The table below summarizes the key differences between Portfolio Margin accounts held at IB LLC and risk-based margin accounts held at other entities of the Interactive Brokers Group outside of the U.S.:
| IB LLC Portfolio Margin accounts | Non-U.S. risk-based margin accounts | |
| $110,000 initial value requirement | Yes | N/A |
| Minimum equity to operate on margin | USD 100,000 | IB-HK: USD 2,000 IB-AU: AUD 2,000 IB-LUX, IB-IE and IB-CE: EUR 2,000 IB-SG: SGD 2,000 |
| Full options trading approval | Yes | N/A |
| Subject to Pattern Day Trader (PDT) rule | Yes | N/A |
| Stress testing | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic House Scanning Charges (TOMS)¹ | Yes | Yes |
| Shifts in option Implied Volatility (IV) | Yes | Yes |
| A $0.375 multiplied by the index per contract minimum is computed (Only applied to Portfolio Margin eligible products) | Yes | Yes |
| Initial margin will be 110% of Maintenance Margin (US securities only) | Yes | Yes |
| Initial margin will be 125% of Maintenance Margin (Non-US securities) | Yes | Yes |
| Extreme Price Scans | Yes | Yes |
| Large Position Charge (A position which is 1% or more of shares outstanding) | Yes | Yes |
| Days to Liquidate (A large position in relation to the average daily trading volume, which may result in higher initial margin requirements | Yes | Yes |
| Global Concentration Charge (3 riskiest position stressed +/-30% remaining assets +/-5%) | Yes | Yes |
| Singleton Margin Method for Small Cap Stocks (Stress Test which simulates a price change reflective of a $500 million USD in market capitalization)² | Yes | Yes |
| Singleton Margin Method for stocks domiciled in China (Stress Test which simulates a price change reflective of a $1.5 billion USD in market capitalization)² | Yes | Yes |
| Default Singleton Margin Method (Stress Test which simulates a price change +30% and down *25%)² | Yes | Yes |
| Singleton Margin Method for HK Real Estate Stocks (Stress test +/-50%)² | Yes | Yes |
Please Note
- (1) Dynamic House Scanning Charges are available only on select exchanges (Asian Exchanges and MEXDER)
- (2) IBKR will calculate the potential loss for each stock and its derivatives by subjecting them to a stress test. The requirement for the stock (and its derivatives) which projects the greatest loss in the above scenario will be compared to what would otherwise be the aggregate portfolio margin requirement, and the greater of the two will be the margin requirement for the portfolio