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Lightspeed vs Interactive Investor : Fees, Safety & Trading Conditions Compared (2026)
Broker Name
Lightspeed
Interactive Investor
Broker Overview
Broker Type (e.g., Market Maker, ECN/STP)
STP broker
None
Years of Existence / Established Year
2005
1995
Customer Base / Number of Accounts
No information
over 430,000
Regulation & Security
Regulations (governing bodies)
FINRA, SEC
FCA
Awards Won (count for the last 2 years)
No major awards listed
Best Stocks and Shares ISA - The Times Money Mentor Awards 2024 Boring Money Best Buy ISA - AIC Shareholder Engagement Award 2024 Boring Money Best Buy Pension - AIC Shareholder Engagement Award 2024 Best online stock broker 2023 - ADVFN International Financial Awards
Security Measures
SIPC
FSCS
SSL Encryption / 2FA
Yes
Yes
Segregated Funds
Yes
Yes
Negative Balance Protection
No
No
Trading Instruments/Products Offered
Assets Types / Trading Instruments (total count and breakdown)
Commodity futures
43,000 + funds, Shares, Glits
Currency Pairs
No
Yes
Commodities
No
Yes
Indices
No
Yes
Cryptocurrencies
No
No
CFDs
No
No
ETFs
Yes
Yes
Stocks
Yes
Yes
Options
Yes
No
Futures
Yes
No
Bonds
No
Yes
Mutual Funds
No
Yes
Fractional Shares
Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
No
No
Precious Metals
No
Yes
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)
No
Yes
Equities
Yes
No
Trading Platforms & Technology
Trading Platform Availability
Yes
Yes
MT4
No
No
MT5
No
No
cTrader
No
No
Social Trading
Yes
Copy Trading
No
No
Other Trading Platforms (proprietary, etc.)
Light speed trader, Web and mobile trading, Speciality trading platform, Future trading platform, Risk management Software
Online ii Community - for social trading
Platform Compatibility (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Yes except Mac, iOS, Android
Yes only Web
Account Types & Conditions
Account Types (Retail, Pro, VIP, etc.)
Standard account- Individual, Joint, Retirement, Corporate, Trust, LLC, Institutional account- Prime brokerage, Separately Manged account, DVP, RVP,Cash and Margin account
Trading Account SIPP Stocks & Shares ISA Junior ISA Cash Savings Managed ISA Joint Trading Account Company Account
Demo Account (Yes/No)
Yes
No
Islamic Accounts (Yes/No)
No
No
Minimum Deposit
$2,000
Euro 250
Leverage Available
4:1 to 2:1
Info not available
Trade Limit (maximum per trade)
Depends on asset class
Varies for each product
Commission (per account type)
Accounts under $15,000: $25 monthly fee, Lightspeed Trader and Sterling Trader Pro: $0.50 minimum per order, Eze EMS (formerly RealTick): $3.00 minimum commission, Lightspeed Web & Mobile: $1 minimum commission
Monthly fee ISA / Trading account - £ 4.99 for investment upto £ 50,000 - £ 11.99 (no limit) SIPP - £ 5.99 for investment upto £50,000 - £12.99 (no limit) ISA + Trading Account + SIPP - £ 9.99 for investment upto £75,000 - £ 21.99 (no limit)
Best Suited For (e.g., beginners, experienced traders)
Active traders, professionals, and institutional traders
Beginners
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
Deposit Methods
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer, Check
Cash savings Ac - Bank transfer Debit cards Cheque Payit from Natwest
Withdrawal Methods
Wire transfer, ACH, account transfer,Check
Bank Transfer
Other E-Wallets Supported
No
No
Tools & Educational Resources
Economic Calendar
No
Yes
Tools & Educational Resources (tutorials, webinars, market news, etc.)
Trading Platform Tutorials, Market Insights and Analysis, Webinars and Online Events, Trading Education Resources, Market News and Research
StockScreener - Intuitive tool to explore the markets
Fees & Commissions
Trading-Related Fees
ETFs- $2, Share- $0.001, Future option fee- $1.29
UK & US shares, funds, ETFs, bonds and gilts - £3.99, Other international shares - £9.99 / £5.99 (Super Investor), Dividend reinvestment - £0.99, For value over £100,000 - 0.04% of trade value, Buying / Selling other international shares - £9.99, For value over £25,000 - 0.10% of trade value, International trading fees for super investors - £5.99
Spread (typical, fixed, variable)
NA
Info not available
Per Lot Fees
NA
£ 3.99 per trade
Options Contract Fees
$0.20
NA
Futures Contract Fees
NA
NA
Markup Fees on Spread
NA
NA
Guaranteed Stop Loss Fees
NA
NA
Maximum Leverage
4:1
Info not available
Non-Trading Fees
Dormant Fees
$25 monthly minimum
$0
Subscription Fees (for premium features, data feeds)
$130
Super Investor plan - £ 19.99 per month Super Investor + SIPP = £29.99 per month
Advisory Fees
NA
$0
Swap Fees (Overnight Financing)
Yes
NA
Statement or Document Fee
$15 - $50 per month
NA
Account Opening Fee
$20
NA
Account Maintenance Fee
Maintenance fees will be billed weekly, based on the previous month's commissions
Administrative charges Share certificate withdrawal - £ 35 + VAT - Per certificate Failed payments or late settlement - £ 25 Paper documents - £ 3 + VAT per document Contract notes sent by post - £ 1.50 + VAT per document VCTs processing charge - £ 30 per application
Deposit Fee
$0
£ 0
Currency Conversion Fee
$10
Value converted FX charge £ 0 - £ 24,999.99 1.5% £ 25,000 - £ 49,999.99 1.25% £ 50,000 - £ 99,999.99 1.00% £ 100,000 - £ 599,999.99 0.50% £ 600,000 or more 0.25%
Withdrawal Fee
$20 fee for domestic wires and a $50 fee for international wires, Check standard time- free or overnight $30
Urgent withdrawals cost - £15
Bonuses, Promotions & Benefits
Bonuses, Promotions, and Referrals
Yes
Yes
Customer Benefits (e.g., Retirement Plan)
Yes
Yes
Trading Hours
Trading Hours (for each asset class if applicable)
4 AM to 8 PM EST on weekdays only.
UK- Pre-market: 7 AM - 9:30 AM After-hours: 4:05 PM - 8 PM
Customer Support
Support Hours (e.g., 24/7, weekdays only)
24/7
7.45am to 5.30pm (GMT) Monday - Friday
Customer Support Methods (phone, email, live chat)
E-mail: [email protected], Phone: 1-888-577-3123 , 1-646-393-4800, Schedule a call
Tel: 0345 607 6001 From abroad: +44 113 346 2309
Support Languages
1
1
Additional Information
Headquarters Location
Chicago office, 181 West Madison Street, Suite 2950, Chicago, IL 60602
Leeds One Embankment, Neville Street, Leeds, LS1 4DW
Complaints (for crypto brokers)
No
No
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