Best Brokers With No Inactivity Fees 2026

Author - Michael MacKenzie
Author
Michael MacKenzie
Michael is a UK-based investment writer with over 10 years of experience in the journalism industry. Michael has critically evaluated many of the largest investment brokers in the UK.
Editor - James Barra
Editor
James Barra
James is a UK-based writer and investor with consultancy experience at some of Britain's largest financial organisations. James authors, edits and fact-checks content for a row of investing websites.
Fact Checker - Tobias Robinson
Fact Checker
Tobias Robinson
Tobias is a UK director and partner at Investing.co.uk. He provides commentary on the financial markets in the UK and supports the testing team with first-hand observations from over two decades of active trading.

Brokers with no inactivity fees don’t charge for periods of zero trading activity, making them well-suited to casual investors. This contrasts with most brokerages that generally charge a monthly fee after three or more months of no trading, catching out beginners.

Dig into our list of the top UK brokers that don’t charge for inactivity.

⚠ Investing involves risk. Asset prices can move rapidly and you may lose some or all money invested. Never invest more than you can afford to lose.

Top Brokers With No Inactivity Fee

After carefully verifying that they don't charge an inactivity fee for not trading, and evaluating the overall trading package, these providers came out on top:
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    Founded in Australia in 2010, Pepperstone is a leading forex and CFD broker serving over 830,000 clients globally. It provides access to 1,400+ instruments through MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView, with low, transparent pricing. Regulated by the FCA, ASIC and CySEC, Pepperstone offers a secure trading environment for all experience levels.

    Instruments Regulator Platforms
    CFDs, Forex, Currency Indices, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Crypto CFDs (only Pro clients), Spread Betting FCA, ASIC, CySEC, BaFin, DFSA, SCA, SCB, CMA-Kenya Pepperstone Trading Platform, MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView
    Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage
    $0 0.01 Lots 1:30 (Retail - UK, EU, Australia), 1:500 (Pro), 1:200 (Offshore), 1:400 (Kenya)
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    Spreadex, regulated by the FCA, provides spread betting across 10,000+ CFD instruments, including 60 forex pairs. Traders have the option to engage in short-term positions on sporting events as well. With a history exceeding 20 years, the company has earned numerous accolades.

    Instruments Regulator Platforms
    Forex, CFDs, Indices, Commodities, Stocks, Crypto, Bonds, Interest Rates, ETFs, Options, Spread Betting FCA Spreadex Platform, TradingView, AutoChartist
    Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage
    £0 (but £5 minimum for standard payment methods) £0.01 1:30
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    Interactive Brokers (IBKR) stands as a leading brokerage, offering access to 170+ markets in 40 nations alongside extensive investment services. With 40+ years in finance, this Nasdaq-listed entity complies with regulations from the SEC, FCA, CIRO, and SFC, ensuring global trustworthiness in trading.

    Instruments Regulator Platforms
    Stocks, Options, Futures, Forex, Funds, Bonds, ETFs, Mutual Funds, Cryptocurrencies, CFDs SEC, FINRA, CFTC, NFA, CIRO, FCA, CBI, ASIC, SFC, SEBI, JFSA, MAS Trader Workstation (TWS), IBKR Desktop, GlobalTrader, Mobile, Client Portal, AlgoTrader, OmniTrader, TradingView, eSignal, TradingCentral, ProRealTime, Quantower
    Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage
    $0 $1 1:30
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    Trade Nation is a leading FX and CFD broker regulated in the UK and Australia, among other places. The company provides competitively priced fixed and variable spreads on over 1,000 assets. Traders benefit from advanced platforms and comprehensive training materials. Additionally, the Signal Centre offers valuable trade ideas.

    Instruments Regulator Platforms
    CFDs, Forex, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Futures, Bonds, Spread Betting (UK and Ireland only), Cryptos (Bahamas entity only) FCA, ASIC, CMVM , FSCA, SCB, FSA TN Trader, MT4, TradingView
    Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage
    $0 0.1 Lots 1:30
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    Eightcap, an acclaimed broker regulated by the FCA, offers exceptionally low trading costs. Recognised as the top-rated brand by TradingView's vast user base of 100 million, traders can directly access the platform. UK traders can open a live account with a minimum deposit of just £100.

    Instruments Regulator Platforms
    CFDs in Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSC, SCB, FSA MT4, MT5, TradingView, TradeLocker
    Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage
    £100 0.01 Lots 1:30
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    Founded in 2009, Vantage provides access to over 1,000 short-term CFD products for millions of clients. Trade Forex CFDs from 0.0 pips via RAW accounts on TradingView, MT4 or MT5. ASIC-regulated, Vantage segregates client funds and offers social trading tools for copy traders.

    Instruments Regulator Platforms
    CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Bonds, Spread betting FCA, ASIC, FSCA, VFSC, CIMA ProTrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView, TradingCentral, DupliTrade
    Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage
    $50 0.01 Lots 1:30
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    Tickmill is a worldwide broker regulated by respected authorities like CySEC and FCA. It has attracted hundreds of thousands of traders, executing over 530 million trades. Its edge lies in sophisticated tools, informative resources, and competitive fees.

    Instruments Regulator Platforms
    Forex, CFDs, stocks, indices, commodities, cryptocurrencies, futures, options, bonds FCA, CySEC, FSA, DFSA, FSCA Tickmill Webtrader, MT4, MT5, TradingView
    Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage
    $100 0.01 Lots 1:1000

Safety Comparison

Compare how safe the Best Brokers With No Inactivity Fees 2026 are and what features they offer to protect traders.

Safety Comparison
Broker Trust Rating FCA Regulated Negative Balance Protection Guaranteed Stop Loss Segregated Accounts
Pepperstone 4.6 ✔ ✔ ✘ ✔
Spreadex 4 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Interactive Brokers 4.5 ✔ ✔ ✘ ✔
Trade Nation 4.3 ✔ ✔ ✘ ✔
Eightcap 4.3 ✔ ✔ ✘ ✔
Vantage FX 4.6 ✔ ✔ ✘ ✔
Tickmill 4.3 ✔ ✘ ✘ ✔

Payments Comparison

Compare which popular payment methods the Best Brokers With No Inactivity Fees 2026 support and whether they have trading accounts denominated in British Pounds (GBP).

Payments Comparison
Broker GBP Account Debit Card Credit Card Neteller Skrill Apple Pay
Pepperstone ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Spreadex ✔ ✔ ✔ ✘ ✘ ✘
Interactive Brokers ✔ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘
Trade Nation ✔ ✔ ✔ ✘ ✔ ✘
Eightcap ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✘
Vantage FX ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✘
Tickmill ✔ ✘ ✘ ✔ ✔ ✘

Mobile Trading Comparison

How good are the Best Brokers With No Inactivity Fees 2026 at mobile trading using apps or other mobile interfaces.

Mobile Trading Comparison
Broker Mobile Apps iOS Rating Android Rating Smart Watch App
Pepperstone iOS & Android 4.4 4.1 ✘
Spreadex iOS & Android 4.5 4.5 ✘
Interactive Brokers iOS & Android 4.3 4.5 ✔
Trade Nation iOS & Android 4.5 4.5 ✘
Eightcap iOS & Android 4.8 4.4 ✘
Vantage FX iOS & Android 3.6 3.9 ✘
Tickmill ✔ 4.9 3.4 ✘

Beginners Comparison

Are the Best Brokers With No Inactivity Fees 2026 good for beginner traders, that might want an affordable setup to get started, along with good support and educational resources?

Beginners Comparison
Broker Demo Account Minimum Deposit Minimum Trade Support Rating Education Rating
Pepperstone ✔ $0 0.01 Lots 4.6 4
Spreadex ✘ £0 (but £5 minimum for standard payment methods) £0.01 4.3 4
Interactive Brokers ✔ $0 $1 3 4.3
Trade Nation ✔ $0 0.1 Lots 4.9 4.2
Eightcap ✔ £100 0.01 Lots 4 3.5
Vantage FX ✔ $50 0.01 Lots 4.4 4
Tickmill ✔ $100 0.01 Lots 4 4.3

Advanced Trading Comparison

Do the Best Brokers With No Inactivity Fees 2026 offer features that allow for more advanced trading strategies?

Advanced Trading Comparison
Broker Automated Trading Pro Account Leverage VPS AI Low Latency Extended Hours
Pepperstone Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader, cBots on cTrader ✔ 1:30 (Retail - UK, EU, Australia), 1:500 (Pro), 1:200 (Offshore), 1:400 (Kenya) ✘ ✘ ✔ ✘
Spreadex ✘ ✔ 1:30 ✘ ✘ ✔ ✔
Interactive Brokers TWS API ✘ 1:30 ✘ ✔ ✔ ✔
Trade Nation Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader ✘ 1:30 ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘
Eightcap TradingView Bots ✘ 1:30 ✔ ✘ ✔ ✘
Vantage FX Myfxbook AutoTrade, Expert Advisors (EAs) on MetaTrader ✘ 1:30 ✔ ✘ ✘ ✘
Tickmill ✔ ✘ 1:1000 ✘ ✘ ✘ ✘

Detailed Rating Comparison

Use this heatmap to compare our detailed ratings for all of the Best Brokers With No Inactivity Fees 2026.

Detailed Rating Comparison
Broker Trust Platforms Mobile Assets Fees Accounts Support Research Education
Pepperstone 4.6 4.8 4.3 4.6 4.5 4 4.6 4.3 4
Spreadex 4 4.3 4.5 4.5 4 3.8 4.3 4.3 4
Interactive Brokers 4.5 3.3 4.4 4.7 4.3 3.5 3 4.4 4.3
Trade Nation 4.3 3.9 4.5 3.7 4.3 4.2 4.9 3.9 4.2
Eightcap 4.3 4.3 4.6 3.6 3.8 4 4 3.5 3.5
Vantage FX 4.6 4.3 3.8 4.5 4.4 4.5 4.4 4 4
Tickmill 4.3 4 4.2 3.8 4 3.5 4 4.3 4.3

Our Take On Pepperstone

"Pepperstone excels in trading with tight spreads, swift execution, and advanced charting for seasoned traders. Beginners enjoy zero minimum deposit, comprehensive educational materials, and outstanding 24/5 support, including 18-hour weekend assistance."
Tobias Robinson
Tobias Robinson
Reviewer

Pros

  • Pepperstone offers pre-IPO perpetual futures, adding Anthropic in October 2026, enabling 24/7 speculation on expected share prices through cash-settled CFDs.
  • By integrating spread betting via TradingView, Pepperstone offers a streamlined, tax-efficient trading platform with sophisticated analysis tools for financial spread bettors in eligible countries.
  • Recognised customer support is accessible through phone, email, or live chat, with response times under five minutes. Service agents are friendly and well-versed in products and trading tools.

Cons

  • Execution might not appear as dependable in rapid markets as headline speeds imply. Our tests showed swift execution at targeted prices. However, community feedback highlights concerns over slippage, stop-loss fills, and order triggers sensitive to spreads amid volatility.
  • Although the market range has expanded, crypto CFD options remain somewhat restricted, especially when compared to specialised brokers like Eightcap. Additionally, there is no facility to invest in actual cryptocurrencies.
  • Pepperstone has withdrawn support for key tools enhancing the trading experience for active retail traders, including Autochartist, Capitalise.ai, and a free VPS, now limited to pro traders in certain countries.

Our Take On Spreadex

"Spreadex attracts UK traders keen on spread betting in financial markets and traditional sports wagers. It offers low fees for short trades, and spread bet profits are tax-free. With a robust charting platform and no minimum deposit, it's easy to begin."
Tobias Robinson
Tobias Robinson
Reviewer

Pros

  • Over 10,000 instruments and superior access to AIM small-caps are available, including exclusive offerings not found with larger brokers. This provides UK-centric traders with enhanced opportunities in niche small-cap configurations.
  • Spreadex has integrated Autochartist-powered trading signals into its desktop platform. This offers real-time, pattern-based insights aimed at assisting active traders in spotting potential opportunities.
  • Our fee analysis shows the EUR/USD at 0.6 pips during off-peak hours. FTSE and S&P 500 spreads remain competitively priced for spread-betting brokers. Trading costs are reasonable.

Cons

  • CFDs, financial spread bets, sports, and casino activities are combined in one account balance. For serious traders, this means non-trading losses can immediately decrease the margin for trading positions.
  • Execution is satisfactory, though not top-tier. Tests showed 0.2–0.4 pip slippage in stable liquid markets, but news-induced volatility increased some fills to around 1 pip. Thinner AIM stocks often experienced 2–4 point slippage.
  • Spreadex requires real funds initially, offering no demo accounts. Few spread betting brokers neglect to accommodate new traders in this manner.

Our Take On Interactive Brokers

"Interactive Brokers ranks highly for seasoned traders due to its robust charting platforms, live data, and bespoke layouts via the new IBKR Desktop app. Its competitive pricing and sophisticated order choices appeal to traders, and its wide equity options are industry-leading."
Tobias Robinson
Tobias Robinson
Reviewer

Pros

  • IBKR consistently offers unparalleled access to global equities, with thousands of shares available across over 100 market centres in 24 countries, including the recently added Saudi Stock Exchange.
  • DayTrading.com awarded Interactive Brokers 'Best US Broker' for 2025, highlighting its dedication to US traders, extremely low margin rates, and affordable global market access.
  • IBKR offers an economical environment for traders, featuring low commissions, narrow spreads, and a clear fee structure.

Cons

  • You are limited to a single active session per account, meaning you cannot use both your desktop programme and mobile app at the same time. This restriction can occasionally lead to a frustrating experience for traders.
  • TWS has a steep learning curve, making it difficult for newcomers to navigate and grasp its features.
  • Support can be sluggish and frustrating. Tests reveal that you may face challenges reaching customer service quickly, which could result in delays in issue resolution.

Our Take On Trade Nation

"Trade Nation caters to discretionary traders aiming to speculate on major indices like the US 500 or liquid FX pairs, with the certainty of fixed spreads. Our tests revealed the TN Trader's fixed spreads to be advantageous, especially during economic announcements, thanks to its dependable charting and capped spreads."
Tobias Robinson
Tobias Robinson
Reviewer

Pros

  • Trade Nation accounts can now connect to TradingView, offering enhanced multi-chart functionality and direct trade execution.
  • Trade Nation's 2026 alliance with Volt has streamlined payments for Australian traders, enabling instant deposits and withdrawals via PayID. Faster payout features are also anticipated for UK and EU clients.
  • The broker expanded into Europe by launching regulated online trading services, after securing authorization from Portugal's CVMV, enhancing safety measures for European residents.

Cons

  • Offshore SCB and FSA firms offer retail investors leverage up to 1:200 and 1:500. In contrast, regions like the UK, Europe, and Australia cap leverage at 1:30. Thus, an FSA client can access 16 times more exposure than a UK retail client on identical trades. However, this comes with reduced oversight and no compensation schemes.
  • There is no raw or ECN pricing tier, often favoured by traders. Regardless of your deposit or trading volume, you receive the same fixed (or variable on MT4) pricing as novices, rendering it particularly unsuitable for scalpers.
  • Withdrawals may take up to five business days, aligning with industry norms. However, this is slower compared to the 1-3 days many brokers now offer to minimise complaints from retail investors.

Our Take On Eightcap

"Eightcap excels for traders, offering diverse charting platforms, educational Labs, and AI tools. With over 120 crypto CFDs, it stands out in crypto trading and has won our 'Best Crypto Broker' award twice consecutively."
William Berg
William Berg
Reviewer

Pros

  • Eightcap excels with a suite of advanced trading tools, such as MT4 and MT5, and has recently joined the 100-million-user social trading network, TradingView.
  • Eightcap Challenges, the broker's proprietary trading firm, operates under multiple regulations, eliminating the third-party risks typical of white-label firms. It offers tailored funded accounts for crypto traders with approximately 150 crypto pairs and is integrated with the TradingView platform.
  • Eightcap offers competitive trading with tight spreads starting from 0 pips and low commission fees. These affordable and adaptable conditions suit various strategies, including trading and scalping.

Cons

  • Eightcap must enhance its range of over 800 instruments to rival top competitors like Blackbull Markets, which offers 26,000+ assets, especially improving its limited commodities selection.
  • The demo account is available for 30 days, after which it requires a request for extension. This is less convenient than XM's offering, which provides an unlimited demo mode.
  • Despite the growing range of tools available, Eightcap lacks popular industry resources such as Autochartist and Trading Central. These provide advanced charting analytics, live news, and essential market insights for traders focused on short-term strategies.

Our Take On Vantage FX

"Vantage is an ideal choice for CFD traders looking for a well-regulated broker with access to the dependable MetaTrader platforms. With a swift sign-up process and a minimum deposit of $50, starting trading is simple and fast."
Tobias Robinson
Tobias Robinson
Reviewer

Pros

  • Hedging and scalping strategies are fully permitted without any short-term restrictions.
  • The trading software suite is outstanding, featuring the acclaimed MT4 and MT5 platforms.
  • The broker has expanded its CFD offerings, enhancing trading opportunities.

Cons

  • Based on tests, average execution speeds of 100ms to 250ms are slower compared to other options.
  • It's unfortunate that some clients must register with the offshore firm, which provides reduced regulatory safeguards.
  • To access optimal trading conditions, a substantial deposit of $10,000 is required. This includes a commission of $1.50 per transaction per side.

Our Take On Tickmill

"Tickmill stands out for traders, particularly with the Raw account, offering nearly no pip spreads and exceptionally swift order execution."
Tobias Robinson
Tobias Robinson
Reviewer

Pros

  • Drawing from our trading experience, Tickmill consistently executes orders rapidly—averaging around 59 milliseconds—with minimal slippage or requotes. This reliability ensures traders can trust their entry and exit prices without delay, safeguarding against potential costs in fast markets.
  • With the Raw Spread account, spreads are remarkably tight, occasionally reaching zero pips, complemented by a clear per-trade commission. This arrangement minimises trading costs, offering a crucial benefit for frequent trades and eliminating hidden fees that erode profits.
  • Tickmill holds licences from regulators such as the FCA and CySEC, ensuring tangible advantages. Client funds are segregated in secure accounts, and negative balance protection is in place. This guarantees you won't owe more than your deposit, offering reassurance during market fluctuations.

Cons

  • If you prefer cTrader's interface and advanced order options, you won't find them here. Tickmill utilises MetaTrader 4 and 5, TradingView, and its own platform but lacks cTrader. This may hinder those who depend on cTrader's features or tools like cTrader Copy.
  • Tickmill targets forex pairs, select stock CFDs, indices, and limited commodities. If you prefer trading across diverse asset classes like cryptocurrencies or a wider array of stocks, options here are restricted versus brokers offering thousands of instruments.

How Investing.co.uk Chose The Top No Inactivity Fee Brokers

Our team reviewed account terms and conditions in detail and, where necessary, contacted customer support directly to confirm that no inactivity or dormancy fees are charged.

Platforms were rated higher if they combined clear, fee-free account policies with transparent pricing, reliable platforms, and strong customer protection measures, with overall ratings ultimately used to sort providers.

Investing.co.uk day trading platforms research methodology

What To Look For In A Broker With Zero Inactivity Fees

Trust

The most important criteria when we review any broker is that it is reliable – otherwise, you risk losing your money to scams or business failure even if your trades are successful.

  • Pepperstone  is regulated by seven trusted financial bodies, including the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). With a great choice of trading platforms provided, spanning MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView, and both CFDs and spread bets on popular markets with no minimum deposit, this is a great choice for traders seeking a trustworthy broker with no inactivity fees.

Fees

Aside from the inactivity fee, you need to look for a broker with low trading fees as these will chip away at your profits over time.

Avoid brokers that apply hidden fees such as charges for data, deposits and withdrawals as these affect your bottom line in the same way as inactivity fees.

  • IC Markets has been a leading low-cost broker for years, thanks spreads starting at zero pips with a $3.5 commission per lot per side on its Raw Spread account and spreads from 0.6 pips on its commission-free Standard option. There are no deposits or withdrawal fees, no inactivity fees, and traders have fee-free access to top platforms plus third-party trading tools like ZuluTrade.

Markets

Choose a broker with a wide range of markets and you’ll have so many trading opportunities you may never need to worry about an inactivity fee!

We usually prefer brokers with access to 40+ forex pairs including all of the majors, plus global stocks, indices and commodities.

Having additional instruments like cryptocurrencies, ETFs and bonds adds even more depth and is a huge bonus for traders.

  • Interactive Brokers is one of the best UK brokers with no inactivity fees for advanced traders because of its huge range of assets, which includes stocks from every region in the world plus forex, CFDs, cryptocurrencies, indices, bonds, options, ETFs, warrants and more.

Charting Platforms

The charting platform is your window onto markets and an indispensable tool for planning and executing trades, so you should make sure your broker provides one that you’re happy with.

Our experts have found that most brokers support the classic MT4 and MT5 platforms, and these have everything you need to access markets.

However, after decades these are finally starting to show their age, and many brokers now offer newer and more streamlined platforms such as TradingView, which has the advantage of integrated social media and research feeds.

Eightcap's EURUSD pair on TradingView

Eightcap’s EURUSD pair on TradingView

Some brokers have different asset lists on different platforms or generally work better with one platform than another, even if they support both. I find that an easy way to get a feeling for how a platform works with a particular broker is to use a demo trading account.
author image
Michael MacKenzie
Author
  • Eightcap remains a great choice for UK traders looking for flexible platform options, with access to MT4, MT5 and TradingView. It’s also one of the most competitive when it comes to fees, with no charges for inactivity, account management or deposits/withdrawals, and a fair pricing structure with $7 round-turn per lot commissions.

Account Options

You need to be able to fund your account quickly and affordably, so you should choose a broker that has account options that suit you.

Other things to consider include whether the broker offers a swap-free account if your religious beliefs prohibit interest.

The best brokers with no inactivity fees offer flexible accounts and accept diverse payment methods, with digital options supported as well as card and wire transfers.

  • XTB‘s account options are still among the best of any broker with no inactivity fee, with payment methods including card, wire transfer and e-wallets including PayPal. There’s no minimum deposit, allowing almost anyone to set up an account easily, and the swap-free account is suitable for Muslim traders.

What Is An Inactivity Fee In Trading?

As the name suggests, an inactivity fee is a charge levied on trading accounts that haven’t been active for a period. The length of that period and the size of the fee varies between online brokers. The fee itself is normally charged monthly and can range from $5 to $50+ from our tests.

The terms and conditions of account inactivity fees also vary. For example, we’ve seen some brokers charge if you haven’t placed a trade or if you have no open positions, while others simply require you to log into your account to avoid a fee.

Ultimately, for part-time investors and beginners, brokers with no inactivity fees are a sensible way to avoid hidden charges and non-trading costs.

Bottom Line

Inactivity fees are charged by most forex, stock and CFD brokers in the UK. Fortunately, there remain many excellent alternatives with no such charge, making them ideal for beginners and part-time investors.

To find the right provider for your needs, use our list of the top brokers with no inactivity fees.

FAQ

Can I Avoid Trading Inactivity Fees?

Yes – the easiest thing to do is to sign up with brokers with zero inactivity fees. Alternatively, you can avoid the charge on some platforms by simply logging into your trading account every couple of months.

With that said, it’s worth checking their terms and conditions because some brokers require that you open and close a real-money trade to avoid the charge.

Is It Legal For Trading Brokers To Charge Inactivity Fees?

Yes – it is legal for brokers to charge fees on inactive accounts. The charge is typically used to cover the costs of maintaining a live account. Yet reputable brokers should make clear any non-trading fees in their pricing schedule.

Firms that fail to disclose inactivity fees and other non-trading charges at the registration stage should be avoided.