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The comparison reads the same evidence fields used by broker profiles, so users can scan scores, regulation, costs, platforms, withdrawals, and caveats side by side.

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VS field	Interactive Brokers interactivebrokers.com Stock BrokerETF BrokerOption	Fidelity fidelity.com Stock BrokerETF BrokerETF
Decision summary
Overall score

Trust score	94	100

Cost score	88	89

Platform score	93	94

Withdrawal score	80	89

Best for	Active traders · Advanced investors · International-market investors	Evidence supports Fidelity as a U.S.-focused, highly regulated multi-asset broker for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, bonds/CDs, options, cash management, managed portfolios, and sepa…

Watch out	Fee schedule is complex and varies by product, plan, market and entity · Country availability/restrictions need entity-specific review · No single universal max leverage figure fo…	Needs verification

Trust & regulation
Regulators	Regulated by SEC/FINRA/CFTC/NYSE in the US and by FCA, Central Bank of Ireland, ASIC, Hong Kong SFC, SEBI, Kanto Local Finance Bureau and MAS for regional affiliates. Source	Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC is SEC registered and regulated by FINRA; FBS and NFS are members of NYSE and SIPC. Source
License numbers	US CRD 36418 / SEC 8-47257; UK FCA 208159; AU AFSL 453554; India SEBI INZ000217730 and NSDL IN-DP-602-2021; Singapore MAS CMS100917; Japan Kanto Local Finance Bureau No.187. Source	FBS CRD# 7784 / SEC# 8-23292; NFS CRD# 13041 / SEC# 801-50706, 8-26740. Source
Regulated entities	Major regulated entities include Interactive Brokers LLC plus UK, Ireland, Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan and Singapore affiliates. Source	Primary securities brokerage entities are Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (FBS) and National Financial Services LLC (NFS), each member NYSE/SIPC; advisory and crypto entities differ by product. Source
Negative balance protection	No universal negative-balance-protection promise found for Interactive Brokers LLC; IBKR describes real-time margin requirements and protective liquidations to return accounts to margin compliance. Source	Not applicable/not disclosed as a CFD-style negative balance protection policy; margin trading can create debt/interest obligations. Source
Investor compensation	Interactive Brokers LLC securities accounts are protected by SIPC up to $500,000, including $250,000 cash sublimit, plus excess SIPC coverage up to an additional $30 million per account with $900,000 cash sublimit, subject to $150 million aggregate; futures/options on futures are excluded. Regional schemes vary. Source	SIPC coverage up to $500,000/$250,000 cash plus Fidelity excess SIPC; FDIC sweep coverage may apply to eligible cash programs; important exclusions apply. Source
Restricted countries	Official available-countries page lists countries/territories where applications are available rather than a concise restricted-country list. Treat unsupported/sanctioned-country restrictions as country/entity-dependent and requiring manual review. Source	U.S.-persons focused; sanctioned countries/prohibited parties restricted; no exhaustive country availability list found. Source

Trust & regulation

Regulators

Regulated by SEC/FINRA/CFTC/NYSE in the US and by FCA, Central Bank of Ireland, ASIC, Hong Kong SFC, SEBI, Kanto Local Finance Bureau and MAS for regional affiliates.

Costs & account conditions
Minimum deposit	USD 0 account minimum for IBKR Pro and IBKR Lite; broker accounts can require a USD 10,000 up-front deposit applied against commissions. Source	$0 to open a retail brokerage account; Fidelity states no account minimum and ability to invest with as little as $1; exceptions apply by account/product. Source
Spread from	Spot currency spreads advertised as narrow as 1/10 pip on Interactive Brokers Australia pricing overview; spreads vary by product/entity/market. Source	Not applicable to Fidelity's core U.S. stock/ETF brokerage model; securities trade by exchange/market prices rather than quoted CFD/FX spreads. Source
Commission	IBKR Lite offers $0 commissions on US stocks and ETFs; IBKR Pro uses fixed/tiered commissions and third-party/exchange/regulatory fees may apply by market/product. Source	$0 online U.S. stock and ETF trades; $0 online options commission plus $0.65/contract; other product/service fees apply. Source
Maximum leverage	Not expressed as a single max leverage figure; margin requirements are product-, account-, entity- and regulation-dependent and IBKR applies real-time risk margin. Source	No universal maximum leverage ratio disclosed for Fidelity retail brokerage; margin borrowing is available subject to approval and margin requirements/rates rather than a single max leverage figure. Source
Deposit fee	Most standard bank/security deposit methods show no IBKR deposit fee in the extracted official fee table, but physical currency deposits incur a special handling fee of 1% of deposit amount, minimum $50; third-party/bank fees may apply. Source	$0 Fidelity fee for EFT and Fidelity does not charge wire fees; external banks may charge. Source
Withdrawal fee	Two free withdrawal requests per calendar month; after the second withdrawal IBKR charges listed fees by currency/method (example USD: wire 10.00, check 4.00, ACH/EFT/SEPA 1.00). Source	$0 Fidelity fee for EFT and domestic bank wire withdrawals; foreign exchange wire up to 3% of principal; receiving bank may charge. Source
Inactivity fee	USD 0 inactivity fee for IBKR Pro and IBKR Lite account minimums page. Source	No explicit inactivity-fee line found in official fee schedule; official account pages state no retail brokerage account fees/no account or subscription fees. Treat as needs manual confirmation before publishing as '$0 inactivity fee'. Source

Markets, platforms & payments
Tradable assets	Stocks, ETFs, options, futures, spot currencies, bonds, mutual funds and cash-balance services, with availability varying by entity/country/account permission. Source	Stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, options, crypto, fixed income, bonds and CDs; Fidelity says stocks include domestic and international. Source
Trading platforms	IBKR Desktop, Trader Workstation, IB Gateway, IBKR Mobile and web/client portal tools. Source	Fidelity.com, Fidelity mobile app, Fidelity Trader+ Web/Desktop/Mobile mode, and legacy Active Trader Pro Classic. Source
Account types	Supports individual and institutional accounts; official minimums page also distinguishes advisor, family office, hedge fund and broker account structures. Source	Broad account menu including taxable brokerage, retirement/IRA, cash management, HSA, custodial/youth, education, trust/business, managed and crypto accounts. Source
Deposit methods	Wire transfer, check, direct bank transfer/ACH, SEPA/regional bank transfers where available, and securities transfer methods such as ACATS; physical cash deposits are against policy. Source	EFT/ACH, bank wire, check/mobile check, direct deposit, recurring deposit, Fidelity-to-Fidelity/account transfer, transfer of assets, and eligible payment apps. Source
Withdrawal methods	Bank wire/transfer, checks and regional transfer rails such as BACS/GIRO/ACH/EFT/SEPA where available; securities transfer methods such as ACATS may also apply. Source	EFT/ACH, bank wire, paper check, Fidelity-to-Fidelity transfers, third-party/person-to-person transfers and eligible debit card/ATM access. Source
Withdrawal processing time	Not captured as a single verified processing-time SLA; varies by withdrawal method, currency, region and receiving bank. Source	EFT withdrawals 1-3 business days; bank wire same day if submitted by 4 p.m. ET; paper check about 5-6 days. Source

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