I fund IB. Never even use tradestation except upon signing up or customer service. Everything settle directly with IB web. Not their software. Never really like to install anything for investing.

Usd5k lei.

Interactive Brokers = No min funding, first 3 months waiver on min fee. After that, subject to min $10/month or min $20/month if total asset under $2000. Can choose between fixed or tiered rates for commission based on trading size and volume.

TradeStation/CapTrader/other whitelabels = Introducing broker to Interactive Brokers (think buying a MAS ticket but flight is Cathay's), has their own min funding (0 or more), monthly fee (0 or more) and commission charge (marked up from what Interactive Brokers charges them). Behind the scene is all using Interactive Brokers.

I assume you want to open TradeStation for the friendlier commission rates? What do you plan to do with your holdings in CapTrader? Leave it there? Sell and buy again in TradeStation?

Instead of going through the whole min funding process again with TradeStation why not transfer your over holdings from CapTrader? That way you can keep whatever SXR8 you bought in CapTrader (without paying sell and buy commissions again) and accumulate CSPX USD/GBP from now on in TradeStation.

You could hit TradeStation support regarding moving over from CapTrader. Their rep will be happy to give you a call from London. I imagine it'll be an easy process since both are piggybacking on Interactive Brokers.

Perhaps best to clarify with CapTrader support if you have US stock holdings with them - I strongly believe it's still 30% one way or another for us Malaysian tax payers. In the worst case where CapTrader doesn't withhold any tax at all for all their clients, you're liable for filing it appropriately or risk falling under tax evasion with Uncle Sam.
With IB's target demographic and clientele size, I don't foresee that limit being lifted anytime soon.
To be clear, TradeStation Global has zero monthly inactivity/min commission;
IB (if you have <USD100k) on your 4th month onwards whether you trade or not: If your trade commission less than $10 you pay $10. If more, you pay that amount. If you don't do anything, you still pay $10.
TradeStation: You buy something you pay trade/FX commission, you sell something you pay trade/FX commission. You don't do anything, you don't pay anything.

If your habitual trade commission is less than $10 a month or you time the market, then go with TradeStation instead of IB (unless you have a cool USD100k of course)

When you are poor like me, cost is always and will be your no 1 priority. This is coming from a poor guy who watches his every cent as you cannot afford to lose a single cent for no reason.Is like make sure there is food on the table first before thinking about something else.

Cheapest route for?

Reporting to mothership.

Sp500 diy thread garnered 36 pages of attention. Special thanks to many sifu here who help with questions on sp500 thread.

As an appreciation, I have a paid online survey only for those who are currently invested passively (you are qualified as long as you deem yourself a passive rather than active investor).

Thank u and semua Mali ong 2020!

why not using transferwise route?
transferwise cost higher than intarem?