IBKR vs PUK Comparison

Interactive Brokers is a large, automated, retail and institutional brokerage that boasted nearly $570 billion in customer equity at the end of 2024. The company cut its teeth as a market maker, introducing US financial markets to automated and algorithmic training before expanding into brokerage services in 1993. The firm has a wide-ranging client base, with its best-in-class order execution and extremely low margin lending rates catering to a sophisticated audience of hedge funds, proprietary traders, and introducing brokers that account for about 45% of the firm's commissions. With operations spanning more than 160 electronic exchanges, 36 countries, and 28 currencies, Interactive Brokers caters to a global clientele, with more than 80% of active accounts sitting outside the US.

Originally established as Prudential Mutual Assurance, Investment, and Loan Association in 1848, Prudential plc has moved on a lot since then. Set up to sell life insurance and loans to the middle and then the industrializing and urbanizing working classes, the company subsequently diversified into Europe and then North America with the purchase of Jackson National Life in around 1985. During its time as owner of Jackson, Prudential focused on building out a simple chassis-style product portfolio where customers could choose a variety of add-ons. The company also became renowned for its focus on building requisite internal capabilities to support its strong product offerings, including compelling technology and a large and well-trained wholesale sales.