Minimum to qualify
Vault
USD 100,000 in liquid net wealth.
Interactive Brokers
USD 0 since 2021 — no required minimum funding to open an account.
Comparison
Vault vs Interactive Brokers.
Interactive Brokers is the platform Vault uses to custody client assets — it's an excellent execution venue. But running an IBKR account without a fiduciary advisor is a fundamentally different proposition. Here's what the difference looks like in practice.
Interactive Brokers is one of the best-priced, most globally connected retail brokers in the world. What it doesn't provide is fiduciary advice, financial planning, or a human responsible for the relationship. Vault uses Interactive Brokers as custodian on behalf of clients — and adds the planning, advice and accountability that a self-directed IBKR account does not.
Side-by-side
How we compare on the things that matter.
Dimension
Vault
Interactive Brokers
Minimum to qualify
USD 100,000 in liquid net wealth.
USD 0 since 2021 — no required minimum funding to open an account.
Fee model
Single flat management fee, decreasing with portfolio size. No transaction fees on the core, no custody fees, no commissions, no retrocessions.
Per-trade commissions on IBKR Pro: Fixed at USD 0.005/share (USD 1 minimum, capped at 1% of trade value) or Tiered from USD 0.0035 down to USD 0.0005/share at high volume, plus pass-through exchange fees. FX conversion: 0.20 bps of trade value (USD 2 minimum). No monthly inactivity or account-maintenance fee. (IBKR Lite is not available to UAE residents.)
Asset custody
Assets custodied with Interactive Brokers in your own name — fully segregated, SIPC + FDIC insured. Vault never takes possession of client funds.
Same custody Vault clients receive — assets at IBKR LLC, segregated, SIPC-protected to USD 500k (incl. USD 250k cash) with Lloyd's excess to a USD 30M aggregate. The difference is whose name the account is in, and whether anyone is advising on it.
Regulation
FSRA-regulated in ADGM (UAE) and CMA-licensed in Saudi Arabia (licence 25313-20).
UAE residents typically onboard via Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited – DIFC Branch (regulated by the DFSA); carrying broker IBKR LLC is regulated by the SEC and FINRA with SIPC protection.
Advisor incentives
Advisors are salaried, with bonuses tied to client outcomes and retention — never to product sales, transaction volume, or in-house fund flows.
There is no advisor. The platform is execution-only; PortfolioAnalyst is reporting, not advice. The client is responsible for every allocation, every rebalance, and every tax-relevant decision.
Investment access
Globally diversified core via low-cost ETFs and bonds, plus a satellite with curated private-market opportunities, thematic strategies, and direct equity convictions.
150+ markets across 34 countries and 200k+ instruments — stocks, ETFs, bonds, options, futures, FX, mutual funds, and crypto via Paxos. Fractional shares on US and select European names.
Cash yield
SmartCash earns daily interest in AED, USD, EUR, and GBP — no lock-ins, no teaser rates, no minimum balance to earn the headline rate.
On USD balances above USD 10,000, NAV >USD 100k earns a benchmark-minus-0.5% rate (around 3.14% APR as of May 2026); smaller accounts earn a blended rate; no interest is paid on the first USD 10,000.
Planning model
Structured financial planning around your goals, cash flow, and family — delivered by a dedicated CFA- or CFP-qualified advisor, complimentary as part of the relationship.
None. There is no financial plan, no advisor, no review cadence — unless the client separately engages a regulated advisor (like Vault) that uses IBKR as custodian.
Fee model
Vault
Single flat management fee, decreasing with portfolio size. No transaction fees on the core, no custody fees, no commissions, no retrocessions.
Interactive Brokers
Per-trade commissions on IBKR Pro: Fixed at USD 0.005/share (USD 1 minimum, capped at 1% of trade value) or Tiered from USD 0.0035 down to USD 0.0005/share at high volume, plus pass-through exchange fees. FX conversion: 0.20 bps of trade value (USD 2 minimum). No monthly inactivity or account-maintenance fee. (IBKR Lite is not available to UAE residents.)
Asset custody
Vault
Assets custodied with Interactive Brokers in your own name — fully segregated, SIPC + FDIC insured. Vault never takes possession of client funds.
Interactive Brokers
Same custody Vault clients receive — assets at IBKR LLC, segregated, SIPC-protected to USD 500k (incl. USD 250k cash) with Lloyd's excess to a USD 30M aggregate. The difference is whose name the account is in, and whether anyone is advising on it.
Regulation
Vault
FSRA-regulated in ADGM (UAE) and CMA-licensed in Saudi Arabia (licence 25313-20).
Interactive Brokers
UAE residents typically onboard via Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited – DIFC Branch (regulated by the DFSA); carrying broker IBKR LLC is regulated by the SEC and FINRA with SIPC protection.
Advisor incentives
Vault
Advisors are salaried, with bonuses tied to client outcomes and retention — never to product sales, transaction volume, or in-house fund flows.
Interactive Brokers
There is no advisor. The platform is execution-only; PortfolioAnalyst is reporting, not advice. The client is responsible for every allocation, every rebalance, and every tax-relevant decision.
Investment access
Vault
Globally diversified core via low-cost ETFs and bonds, plus a satellite with curated private-market opportunities, thematic strategies, and direct equity convictions.
Interactive Brokers
150+ markets across 34 countries and 200k+ instruments — stocks, ETFs, bonds, options, futures, FX, mutual funds, and crypto via Paxos. Fractional shares on US and select European names.
Cash yield
Vault
SmartCash earns daily interest in AED, USD, EUR, and GBP — no lock-ins, no teaser rates, no minimum balance to earn the headline rate.
Interactive Brokers
On USD balances above USD 10,000, NAV >USD 100k earns a benchmark-minus-0.5% rate (around 3.14% APR as of May 2026); smaller accounts earn a blended rate; no interest is paid on the first USD 10,000.
Planning model
Vault
Structured financial planning around your goals, cash flow, and family — delivered by a dedicated CFA- or CFP-qualified advisor, complimentary as part of the relationship.
Interactive Brokers
None. There is no financial plan, no advisor, no review cadence — unless the client separately engages a regulated advisor (like Vault) that uses IBKR as custodian.
Why Vault
A wealth manager built around your interests, not the bank's.
Custody
Held in your name at Interactive Brokers.
Vault never takes possession of client funds. Assets sit in your own account at IBKR — segregated, with SIPC and FDIC protection on the underlying.
Incentives
Advisor incentives aligned with portfolio growth.
Vault advisors are salaried with bonuses tied to client outcomes and retention. No commissions, no kickbacks, no in-house product flows.
Regulation
Regulated in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Vault Wealth Limited is regulated by the FSRA in ADGM. Vault Saudi Limited Company is licensed by the CMA (licence 25313-20).
Entry point
Starts at USD 100,000 in liquid net wealth.
A genuine private-wealth relationship without the seven-figure threshold that defines traditional private banking.
Investment access
Private markets in the satellite.
Beyond the diversified core, Vault clients access curated private-market opportunities, thematic strategies, and direct convictions — the same shelf as larger institutions.
Planning
Structured financial planning by a dedicated advisor.
Goals, cash flow, risk, and family wealth — modelled end-to-end and reviewed continuously with a CFA- or CFP-qualified advisor who knows your name.
Cash
Daily-yielding SmartCash, no lock-ins.
Multi-currency cash earning daily interest in AED, USD, EUR, and GBP. Withdraw anytime — no teaser rates, no minimums, no surprises.
Curious how a fee-only relationship looks next to Interactive Brokers?
Book a complimentary discovery session with a Vault advisor. We'll walk through your current setup, model the all-in cost, and show you exactly what a Vault relationship would look like — no obligation.
Sources & disclaimers
Comparison data is taken from each provider's publicly disclosed materials as of May 2026. Bank fee schedules, minimums, and product shelves change frequently — always verify current figures with each institution before deciding. Nothing on this page is a solicitation to switch providers or a representation that Vault is better suited to a particular individual's circumstances. For independent advice tailored to your situation, speak with a regulated wealth advisor.