Sweep Program | Interactive Brokers (2024)

Our Insured Bank Deposit Sweep Program allows eligible IBKR clients to obtain up to $2,500,000 of FDIC insurance4 in addition to existing $250,000 SIPC coverage4 for total coverage of $2,750,000. Clients continue earning the same competitive interest rates1 currently applied to cash held in IBKR accounts. IBKR sweeps each participating client's free credit balances daily to one or more banks, up to $246,500 per bank, allowing for the accrual of interest and keeping within the FDIC protected threshold. Cash balances above $2,750,000 remain subject to safeguarding under the SEC's Customer Protection Rule 15c3-3, backed by the firm's equity capital, which exceeds $14.1 billion2.

Program Benefits

  • Competitive interest rate1, same as for cash deposits in your IBKR account;
  • Convenience of having your IBKR account cash balance3, FDIC-insured deposits and investments appear on one statement;
  • Excess cash above the program limit of $2,500,000 remains at IBKR and is protected under client protection regulations. Competitor programs often include a spill-over bank for excess funds, which may not be FDIC-insured.

Who Is Eligible?

  • IBKR Pro accounts that are Individual accounts without a designated transfer-on-death beneficiary, IBKR Pro accounts that are IRAs (excluding IBKR Asset Management IRAs) and organizational accounts are eligible to participate in the program.
  • In the future IBKR may, at its discretion, add additional account types to the program.
  • Eligible IBKR clients can enroll in the program by logging into their account and accessing "Insured Bank Deposit Sweep Program" under the account settings option. Activation generally takes place overnight.

How It Works

  • When you join the Insured Bank Deposit Sweep Program, deposits are made on your behalf into interest-bearing accounts at one or more FDIC-insured banks within the program. If your program balance nears the FDIC limit at one of these banks, additional cash is deposited at the next bank on a list of approved banks, thereby ensuring clients don't exceed current limits. By using multiple banks versus a single bank, the program is able to provide up to $2,500,000 of FDIC insurance for your deposits.
  • Eligible cash balances consist of USD free credits, generally defined as cash in your IBKR account in excess of margin requirements and short stock value, above the first $250,000 reserved for SIPC coverage and up to the program limit of $2,500,000. We designed our proprietary sweep algorithm to seamlessly integrate with your IBKR account and optimize FDIC-insurance coverage without disrupting your regular trading activity. The daily sweep computation factors in your USD cash, account equity, margin requirements, short stock value, projected cash settlements, and initial $250,000 SIPC buffer to determine the maximum free credit excess to sweep.

FDIC Insurance

FDIC insurance limits apply to all of your eligible deposits at a bank. The FDIC insurance limit for all ownership categories in the Insured Bank Deposit Sweep Program is $250,000 per program bank. This is why it is important that clients monitor the assets they have at all banks and opt out of banks on the IBKR Priority Bank List where clients have assets not known to IBKR, so that IBKR does not sweep otherwise eligible balances into that bank. If you have other deposits at one or more of our program banks, you may exclude any bank from holding your program balances so you do not exceed current FDIC limits. For more information about FDIC coverage and different FDIC-defined ownership categories, visit the FDIC website, FDIC website.

Disclosures:
  1. On any given business day:
    • funds in the program earn interest at the prior business day's rate, applied on an Actual/365 basis, to the current business day's cash balance; and
    • funds held at IB earn interest at the prior business day's rate, applied on an Actual/360 basis, to the prior business day's balance.
    For details, please see
    https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/index.php?f=46385&p=i
  2. Includes Interactive Brokers Group and its affiliates.
  3. IBKR account cash balances in your brokerage account do not receive FDIC protection.
  4. For more information regarding FDIC or SIPC coverage and program eligibility details please visit FDIC and SIPC, respectively.

Please note: Any withdrawal of funds allocated to the Insured Bank Deposit Sweep Program is subject to an extra day of processing.


Sweep Program | Interactive Brokers (2024)

FAQs

Is cash sweep program good? ›

The huge bonus is that you earn more money and grow your investments without having to do anything. Rather than letting your excess cash idle in your accounts, you can be turning your money into more money by consistently investing with a sweep account. Of course, investment accounts come with fees.

What is the FDIC sweep program for IBKR? ›

Our Insured Bank Deposit Sweep Program allows eligible IBKR clients to obtain up to $2,500,000 of FDIC insurance4 in addition to existing $250,000 SIPC coverage4 for total coverage of $2,750,000.

What is the excess fund sweep method? ›

The transfer of excess margin funds between the securities and commodities segments of your account. As part of the IBKR Account service, you have authorized IBKR to automatically transfer funds as necessary to satisfy margin requirements in either account.

Is it safe to keep money in Interactive Brokers? ›

Since IBKR does not make proprietary bets, the risk of IBKR going bankrupt and client funds being tied up in a liquidation is significantly less than other broker-dealers that which take proprietary positions.

What is the disadvantage of cash sweep? ›

Drawbacks of an Insured Cash Sweep account

Some ICS accounts charge a monthly fee, while others simply take a portion of the interest earned on your sweep account. You may not earn interest on your full deposit (or at all).

What is the downside of a sweep account? ›

The disadvantage of this type of account is that the customer has to be very keen on investment. The risk involved in the money market. read more is very high. The fees to maintain the account are usually high since the bank provides a very special facility to the customers.

Should I use a sweep account? ›

The primary advantage of maintaining a sweep account is the ability to earn a return on excess cash instead of letting it sit idle while also ensuring there's enough cash on hand to pay for operating expenses. Minimal work needed to maintain. The automation provided by sweep accounts makes the process simple.

Why use a sweep account? ›

Sweep accounts can be especially useful for businesses with fluctuating cash flows or individuals who want to make the most of their available funds without having to actively manage transfers between accounts.

Are brokerage sweep accounts insured? ›

Bank Sweep Feature—If the cash feature in effect for your Schwab brokerage account is the Bank Sweep Feature, your uninvested cash balances are automatically swept to one or more Program Banks where it is eligible for FDIC insurance.

How much interest does a sweep account pay? ›

Bank Deposit Sweep Program Rates
Cash BalanceInterest Rate 1Annual Percentage Yield (APY) 1
$100,000 – $249,9990.50%0.50%
$250,000 – $499,9990.95%0.95%
$500,000 – $999,9990.95%0.95%
$1,000,000 – $4,999,9992.00%2.02%
5 more rows

Can I withdraw money from cash sweep? ›

Funds are withdrawn automatically from your cash sweep vehicle to satisfy any debits created in your brokerage account when you purchase securities or request a withdrawal of funds.

Can I withdraw money from my sweep account? ›

Yes, you can withdraw money from your sweep account like you normally would with a checking or savings account.

Do professional traders use Interactive Brokers? ›

"Because Interactive Brokers' core clientele are professional traders and institutional investors (e.g., hedge funds), it is crucial to provide the lowest commissions schedule available.

How stable is Interactive Brokers? ›

Interactive Brokers LLC is rated "A- Outlook Stable" by Standard & Poor's.

Do I actually own stock on Interactive Brokers? ›

Unlike a mutual fund investor, you continue to be the direct owner of the underlying securities that are held in your own brokerage account. Your assets are held in an Interactive Brokers LLC brokerage account in your own name.

Is Robinhood cash sweep Program safe? ›

Cash deposited into these banks is eligible for Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance up to a total maximum of $2.25 million (as of October 1, 2023), inclusive of deposits you may already hold at banks in the same ownership capacity.

Is Robinhood cash sweep worth it? ›

Interest is earned on uninvested cash swept from your non-retirement, investing account to program banks. Program banks pay interest on your swept cash, minus any fees paid to Robinhood. The Annual Percentage Yield (APY)* is 1.5% as of August 11, 2022 or 5% for Robinhood Gold members as of Nov 15, 2023.

What is the interest rate for a cash sweep account? ›

The brokerage cash sweep annual percentage yield (APY)* paid by program banks minus fees paid to Robinhood is 1.5% as of August 11, 2022, or 5% for Robinhood Gold members as of Nov 15, 2023. The APY your cash earns is subject to change. *The non-Gold cash sweep program APY will switch to 0.01% in May 2024.

Is insured cash sweep safe? ›

Insured Cash Sweep (ICS) service is a smart, secure, and convenient way for bank customers to access multi-million-dollar FDIC protection on large deposits, earn a return, and enjoy flexibility. ICS deposits are sent to demand deposit accounts or money market deposit accounts at other ICS Network banks.

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