Overview of Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers, founded in the United States, offers a wide array of trading assets including stocks, ETFs, forex, bonds, options, and futures, providing traders with various opportunities across global markets.

However, risks have been raised about its legitimacy, with reports of the platform being identified as a suspicious clone. Traders are directly impacted by the platform's regulatory status, influencing oversight, transparency, and legal protections. Adherence to regulatory standards instills confidence among traders regarding the platform's reliability and security, while any suspicion or regulatory ambiguity may undermine trust and deter participation, emphasizing the importance of due diligence.

Is Interactive Brokers legit or a scam？

Interactive Brokers is identified as Suspicious Clone under various regulatory bodies such as the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the United Kingdom, the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI), and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

However, the presence of “Suspicious Clone” designations in some regions suggests potential regulatory risks. Traders on the platform are directly impacted by the regulatory status, as it influences the level of oversight, transparency, and legal protections afforded to their investments.

Adherence to regulatory standards instills confidence among traders regarding the platform's reliability and security, while any suspicion or regulatory ambiguity may undermine trust and deter participation. Thus, traders are likely to favor jurisdictions where Interactive Brokers maintains clear and reputable regulatory standing, ensuring a safer trading environment.

What are Clone Brokers？

The prevalence of clone brokers is increasingly alarming, as deceptive entities exploit the names of reputable firms to lure unsuspecting clients into believing they are trading with regulated forex firms.

These fraudulent companies go to great lengths, even utilizing the license numbers of legitimate brokers, to deceive traders into opening accounts with them. Remaining vigilant is paramount to avoid falling prey to such scams. Additionally, these unscrupulous entities resort to aggressive tactics, akin to boiler room operations, pressuring clients into opening accounts or increasing their deposits.

It's crucial to heed the adage: if something sounds too good to be true, it likely is. Traders must exercise caution and conduct thorough research before engaging with any brokerage firm to safeguard their investments and financial security.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Wide range of tradable assets: Interactive Brokers offers an extensive selection of tradable assets, including stocks, ETFs, forex, bonds, options, and futures. This diversity provides traders with ample opportunities to diversify their portfolios and explore various investment strategies, catering to different risk appetites and objectives.

• Access to global markets: The platform grants users access to a broad range of global markets, enabling them to trade securities and currencies from around the world. This global reach allows traders to capitalize on international market trends, economic developments, and geopolitical events, enhancing their trading flexibility and potential for profit.

Cons:

• Identified as Suspicious Clone: Some users have reported instances where Interactive Brokers was identified as a suspicious clone, potentially raising risks about the platform's legitimacy and trustworthiness. Such allegations can undermine user confidence and deter participation in trading activities.

• Limited customer support options: Interactive Brokers may offer limited options for customer support, which can lead to delays in addressing user inquiries, resolving issues, or providing assistance when needed. This lack of robust support channels may frustrate users and hinder their overall trading experience.

• Potential for technical glitches: Like any online platform, Interactive Brokers is susceptible to technical glitches or system failures, which can disrupt trading activities, cause delays in order execution, or lead to inaccuracies in account information. These technical issues may impede users' ability to trade effectively and impact their overall experience on the platform.

• Risk of exposure to scams: Users may face the risk of exposure to scams or fraudulent activities associated with Interactive Brokers, such as clone brokers attempting to deceive traders. Falling victim to such schemes can result in financial losses and damage to one's reputation, highlighting the importance of vigilance and due diligence when engaging with the platform.

Market Instruments

Interactive Brokers offers a wide range of tradable financial instruments on its platform.

Traders can access a variety of assets including Stocks, ETFs, Forex, Funds, Bonds, Options, Futures, CFDs, Cryptocurrencies, Warrants, and Structured Products.

This extensive selection provides traders with opportunities to diversify their investment portfolios and pursue different trading strategies across global markets.

With access to such a broad array of instruments, traders have the flexibility to capitalize on market opportunities and manage risk effectively.

Deposit & Withdrawal

Interactive Brokers offers a variety of payment methods to fund your account:

• Bank wire transfer: This is the most common and preferred method. It's free for most currencies.

• ACH transfer: This is another electronic transfer option available for US accounts. It's also free.

• Check: You can mail a check to Interactive Brokers. However, there may be processing fees and delays associated with this method.

• Wire transfer from another brokerage: You can transfer funds from another brokerage account to your Interactive Brokers account. This may be subject to fees from both brokers.

• Bill pay: This option is available for US accounts only. It allows you to pay your Interactive Brokers account from your bank's online bill pay service.

• Third-party deposits: Interactive Brokers generally discourages and rejects third-party deposits due to potential fraud and money laundering risks.

There is no minimum deposit required to open an Interactive Brokers account. This makes it a good option for beginners who want to start with a small amount of money.

Customer Support

Interactive Brokers provides the following contact information for customer support:

1. Twitter: @IBKR

2. Facebook: Interactive Brokers

3. Instagram: Interactive Brokers

4. YouTube: Interactive Brokers

5. LinkedIn: Interactive Brokers

These social media platforms serve as channels for reaching out to Interactive Brokers for support and assistance. However, Interactive Brokers' customer support lacks efficiency and responsiveness. Traders often encounter significant delays in receiving assistance, with support tickets remaining unresolved for extended periods. Communication channels such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn are available, but their effectiveness in addressing customer risks is questionable.

Exposure

Users have reported a single instance of exposure related to a pyramid scheme complaint, which unveiled a potential scam on the Interactive Brokers platform.

The complaint alleges that the platform induced clients to participate in activities, promising withdrawal options upon event completion. However, upon attempting to withdraw profits, users encountered obstacles, including unexpected tax requirements not deducted from the platform. The inability to access funds and unresponsive customer service exacerbates the situation for affected users. Such exposure to fraudulent activities undermines trust and confidence in the platform, potentially dissuading traders from engaging in further transactions.

Conclusion

This instance of Interactive Brokers is suspected to be a clone operated by a company known as Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. Notably, this particular iteration of Interactive Brokers lacks regulation, posing potential risks for traders. Therefore, it is advisable for traders to refrain from engaging with this broker.

What is INVAST？

Invast Securities Co., Ltd is a leading brokerage company based in Japan. Founded in 1960, it operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of INVST Co., Ltd, a listed company. Invast Securities offers a wide range of online financial derivative trading services. Their expertise lies in margin FX and OTC CFDs (Contract for Difference), attracting a significant number of users in Japan and boasting a user base of over 400,000 individuals.

In the following article, we will analyze the characteristics of this broker from various aspects, providing you with simple and organized information. If you are interested, please read on. At the end of the article, we will also briefly make a conclusion so that you can understand the broker's characteristics at a glance.

Pros & Cons

INVAST Alternative Brokers

There are many alternative brokers to INVAST depending on the specific needs and preferences of the trader. Some popular options include:

• Monex Securities - A renowned online brokerage firm offering a wide range of financial services and investment opportunities.

• ACY Securities - A global financial services provider renowned for offering innovative trading solutions, including foreign exchange, contracts for difference (CFDs), and cryptocurrencies.

• ALPHA INTERNATIONAL SECURITIES - A financial servicesthat focuses on internet securities business, investment banking services, including both the bond capital market (DCM) and equity capital market (ECM).

Is INVAST Safe or Scam？

INVAST is regulated by the Financial Services Agency (FSA) oversees all financial services providers, including Forex brokers, in Japan. It is regulated by reputable authorities, has been in operation for several years, and has received positive reviews from many customers. Based on the information available, INVAST appears to be a reliable and trustworthy broker.

However, as with any investment, there is always some level of risk involved, and it is important for traders to do their own research and carefully consider their options before investing.

Business Scopes

The business scope of INVAST includes providing online financial derivative trading services for margin FX and OTC CFDs (Contract for Difference). They offer trading platforms for individuals and institutional clients to engage in speculative trading of various financial products, including foreign exchange (FX) and contracts for difference (CFDs).

INVAST facilitates buying and selling these financial instruments over electronic platforms, allowing traders to speculate on price movements without owning the underlying assets. They provide access to global markets, leverage trading options, risk management tools, and various trading strategies to meet the needs of their clients.

FX Spreads

Invast Securities offers low spreads, USD/JPY 0.3 pips, GBP/JPY 0.1 pips, EURJPY 0.5 pips, AUDJPY 0.6 pips, and EURUSD 0.3 pips. (From 9:00 AM to 5:00 AM the next day Fixed in principle (with exceptions).

Click 365

Click 365“ is a nickname for Forex Margin Trading (FX) handled by the Tokyo Financial Exchange. Exchange FX ”Click 365 is safe because all the deposited funds are deposited and segregated at the Tokyo Financial Exchange. In addition, Exchange FX trades at the rates offered by the exchange and swap points, so fair and favorable rates are delivered. Click 365 handles 25 currency pairs centered on popular currencies such as dollar / yen, euro / yen, and Australian dollar / yen.

Click 365 Transaction Fees

Fees will decrease according to the number of transactions.

Deposits & Withdrawals

• For Deposit:

-Invast Securities provides “immediate deposit service”, and you can transfer (deposit) in near real time 24 hours a day, and you can deposit at night and on public holidays.

-The instant deposit service is a deposit via the Internet through “My Page” and “Tri-Auto ETF Trading Tool”. It cannot be done from the counter of a financial institution or ATM. Immediate deposits cannot be made from the companys website or the website of each financial institution. Immediate deposits with corporate accounts are available only at four financial institutions: Rakuten Bank, PayPay Bank, SBI Sumishin Net Bank, and Japan Post Bank.

• For Withdrawal:

To withdraw funds from your INVAST Securities account, you can follow these steps:

1. Log in to your account through the “My page” or trading tool.

2. Navigate to “Deposits and withdrawals” and then select “Withdraw”.

3. Enter the details required, including your withdrawal source trading account, the amount you wish to withdraw, and your withdrawal password. Click “Confirm”.

4. You will receive a verification code to your registered primary email address. Enter this code.

(Note: If you don't have multi-factor authentication enabled, you won't need to enter an authentication code.)

5. Review the withdrawal details and click “Run” to complete the withdrawal process.

It's important to note that INVAST Securities covers the transfer fee for withdrawals. The timing of the transfer will depend on various factors and you can refer to their platform for more specific information.

Customer Service

Customers can visit their office or get in touch with customer service line using the information provided below:

Telephone: +81 0120-659-274

Email: fx-info@invast.jp

fx24-info@invast.jp

Moreover, clients could get in touch with this broker through the social media, such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/invast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/invastsecurities/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/INVASTSecurities

Whats more, INVAST provides a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section on their website to assist their clients with commonly asked questions and provide relevant information. The FAQ section aims to address common queries and concerns that investors may have regarding the company's services, processes, and investment opportunities. By offering this resource, INVAST aims to provide transparency and clarity to their clients, helping them make informed decision.

INVASToffers online messaging as part of their trading platform. This allows traders to communicate with customer support or other traders directly through the platform. Online messaging can be a convenient way to get real-time assistance or to engage in discussions with fellow traders.

Conclusion

In conclusion, INVAST Securities is a reputable brokerage company based in Japan. The company is authorized and regulated by FSA, a regulatory body in Japan. INVAST Securities specializes in providing online financial derivative trading services for margin FX and OTC CFDs (Contract for Difference).

Overall, INVAST Securities' regulatory framework, extensive experience, and dedication to providing trading services contribute to its status as a trusted brokerage company in Japan.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Risk Warning

Online trading involves significant risk, and you may lose all of your invested capital. It is not suitable for all traders or investors. Please ensure that you understand the risks involved and note that the information provided in this review may be subject to change due to the constant updating of the company's services and policies.

In addition, the date on which this review was generated may also be an important factor to consider, as information may have changed since then. Therefore, readers are advised to always verify updated information directly with the company before making any decision or taking any action. Responsibility for the use of the information provided in this review rests solely with the reader.