dapac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">commissions<\/a> in favor of IBKR as well as any additional external costs such as stock exchange, supervisory and clearing fees. IBKR offers <strong>three different pricing models for ETFs<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Staggered<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fixed price<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Free ETFs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Apart from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D38027\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">free ETFs<\/a>, for which no brokerage fees are charged, you can choose freely between the &#8220;staggered&#8221; and &#8220;fixed price&#8221; price models for each trade. On the one hand, this offers you <strong>flexibility, <\/strong>but on the other hand it can also cause a certain amount of <strong>uncertainty<\/strong> when it comes to choosing the right price model for the trade in question.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Important: Based on our experience and as IBKR has confirmed to us on request, an adjusted pricing model only comes into effect on the following working day. This means that if you are planning a trade with a different pricing model tomorrow, you should change the currently activated one in the settings today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, the transaction-related IBKR fees require some explanation, which is why we will take a closer look at the &#8220;Tiered&#8221; and &#8220;Fixed price&#8221; pricing models in the following two chapters. Nevertheless, this much in advance:   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The main difference between the &#8220;Staggered&#8221; and &#8220;Fixed price&#8221; pricing models is that the former only covers commissions, while the latter includes all brokerage fees, i.e. commissions and external costs, which gives you more transparency regarding the costs incurred.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Staggered8221_price_model\">Staggered&#8221; price model<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>With this pricing model, the fees decrease as a percentage with increasing trading volume &#8211; at least in theory. This is because the first discount level for trading on a Swiss stock exchange is only reached from a monthly trading value of EUR 50 million (!), which is unlikely to be an option for most private investors (even from wealthy Switzerland). Prices, on the other hand, are much more strongly influenced by the <strong>trading venue<\/strong> and the <strong>trading currency<\/strong>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In concrete terms, this means that the relevant commission for trading <strong>ETFs and shares on the SIX Swiss Exchange<\/strong> is <strong>0.05% of the trading value<\/strong> &#8211; a minimum of CHF 1.50, EUR 1.25 or USD 1.70 and a maximum (cost ceiling) of CHF 49, EUR 29 or USD 39.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Interactive Brokers<\/strong> provides a complete overview of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Fpricing%2Fcommissions-stocks-europe.php%3Fre%3Deurope\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">fees on European stock exchanges<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3240\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"917\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Abbildung02_Preismodell_gestaffelt.gif\" alt=\"Interactive Brokers Switzerland Experience\" class=\"wp-image-3240\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Staggered&#8221; pricing model for trading ETFs and shares via the Swiss stock exchange SIX for the trading currencies EUR, CHF and USD. (Source: Interactive Brokers)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Six price examples<\/strong> for ETF trading via the Swiss stock exchange SIX with different trading currencies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>CHF 1.50 fee for trading value up to CHF 3,000 (minimum fee)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>5.00 CHF fee for a trading value of 10,000 CHF<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>EUR 1.25 fee for trading value up to EUR 2,500 (minimum fee)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>EUR 5.00 fee for trading value of EUR 10,000<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1.70 USD fee for trading value up to 3,400 USD (minimum fee)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>5.00 USD fee for trading value of 10&#8217;000 USD<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It should be noted that the <strong>&#8220;<\/strong>Tiered&#8221; price model may incur <strong>additional external costs<\/strong> such as exchange, supervisory and clearing fees. If an exchange offers rebates, IBKR will pass these on to the customer in full or in part. In <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience\/#Transaction_fees_for_real_trades\">this chapter<\/a> you will find the total transaction costs and brokerage fees, i.e. commissions including external costs, based on various real trades.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This pricing model is particularly suitable for investors who want to trade ETFs and shares with a value <strong>in the three- and four-digit range<\/strong> and are not deterred by a certain lack of transparency regarding external costs. For higher transaction amounts, you are usually better served &#8211; in relation to Swiss stock exchanges &#8211; with the &#8220;fixed price&#8221; price model, which we will discuss in the next chapter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trading <strong>ETFs and shares on US stock exchanges<\/strong> is particularly attractively priced at Interactive Brokers. Depending on the number of shares or ETF units, the <strong>minimum fee is just USD 0.35 per trade<\/strong>. Further information can be found in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Fpricing%2Fcommissions-stocks.php%3Fre%3Damer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">IBKR overview of US stock exchanges<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2412\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Preise_US_Gestaffelt.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7073\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Preise_US_Gestaffelt.png 2412w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Preise_US_Gestaffelt-768x199.png 768w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Preise_US_Gestaffelt-1536x397.png 1536w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Preise_US_Gestaffelt-2048x530.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2412px) 100vw, 2412px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">For example, if you buy 100 shares or ETF units on a US stock exchange, the IBKR commission for the &#8220;Staggered&#8221; price model is only USD 0.35 (100 x USD 0.0035). (Source: Interactive Brokers) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz12d&amp;url=%2Fen%2Ftrading%2Fus-stock-trading-costs-for-uk-and-eu.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">competitive comparison<\/a> shows how well IBKR performs on trades in US stocks compared to other brokers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Fpricing%2Fcommissions-home.php%3Fre%3Dapac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-wplink-edit=\"true\">more information on the &#8220;Staggered&#8221; price model<\/a> at Interactive Brokers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Fixed_price8221_price_model\">Fixed price&#8221; price model<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Fpricing%2Fcommissions-home.php%3Fre%3Dapac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&#8220;fixed price&#8221; price model<\/a> is generally suitable for investors who prefer things to be a little <strong>simpler <\/strong>and <strong>more transparent<\/strong>. In addition to the IBKR commission, these fees <strong>also include external costs such as stock exchange, supervisory and clearing fees.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, the <strong>trades<\/strong> should be <strong>at least in the four-digit range<\/strong>, as otherwise the minimum fee is too high with this price model.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Three price examples <\/strong>for ETF and share trading via various <strong>European stock exchanges<\/strong>, including in CH, D, F and UK, with different trading currencies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>CHF 5.00 fee for trading value up to CHF 10,000 (minimum fee)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>3.00 EUR fee for trading value up to EUR 6,000 (minimum fee)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>4.00 USD fee for trading value up to 8&#8217;000 USD (minimum fee)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A flat fee of <strong>0.05%<\/strong> applies for larger amounts. This means that a trade worth <strong>20,000 CHF\/EUR\/USD<\/strong> incurs a transaction fee of <strong>10 CHF<\/strong> or 0.05% of the trade value.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the following fee model you will find three further calculation examples from IBKR.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2478\" height=\"1646\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Preise_Europaeische_Boersen_fixes_Modell.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7053\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Preise_Europaeische_Boersen_fixes_Modell.png 2478w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Preise_Europaeische_Boersen_fixes_Modell-768x510.png 768w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Preise_Europaeische_Boersen_fixes_Modell-1536x1020.png 1536w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Preise_Europaeische_Boersen_fixes_Modell-2048x1360.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2478px) 100vw, 2478px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fixed price&#8221; price model for trading ETFs and shares in different currencies and on various European stock exchanges with three calculation examples. (Source: Interactive Brokers)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Insight:<\/strong> A constant, <strong>fixed fee amount<\/strong> &#8211; as suggested by the &#8220;fixed price&#8221; pricing model &#8211; is therefore <strong>only<\/strong> available on the European exchanges listed above <strong>up to a limited amount<\/strong>, which also varies depending on the trading currency. For amounts <strong>above this limit<\/strong>, <strong>a flat rate of 0.05%<\/strong> of the trading value is charged &#8211; <strong>without a cost cap<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even with this pricing model, it is <strong>significantly cheaper<\/strong> if you trade your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Fpricing%2Fcommissions-stocks.php%3Fre%3Damer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">ETFs and shares via a US stock exchange <\/a>, as the following fee statement clearly shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2424\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Preise_US_Festpreis.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7076\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Preise_US_Festpreis.png 2424w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Preise_US_Festpreis-768x171.png 768w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Preise_US_Festpreis-1536x342.png 1536w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Preise_US_Festpreis-2048x456.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2424px) 100vw, 2424px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fixed price&#8221; pricing model for trading ETFs and equities on US stock exchanges with three calculation examples. The pricing for shares also applies to ETFs. (Source: Interactive Brokers)  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Fpricing%2Fcommissions-home.php%3Fre%3Dapac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">more information on the &#8220;fixed price&#8221; pricing model<\/a> on the Interactive Brokers website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"ETFs_without_transaction_fees\">ETFs without transaction fees<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Interactive Brokers offers a fairly large selection of free ETFs. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D38027\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">the products listed with IBKR<\/a> are unlikely to be familiar to many investors in this country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the transaction fees at IBKR are very low anyway, or are hardly significant, we recommend that you <strong>do not make any compromises<\/strong> when choosing a product. You should only opt for a free ETF from IBKR if you are completely convinced by the product. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Transaction_fees_for_real_trades\">Transaction fees for real trades<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>It is of course interesting to see what fees are charged for real transactions. It takes some getting used to that IBKR &#8211; unlike Swissquote or DEGIRO, for example &#8211; <strong>does not<\/strong> send <strong>an automatically generated transaction receipt<\/strong> with price and fee details immediately after the trade (&#8220;push principle&#8221;). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, IBKR allows you to manually prepare various account statements for individual days or a desired period (&#8220;pull principle&#8221;).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It should also be noted that, in our experience, the fees charged are not shown on the report until <strong>the following day<\/strong>. The following account statements from Interactive Brokers illustrate the fee situation on Swiss and US stock exchanges based on our real trades &#8211; including three ETFs and a sale of Tesla shares with subsequent currency exchange.   <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3241\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1954\" height=\"826\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Gebuehren_Reale_Trades.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Gebuehren_Reale_Trades.png 1954w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Gebuehren_Reale_Trades-768x325.png 768w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Gebuehren_Reale_Trades-1536x649.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1954px) 100vw, 1954px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Transaction overview from IBKR showing the total fees for different ETF trades. The &#8220;Staggered&#8221; price model was selected in the majority of cases. Only the first purchase of the 9 ETF units &#8220;VWRL&#8221; resulted in fees of CHF 5.00 according to the &#8220;fixed price&#8221; price model (not suitable for amounts of this size); the ETFs &#8220;ESREU&#8221; and &#8220;VWRL&#8221; were traded via the Swiss stock exchange SIX, &#8220;VNQI&#8221; via the US stock exchange Nasdaq with unbeatable fees of only USD 0.35 each, once with fractional trading.  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1928\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Verkauf_TSLA_Aktien_Waehrungswechsel.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12622\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Verkauf_TSLA_Aktien_Waehrungswechsel.png 1928w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Verkauf_TSLA_Aktien_Waehrungswechsel-768x214.png 768w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Verkauf_TSLA_Aktien_Waehrungswechsel-1536x427.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1928px) 100vw, 1928px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Interactive Brokers with super low fees for US trades: On 16.12.2024, the sale of 32 Tesla shares (USD 14,656) only cost USD 1.41 (CHF 1.27) in commissions. The subsequent currency exchange of USD 14,600 into CHF was also minimal with a minimum fee of USD 2 (CHF 1.79).   <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Currency_exchange_fees\">Currency exchange fees<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Currency exchange fees are incurred if, for example, you pay for an ETF with the trading currency euro in CHF. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D16588\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">The IBKR fee for currency exchange<\/a> is between <strong>0.08 to 0.20 basis points<\/strong> (BPS) or 0.0008 to 0.002 percent (!), which in our opinion is a <strong>very fair deal<\/strong>. IBKR emphasizes that this does not include any hidden spreads or premiums. Please note, however, that IBKR charges a <strong>minimum exchange fee of USD 2 per transaction.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience, we have put together <strong>three tips<\/strong> <strong>on currency exchange<\/strong>:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Tip_no_1_Make_targeted_use_of_foreign_currency_holdings\">Tip no. 1: Make targeted use of foreign currency holdings<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If you already have foreign currency holdings in your Swiss bank account and would like to invest in assets denominated in foreign trading currencies at the same time, you can save yourself the foreign currency fees of IBKR altogether. This is because it is possible to hold over <strong>100 foreign currency accounts<\/strong> with IBKR. We recommend this without restriction for the euro, as EUR transactions from your Swiss bank to IBKR via the <a href=\"https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Europ%C3%A4ischer_Zahlungsraum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">European SEPA payment area<\/a> are <strong>free of charge <\/strong>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Tip_no_2_Use_IBKR_as_a_currency_exchange_office\">Tip no. 2: Use IBKR as a currency exchange office<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Stefan made several such currency exchanges at IBKR, including CHF 1,500 (EUR 1,515) on 6.12.2022 and CHF 4,100 (EUR 4,249.80) on 29.11.2023. He transferred the EUR amounts free of charge via SEPA transfer to the EUR account of his Swiss house bank. Two findings from this:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In both cases, the currency exchange was <strong>cheaper with IBKR than with Wise<\/strong> (formerly Transferwise). With Wise, only EUR 1,511.06, i.e. around EUR 4 less, or EUR 4,230, i.e. around EUR 20 less, would have been transferred. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>A little patience<\/strong> is required: With IBKR, the new EUR amount is immediately displayed under cash after the currency exchange. However, only a fraction of the total amount is initially available for the EUR transfer back to the CH house bank. IBKR was only able to transfer the full amount after three working days. This was then credited to the EUR account of the CH house bank on the same day.   <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Tip_no_3_Make_targeted_use_of_ETFs_with_foreign_currencies\">Tip no. 3: Make targeted use of ETFs with foreign currencies<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Due to IBKR&#8217;s low foreign currency fees, the costs for currency exchange when trading are hardly noticeable, e.g. if you exchange CHF into USD to buy an ETF in the trading currency USD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But beware: We definitely cannot recommend USD transactions from the CH house bank to IBKR. According to our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience, there are hefty fees until the money arrives at IBKR, which are not charged by IBKR and whose composition is not transparent (see our test transfer in <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience\/#How_do_I_transfer_money\">this chapter<\/a>).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Stamp_duty_transaction_tax\">Stamp duty (transaction tax)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Positive for your return: <strong>no stamp duty is<\/strong> payable on transactions via Interactive Brokers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the case of Swiss brokers and banks, on the other hand, stamp duty is levied by the federal government on every transaction. These are 0.075% for domestic securities (domestic ISIN) and 0.15% for foreign securities (foreign ISIN). For a trade worth CHF 20,000, you save CHF 15 or CHF 30 in stamp duty at IBKR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find out more about the taxation of ETFs in our article <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/etf-taxes-switzerland-with-5-tax-saving-tips\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"3167\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ETF taxes Switzerland: Optimize your portfolio with these 5 tax-saving tips.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Other_fees\">Other fees<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can access a detailed and continuously updated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D15561\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">overview of Interactive Brokers&#8217; other fees<\/a> online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But please don&#8217;t be alarmed: you can expect quite a jungle of fees, which we also had to fight our way through &#8211; partly with the help of IBKR support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Our findings on the &#8220;Other fees&#8221;:<\/strong> Most of the items listed there will not be relevant for you. In other words, the fees at IBKR are extremely attractive for Swiss investors and are essentially limited to the cost blocks described above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, there are <strong>product costs for the ETF<\/strong>, the so-called <strong>Total Expense Ratio (TER)<\/strong>. However, this is charged by the ETF provider, is product-specific and therefore independent of the choice of broker. For this reason, we have not included the TER in this report on our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"What_are_the_IBKR_trading_platforms_good_for\">What are the IBKR trading platforms good for?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As we have already explained, Interactive Brokers offers several account types and several pricing models. But that&#8217;s not all: you are also spoiled for choice when it comes to trading platforms. A total of <strong>seven different solutions<\/strong> are available to you &#8211; from simple web access to professional trading software.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The following overview shows which investment products can be traded on which solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3242\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2406\" height=\"1062\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Plattformvergleich.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7096\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Plattformvergleich.png 2406w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Plattformvergleich-768x339.png 768w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Plattformvergleich-1536x678.png 1536w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Plattformvergleich-2048x904.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2406px) 100vw, 2406px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The agony of choosing the right platform: Interactive Brokers offers its private investors no fewer than seven variants. The table shows which investment products can be traded on which IBKR platform. (Source: Interactive Brokers)  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"PortfolioAnalyst_8211_free_analysis_tool_not_a_trading_platform\">PortfolioAnalyst &#8211; free analysis tool (not a trading platform)<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PortfolioAnalyst<\/strong> is deliberately <strong>not a trading platform<\/strong> and is therefore not listed in the overview above. Instead of executing trades, the tool is used for <strong>comprehensive portfolio analysis<\/strong> &#8211; and is <strong>freely accessible, even for non-customers<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1008\" height=\"579\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_PortfolioAnalyst.png\" alt=\"IBKR PortfolioAnalyst\" class=\"wp-image-14730\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_PortfolioAnalyst.png 1008w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_PortfolioAnalyst-768x441.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1008px) 100vw, 1008px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">PortfolioAnalyst is a separate, free analysis tool and not a trading platform. It is also freely accessible to non-customers.  (Source: Interactive Brokers)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>PortfolioAnalyst is particularly helpful for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Consolidated evaluations across several depots<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Analysis by asset class, region and degree of diversification<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Performance, risk and cost overviews at the touch of a button<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>PortfolioAnalyst thus ideally complements the IBKR platforms without competing with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Fportfolioanalyst%2Foverview.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">more information about PortfolioAnalyst<\/a> on the Interactive Brokers website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"TWS_and_IBKR_Desktop_for_active_traders\">TWS and IBKR Desktop for active traders<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With the Flagship <strong>Trader Workstation (TWS) <\/strong>, Interactive Brokers is targeting <strong>active traders<\/strong>. This platform can be used not only to trade shares, options, futures, currencies, bonds and funds on more than 150 markets worldwide, but also to create corresponding technical analyses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With <strong>IBKR Desktop<\/strong>, a slimmed-down, app-based version of the Trader Workstation (TWS) is now available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Further information on the two trader platforms <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D15899%0A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TWS<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz12g&amp;url=%2Fde%2Ftrading%2Fibkr-desktop.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">IBKR Desktop<\/a> can be found on the Interactive Brokers website.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"620\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_Plattform_IBKR_Desktop-1080x620.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7097\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The latest platform &#8220;IBKR Desktop&#8221; is app-based, suitable for the big screen and, according to IBKR, is designed to combine the best of proven and new technologies with its completely new UI framework. (Source: Interactive Brokers) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Buy and hold investors, who mainly invest in passive and broadly diversified ETFs, are naturally not interested in speculative day trading.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We would therefore like to <strong>limit<\/strong> our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience to the following <strong>three proven standard platforms:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Client Portal<\/strong> (see <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience-2025-best-broker-for-swiss-investors\/#The_Client_Portal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">this chapter<\/a>) for the web-based application on the desktop and<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>IBKR Mobile<\/strong> (see <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience\/#IBKR_Mobile_App\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience\/#Apps_for_smartphones_IBKR_Mobile_and_IBKR_GlobalTrader\">of this chapter<\/a>) or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>IBKR GlobalTrader<\/strong> (see <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience\/#Apps_for_smartphones_IBKR_Mobile_and_IBKR_GlobalTrader\">this chapter<\/a>) as app-based solutions for on the move.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"client-portal\"><span id=\"The_Client_Portal\">The Client Portal<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D31260%0A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Client Portal<\/a> is the central platform where you can perform the following key activities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Deposits and withdrawals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Review of price quotations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Securities trading (e.g. buying and selling ETFs and shares)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Portfolio review with regard to liquidity and performance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Retrieval of various reports (so-called portfolio snapshots)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Customer service<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike other IBKR platforms, the client portal is <strong>web-based<\/strong>, so <strong>no download<\/strong> is necessary. Incidentally, the texts on the portal can be displayed in <strong>different languages<\/strong>, including German, at the click of a button. According to IBKR, the Client Portal is aimed at beginners, advanced users and professionals alike. This makes it <strong>the broadest IBKR platform in terms of target audience<\/strong>.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Useful:<\/strong> When you register for the first time and in the days that follow, an <strong>introductory guide<\/strong> is displayed on the start page, which explains the most important functions and settings of IBKR step by step.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3243\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1399\" height=\"948\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Abbildung05_Startseite_Einstiegsleitfaden.gif\" alt=\"Interactive Brokers Switzerland Experience\" class=\"wp-image-3243\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Home page with useful introductory guide to key functions and settings on the Interactive Brokers Client Portal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>After a few days, the introductory guide disappears again and the focus shifts to information about your own portfolio.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3259\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1400\" height=\"899\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Abbildung06_Startseite_Wertentwicklung-1.gif\" alt=\"Interactive Brokers Switzerland Experience\" class=\"wp-image-3259\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Home page with the performance of your own portfolio on the Interactive Brokers client portal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Click on &#8220;Performance&#8221; to switch from the liquidity curve (see illustration above) to the performance curve (see illustration below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The profit (green) and loss (red) phases during the call period are clearly marked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We also find it helpful that the performance of your own portfolio can be compared with a <strong>benchmark<\/strong>. We have chosen the market-wide &#8220;Vanguard Total World Stock Index&#8221;, whose performance is illustrated by the blue curve. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3258\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1408\" height=\"508\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Abbildung07_Startseite_Performance-1.gif\" alt=\"Interactive Brokers Switzerland Experience\" class=\"wp-image-3258\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Home page with performance development of the portfolio and benchmark on the Interactive Brokers client portal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>But this is just a foretaste. The evaluation options offered by IBKR&#8217;s Client Portal go much further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"How_well_diversified_is_your_portfolio\">How well diversified is your portfolio?<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, you can have the <strong>concentration of<\/strong> <strong>your portfolio<\/strong> evaluated under the heading &#8220;Performance &amp; Reports&#8221;. Your ETF portfolio is &#8220;broken down&#8221; into all individual stocks, each with an indication of the absolute value and the percentage weighting. Each individual position can also be expanded, creating a link to the corresponding ETFs (see the last two lines in the illustration below).  <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3246\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1381\" height=\"904\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Abbildung08_Konzentrationsbericht.gif\" alt=\"Interactive Brokers Switzerland Experience\" class=\"wp-image-3246\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">On the Interactive Brokers client portal, diversification checks are even possible at the level of individual stocks in the portfolio.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>If you scroll further down, the portfolio is broken down classically by asset class, sector, region, country and financial instrument.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3247\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"655\" height=\"582\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Abbildung09_Assetklasse_Allokation.gif\" alt=\"Interactive Brokers Switzerland Experience\" class=\"wp-image-3247\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The distribution of asset classes at a glance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"How_green_is_your_portfolio\">How green is your portfolio?<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>As we showed in our article <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/green-stocks-40-etfs-compared\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Green stocks: 40 ETFs compared<\/a>, there are now numerous attractive ETFs aimed at the rapidly growing group of sustainability-oriented investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the &#8220;ESG&#8221; feature, Interactive Brokers enables this group of investors to analyze their portfolio according to the ESG focus areas &#8220;Environment&#8221;, &#8220;Social&#8221; and &#8220;Corporate Governance&#8221; with one click, using no fewer than ten criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3269\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1341\" height=\"719\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Abbildung10_ESG-Analyse.gif\" alt=\"Interactive Brokers Switzerland Experience\" class=\"wp-image-3269\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">ESG evaluations of your own portfolio are possible with just one click on the IBKR Client Portal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>If the standard evaluations in the Client Portal are not sufficient, the separate PortfolioAnalyst analysis tool offers additional options.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Fportfolioanalyst%2Foverview.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Further information on the free PortfolioAnalyst<\/a> can be found on the Interactive Brokers website.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Apps_for_smartphones_IBKR_Mobile_and_IBKR_GlobalTrader\">Apps for smartphones: IBKR Mobile and IBKR GlobalTrader<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As a useful addition to the Client Portal, Interactive Brokers offers two app-based platforms for your pocket (Apple and Android): <strong>IBKR Mobile<\/strong> and <strong>IBKR GlobalTrader<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While IBKR Mobile has numerous functions and the entire IBKR product range, the newer IBKR GlobalTrader app focuses on the most important functions (global trading including fractional trading of stocks and ETFs) as well as the three product groups stocks, investment funds and options.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"2540\" height=\"2500\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_IBKRmobile_vs_IBKRGlobalTrader.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7132\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_IBKRmobile_vs_IBKRGlobalTrader.png 2540w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_IBKRmobile_vs_IBKRGlobalTrader-64x64.png 64w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_IBKRmobile_vs_IBKRGlobalTrader-768x756.png 768w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_IBKRmobile_vs_IBKRGlobalTrader-1536x1512.png 1536w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/IBKR_IBKRmobile_vs_IBKRGlobalTrader-2048x2016.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2540px) 100vw, 2540px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">There are two apps for smartphones to choose from: IBKR Mobile (left) with comprehensive information and extended functions and IBKR GlobalTrader (right), clearly designed and with a focus on the essentials. (Own screenshots) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Further information on the two practical mobile apps <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D6354%0A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IBKR Mobile (comprehensive)<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz15&amp;url=%2Fde%2Ftrading%2Fglobaltrader%2Foverview.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">IBKR GlobalTrader (clear)<\/a> can be found on the Interactive Brokers website.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Free_demo_version_for_the_undecided\">Free demo version for the undecided<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>IBKR offers various demo versions that can be tested free of charge and without obligation, including for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D31260%0A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Client Portal<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D6354%0A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IBKR Mobile<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz15&amp;url=%2Fde%2Ftrading%2Fglobaltrader%2Foverview.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">IBKR GlobalTrader<\/a> platforms presented above. The demo version is also called &#8220;Paper&#8221; in the tool (at login) or &#8220;Paper trading account&#8221; (in the settings).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Our_use_cases_for_the_Interactive_Brokers_Review\">Our use cases for the Interactive Brokers Review<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to make the most realistic statements possible, we opened our own accounts with IBKR, invested our own money and ran through the following use cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How does the account opening process work? (see <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience\/#How_does_the_account_opening_process_work\">this chapter<\/a>) <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do I transfer money? (see <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience\/#How_do_I_transfer_money\">this chapter<\/a>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What should I bear in mind when transferring a custody account? (see <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience\/#What_to_consider_when_transferring_a_custody_account\">this chapter<\/a>) <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How does the ETF purchase work? (see <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience\/#How_does_the_ETF_purchase_work\">this chapter<\/a>) <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How competent and efficient is the helpdesk? (see <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience\/#How_competent_and_efficient_is_the_helpdesk\">this chapter<\/a>) <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In each case, we first describe how it works. Then we assess the use case. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"How_does_the_account_opening_process_work\">How does the account opening process work?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2FUniversal%2FApplication%0A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">free account opening<\/a> is done online without any paperwork, is available in German throughout and takes about <strong>20 minutes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First you decide on a user name and password.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3248\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1310\" height=\"782\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Abbildung10_Anmeldemaske.gif\" alt=\"Interactive Brokers Switzerland Experience\" class=\"wp-image-3248\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Login screen at IBKR with e-mail address, user name and password.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Interactive Brokers requires the following information from every new account holder and every new customer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Personal information and contact details<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Information on income and tax domicile<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Information on trading experience and investment objectives<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Bank account details<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This applies to <strong>individual customers<\/strong>. If you opt for a <strong>joint account<\/strong>, some additional basic information about the authorized second person is required.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Incidentally, <strong>no umlauts<\/strong> may be used in the free text fields (i.e. &#8220;Zuerich&#8221; instead of &#8220;Z\u00fcrich&#8221;).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To ensure that you complete the registration procedure efficiently, you should have your passport or driver&#8217;s license ready (ID is not accepted).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You should also think about your <strong>sources of wealth<\/strong> in advance. This is because IBKR expects its clients to make a statement about the origin of their existing assets. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3249\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1227\" height=\"636\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Abbildung11_Anmeldung_Vermoegensquellen.gif\" alt=\"Interactive Brokers Switzerland Experience\" class=\"wp-image-3249\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">IBKR would like to know where your existing client assets come from.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The main source of existing assets for most Swiss investors is likely to be &#8220;income from employment&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other sources such as inheritances or dividends can be selected as required and assigned corresponding percentages. You can only continue the registration process when the sources of wealth add up to exactly 100 percent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is obvious that the sources of wealth can only be <strong>a rough estimate<\/strong>. So don&#8217;t be put off by this supposedly tricky question! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2FUniversal%2FApplication%0A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">opening an account free of charge<\/a>, future logins will be carried out using <a href=\"https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zwei-Faktor-Authentisierung\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">two-factor authentication<\/a>, which meets increased security standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Practical:<\/strong> Every time you log in, you can choose between the &#8220;Live&#8221; (standard) and &#8220;Paper&#8221; (demo) versions. The former replicates your real portfolio and is intended for &#8220;live&#8221; transactions. The latter is suitable if you only want to simulate transactions in a sample portfolio.  <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3251\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"560\" height=\"423\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Abbildung12_Login.gif\" alt=\"Interactive Brokers Switzerland Experience\" class=\"wp-image-3251\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Login with the variants &#8220;Live&#8221; and &#8220;Paper&#8221; (demo).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"How_do_I_transfer_money\">How do I transfer money?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Money can be transferred conveniently via your Swiss bank, and in <strong>different currencies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3252\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1039\" height=\"620\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Abbildung13_Cash_Report.gif\" alt=\"Interactive Brokers Switzerland Experience\" class=\"wp-image-3252\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Whether CHF, EUR, USD or other currencies: Separate accounts for numerous currencies are easily possible at IBKR.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>According to our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience, thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/de.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Europ%C3%A4ischer_Zahlungsraum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SEPA<\/a>, transfers in the currencies CHF and EUR arrive 100% or free of charge on the respective IBKR currency account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, we cannot recommend USD transfers. In our test transfer, only 186 USD of the original 200 USD arrived. But that&#8217;s not all: depending on the Swiss bank, your house bank may also charge a flat fee for such transfers. In the case of PostFinance, for example, CHF 2 is charged.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please note that you must notify IBKR of the amount and currency before making a transfer via your bank.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3253\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1341\" height=\"602\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Abbildung14_Bankueberweisungen_CHF_Voranmeldung.gif\" alt=\"Interactive Brokers Switzerland Experience\" class=\"wp-image-3253\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Notification IBKR about future transfers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>For example, if you want to invest in an ETF with USD as the trading currency, it is much cheaper to have your CHF or EUR exchanged directly via IBKR (see section on <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience\/#Currency_exchange_fees\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/interactive-brokers-schweiz-erfahrungen\/#Waehrungswechselgebuehren\">currency exchange fees<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to <strong>transfer cash from IBKR back to your house bank<\/strong>, our experience is that <strong>one transaction per month is free<\/strong>, with each additional transaction costing CHF 11. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"What_to_consider_when_transferring_a_custody_account\">What to consider when transferring a custody account<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When transferring securities accounts, a distinction is made between external transfers (change of broker) and internal transfers within the same provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience, securities transfers to Interactive Brokers have improved noticeably in recent years: While an external transfer in 2022 was still time-consuming, subsequent transfers from PostFinance &#8211; including Tesla shares and, most recently, an ETF at the turn of the year 2025\/26 &#8211; were always processed smoothly within a few days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>IBKR itself does not charge any fees for custody account transfers. However, the sometimes steep costs charged by the transferring brokers, for example CHF 100 per position at PostFinance, should be noted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Our assessment:<\/strong> Despite these fees, a securities account transfer can make sense &#8211; <strong>it is better to accept one-off costs than to be permanently annoyed by a broker who is too expensive<\/strong>. If you are still undecided, you can start with fresh capital at IBKR and consider a transfer later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Change_to_joint_account_requires_securities_account_transfer\">Change to joint account requires securities account transfer<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>According to our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience, a change of customer type also requires a securities account transfer, and an internal one at that. This means that a simple change to the settings of the existing account is not possible. Both Stefan and Toni opened a new joint account (customer type &#8220;joint&#8221;) and then transferred cash and securities internally from their previous individual account (customer type &#8220;individual customer&#8221;) to the new joint accounts in two separate IBKR steps.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This internal transfer only required a few clicks, was completed in a few minutes (Stefan with the &#8220;Cash&#8221; account type) or a few days (for Toni with the &#8220;Margin&#8221; account type) and is <strong>free of charge<\/strong>. The previous individual account remains in place or can be deleted separately if required.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"How_does_the_ETF_purchase_work\">How does the ETF purchase work?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>ETFs can be bought in just a few seconds using the &#8220;Trade&#8221; button. The range is huge, as we have already explained in <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/interactive-brokers-switzerland-experience\/#How_comprehensive_is_the_ETF_product_range\">this chapter<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the corresponding IBKR account has been &#8220;fed&#8221; with sufficient cash, the next step is to select your preferred ETF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The initial selection is made via the free text field. In our experience, the easiest way to search is to <strong>enter the ticker<\/strong>, which usually identifies the ETF or share with four letters. Several hits are often displayed.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next step is to narrow down the search results further by selecting the desired stock exchange and the preferred trading currency.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-image-3254\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1668\" height=\"974\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Abbildung15_Bestaetigung_Trade.gif\" alt=\"Interactive Brokers Switzerland Experience\" class=\"wp-image-3254\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Purchase confirmation (right) for the ETF &#8220;Vanguard All-World UCITS&#8221; traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange (EBS) in trading currency CHF (and fund currency USD) with ticker &#8220;VWRL&#8221; on the IBKR Client Portal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>According to our experience with Interactive Brokers Switzerland, one or two warning windows pop up until the final purchase is made. We were not unsettled by this and generously clicked away the risk warnings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Fractional_trading_and_recurring_investments_savings_plan_possible\">Fractional trading and recurring investments (savings plan) possible!<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Trading <a href=\"https:\/\/www.interactivebrokers.co.uk\/mkt\/?src=schweiz13&amp;url=%2Fde%2Findex.php%3Ff%3D45778\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">fractions of ETFs and shares<\/a> is a specialty of Interactive Brokers. This should be particularly attractive for investors who only have a small budget and\/or wish to invest a fixed amount each month via a savings plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This offer applies to over <strong>22,000 shares and ETFs<\/strong> (as at 3.1.2026) traded on <strong>North American and European stock exchanges<\/strong> (see our purchase of 3.5 ETF shares of the Vanguard ETF &#8220;VNQI&#8221; in the account statement above).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Important:<\/strong> In order to benefit from fractional trading, you must first activate this function in the settings under &#8220;Trading authorizations&#8221;, &#8220;Change\/add shares&#8221;, &#8220;Worldwide &#8211; global (fractional trading)&#8221;.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Activating this function also allows you to set up an automatic savings plan.  <\/strong>You can therefore define a fixed amount and an interval for all fractional products to put your investments into autopilot mode.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"How_competent_and_efficient_is_the_helpdesk\">How competent and efficient is the helpdesk?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p data-start=\"243\" data-end=\"521\"><span class=\"hover:entity-accent entity-underline inline cursor-pointer align-baseline\"><span class=\"whitespace-normal\">Interactive Brokers<\/span><\/span> offers German-speaking customer service and also has a Swiss branch in the canton of Zug. <strong>Support is provided via a structured ticket system<\/strong> that provides a good overview of open and completed inquiries.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"528\" data-end=\"1004\">According to our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience, the overall quality of support is <strong data-start=\"623\" data-end=\"640\">inconsistent<\/strong>. While English-language support often responds more quickly and is more convincing from a technical point of view, the feedback from German-language support is sometimes delayed or not very helpful in terms of content.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Learning_Center_IBKR_Campus\">Learning Center \/ IBKR Campus<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For general, non-account-specific questions, the <strong>IBKR Campus<\/strong> offers a wide range of information and learning content on financial topics. The free offer includes explanatory videos, webinars on current topics and podcasts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/ibkrcampus.eu\/?src=schweiz13&amp;ibban=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">comprehensive learning content<\/a> is freely accessible and can also be accessed directly via the client portal by existing customers. The focus is on English-language articles, supplemented by selected content in German and French; these can be displayed specifically using the language filters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"What_Interactive_Brokers_alternatives_are_there\">What Interactive Brokers alternatives are there?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As European alternatives to the US provider <strong>Interactive Brokers<\/strong>, we can recommend the Dutch online broker <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/degiro-experience-switzerland\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DEGIRO<\/a>, the Swiss market leader <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/our-swissquote-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Swissquote<\/a> and &#8211; following the recent concert of fee cuts &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/saxo-bank-experience-funded-and-critical\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Saxo Bank<\/a>, which is also regulated in Switzerland. We have summarized the most important features (incl. starting bonus) of these brokers on our <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/our-recommendations\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"4783\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recommendation page<\/a>. We have also made it easier for you to choose the right online broker in this article: <a href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/best-broker-switzerland-6-important-factors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Best Broker Switzerland: 6 decisive factors you need to know<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Conclusion_from_our_Interactive_Brokers_Switzerland_experience\">Conclusion from our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar to DEGIRO, this foreign broker also scores with <strong>very low costs<\/strong> (especially when trading securities on US stock exchanges!), <strong>no custody account fees<\/strong> and <strong>no stamp duty.<\/strong> IBKR should therefore be on the shortlist for all <strong>yield-oriented, cost-conscious Swiss investors.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, in contrast to DEGIRO, Interactive Brokers seems <strong>rather complex<\/strong>, at least at the beginning: <strong>Several account types, price models and platforms<\/strong> present you with the agony of (supposedly) making the right choice. In other words, if you are <strong>patient<\/strong> and have persevered through this experience report, you will not be put off by what is probably the most complex broker on the planet and may even come to appreciate it in the medium term.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>security-conscious investor<\/strong> should be convinced by the <strong>successful,<\/strong> <strong>crisis-proof company history<\/strong> of around 50 years, the <strong>generous deposit protection<\/strong> and the (optional) <strong>waiver of the lending of own securities<\/strong>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other plus points for us are the useful tools for <strong>portfolio analysis<\/strong>, the extremely low <strong>currency exchange fees<\/strong> and the comparatively extremely attractive interest rates in the risky <strong>securities lending business<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We at IBKR also appreciate the many practical simplifications, such as the option to purchase <strong>fractions of ETFs<\/strong> and shares or to set up an <strong>automated savings plan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, IBKR scores with the offer to familiarize yourself with a <strong>demo version<\/strong> without obligation and to contact <strong>customer support<\/strong> in <strong>German<\/strong> if you have any questions.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, the <strong>long response times<\/strong> of a week or more are a negative factor.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, we were initially somewhat irritated by the lack of reporting after trades had been executed. These reports are not generated and sent automatically, as we are used to from other brokers. Instead, the corresponding transaction receipt including fee details can only be retrieved on the following day. In the meantime, however, we have come to terms with this quite well.      <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Conclusion\">Conclusion<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the title of this article, we raised the question of whether IBKR is the best broker for Swiss investors. Based on our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience, we consider IBKR to be an <strong>extremely attractive broker<\/strong>. The multiple award-winning US provider should be your first choice, especially if you attach particular importance to <strong>low costs<\/strong> (including currency exchange fees and Lombard loan interest), <strong>high security standards<\/strong>, a <strong>wide range of ETF products<\/strong> and\/or <strong>a variety of options for analyzing<\/strong> your portfolio &#8211; and last but not least, if you are not unsettled by the complexity of Interactive Brokers.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"This_might_also_interest_you\">This might also interest you<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/themes\/schweizerfinanzblog\/components\/post-list-component\/post-list-component.css\">\n\n<div class=\"post-list-componenet pt-2 pb-4\">\n\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t <div class=\"col-xl-6\">\n\t\t\t <a class=\"text-decoration-none\" href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/best-broker-switzerland-6-important-factors\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"d-flex post-list-card\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-list-image \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Titelbild_Bester_Broker_EN.png\" class=\"attachment-1920x1297 size-1920x1297 wp-post-image\" alt=\"Best Broker Switzerland\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Titelbild_Bester_Broker_EN.png 2048w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Titelbild_Bester_Broker_EN-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Titelbild_Bester_Broker_EN-1536x1024.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-list-title px-2 d-flex align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"\">Best broker Switzerland: 6 decisive factors you need to know<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t <div class=\"col-xl-6\">\n\t\t\t <a class=\"text-decoration-none\" href=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/best-etfs-switzerland-and-global\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"d-flex post-list-card\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-list-image \">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Titelbild_BesteETFs_2026_EN.png\" class=\"attachment-1920x1297 size-1920x1297 wp-post-image\" alt=\"Best ETFs Switzerland and global\" srcset=\"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Titelbild_BesteETFs_2026_EN.png 2048w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Titelbild_BesteETFs_2026_EN-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Titelbild_BesteETFs_2026_EN-1536x1024.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post-list-title px-2 d-flex align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"\">Best ETFs Switzerland and global 2026: And the Winner is&#8230;<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Updates\">Updates<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>2026-01-13: Comprehensively updated and restructured. New chapter on the PortfolioAnalyst tool added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2025-10-31: Saxo Bank added as an IBKR alternative.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2025-03-28: Additional real transaction document added to illustrate the fee situation for US trades.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2025-01-12: New illustration of IBKR&#8217;s product offering on the Swiss Stock Exchange added. Improved filter and sorting options in the product and stock exchange search. Pricing added for cash transfers back to the house bank (e.g. free of charge for monthly transfers). Various minor updates made.     <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2024-07-09: IBKR Campus mentioned with comprehensive information material, also in German.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2024-05-27: In addition to the individual account, the joint account is explained as an option, including the expiry of an internal securities account transfer from an individual account to a joint account.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2024-05-18: Overview of all seven platforms added and new platform &#8220;IBKR Desktop&#8221; introduced. Stefan&#8217;s transfer of his Tesla shares to IBKR mentioned.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2024-05-13: Explanations of pricing models expanded and fees on US exchanges added.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2024-01-29: Using a specific example, note inserted that the English-language support is also sometimes overloaded or takes too long to respond.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2023-11-29: Exchange rate fees: Exchange rate comparison CHF\/EUR over a sum of 4&#8217;100 CHF with Wise inserted. Tip no. 3 inserted.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2023-10-27: Regulation on deposit protection adapted after video call with IBKR support team Switzerland.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2023-09-04: Fractional Trading offer clarified. Note that recurring investments are now possible in autopilot mode.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2023-06-12: Adjustments made to staggered tariff structure.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2023-05-19: Note that ETFs are considered special assets with regard to deposit protection deleted, as this is not the case according to support at Interactive Brokers UK. Note added that waiting times for German-speaking support can sometimes take several weeks.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2023-03-31: Changes to deposit protection: New organization and limits added.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2023-02-03: Note added that when changing the price model, the new price model does not take effect immediately, but only on the following working day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2023-01-13: Text block &#8220;Short &amp; sweet&#8221; added. Contractual partner UK and place of jurisdiction London added. Various minor updates made.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2022-12-16: Note and real example added that IBKR is also suitable as an &#8220;exchange office&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span id=\"Disclaimer\">Disclaimer<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Disclaimer: <\/strong>Investing involves risks of loss. You must decide for yourself whether you want to bear these risks or not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Errors excepted:<\/strong> We have written this article about our Interactive Switzerland experience to the best of our knowledge and belief. Our aim is to provide you as a private investor with the most objective and meaningful financial information possible. However, if we have made any mistakes, forgotten important aspects and\/or are no longer up to date, we would be grateful if you could let us know.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since its foundation in 1977, Interactive Brokers has developed from a US pioneer in electronic trading to one of the world&#8217;s leading online brokers. In this report on our Interactive Brokers Switzerland experience, we show where this powerful and award-winning US provider scores over the competition and what you should pay particular attention to. ContentsPreliminary [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8435,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[178],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11814"}],"version-history":[{"count":55,"href":"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14743,"href":"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11814\/revisions\/14743"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schweizerfinanzblog.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}