Lime Trader Pricing
Commissions
Stocks, ETFs, ADRs
| Zero Commission Route | $0.00 |
| Extended Hours | $0.003/share |
| Direct Access Routes | $0.005/share, $1 min |
| OTCBB, Pink Sheets | $.003/share |
Options
| Single-leg | $0.50/contract |
| Multi-leg | $0.50/contract on each leg |
Required Minimum Balances
Cash Accounts
Your account value must be at least $1,000* to begin trading.
Under $1,000: trading capability ceases until equity is raised (liquidation only orders)
Margin Accounts
Your account value must be at least $2,000** to begin trading.
Under $2,000: trading capability ceases until equity is raised.
*($5,000 in EDD countries)
Trading & Regulatory Fees
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Fee
SEC Section 31 transaction fees are charged by the government to recover the costs of regulating the securities markets. The fee is charged on all security sales, based on the total principal (dollar) amount sold. The current rate is $0.0000278 per dollar of your sale proceeds.
For example, if you sold 100 shares of stock at $25.00 netting total proceeds of $2,500.00 you would be charged $0.07 for the transaction: (2,500 x 0.0000278) = $0.07 (round up to the nearest penny).
Effective May 29, 2024.
Trading Activity Fee (TAF)
Trading Activity Fee rates are as follows: Each member shall pay to FINRA: (1) $0.000119 per share for each sale of a covered equity security, with a maximum charge of $5.95 per trade; (2) $0.002 per contract for each sale of an option; (3) $0.00008 per contract for each round turn transaction of a security future, provided there is a minimum charge of $0.01 per round turn transaction; In addition, if the execution price for a covered security is less than the Trading Activity Fee rate ($0.000119 for covered equity securities, $0.002 for covered option contracts, or $0.01 for a security future) on a per share, per contract, or round turn transaction basis then no fee will be assessed.
Options Regulatory Fee (ORF)
The Options Regulatory Fee (ORF) is a transaction-based fee charged by options exchanges and collected by the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) to offset the costs of supervising and regulating the options market. This fee varies based on industry volumes and is assessed to buy and sell option orders at a rate of $0.0023 per contract. Effective Aug 4, 2020.
Other Fees
We are proud to offer you straightforward pricing without any hidden charges.
ACH
| ACH Deposit/Withdrawal | Free |
| ACH Returned | $50.00 |
| (Returned as uncollectible or for insufficient funds.) | |
| Check Stop Payment | $25.00 |
| Overnight Delivery (Weekday) | $50.00 |
| Overnight Delivery (Saturday) | $50.00 |
| Overnight Delivery (International) | $80.00 |
Account Transfer Fee
| ACAT Incoming Transfer | Free |
| ACAT Outgoing Transfer | $80.00 |
| Additional charges will apply for transfers involving non-DTC eligible domestic and foreign securities. See “Foreign Settlement Fee and Physical Settlement Fee” listed below | |
| ACAT Outgoing Partial Transfer | $25.00 |
| DWAC Delivery | $250.00 + TA Fees |
| DRS Transfer | $60.00 |
| DTC Delivery | $25.00 per position |
| Letter of Authorization Transfer | $10.00 |
| Worthless Securities minimum account balance | $250.00 |
|
The balance is to offset the fees incurred for holding these types of securities, minimum amount required may be greater than $250.00 and will depend on the number of positions held
|
|
| Fee to remove a worthless security from account | $30.00 per security |
Clearing Firm Fees
| Mandatory Corporate Action Fee | $30 |
| W-8Ben Processing Fee | $60.00 |
Client Services
| Records Research | $100.00 per hour (1/2 hour minimum) |
| Transfer On Death Agreement | $50.00 One-time setup charge. |
| Returned Mail | $30.00 |
| Quarterly fee charged to accounts with returned mail associated with the address on file. To update your new address, please submit a Change of Address Form | |
| Returned Mail Maintenance Fee | $30.00 |
| Worthless Security Processing | $30.00 |
Dividends & Corporate Actions
| Dividend Reinvestment (DRIP) | Free |
| Tenders (Voluntary Corporate Actions) | $50.00 per item |
| Mandatory Corporate Actions | $30.00 per item |
Mandatory Corporate Actions include stock splits, mergers, spin-offs, etc.
Inactivity Fee
| Inactivity Fee | $15 per quarter |
| The inactivity fee will be waived under one of the following conditions: | – At least 5 trade executions per calendar quarter |
| Or: | |
| – At least $25,000 is maintained in the account |
IRAs
| IRA Annual Fee | $50.00 |
| This fee will be reimbursed if your account has over $10,000 in assets, and at least 40 trades have been placed (options & equities only). | |
| IRA Closing Fee | $75.00 Includes outgoing transfer via ACAT. |
Statements/Confirmations
| E-Statements | Free |
| E-Confirmations | Free |
| Paper/Duplicate Statements | $5.00 per statement. |
| Paper/Duplicate Confirmations | $3.00 per confirmation. |
Stock Loan
| Borrow Fee | Daily stock loan charges assessed to short trades. |
Tax Reporting
| Form 1099 Copy Request (Dated within the last 2 years) | $5.00 |
| Form 1099 Copy Request (prior last 2 years) | $10.00 |
Trade Settlement
| Foreign Settlement Fee (ADRs exempt) | At cost. |
|
This fee varies based on the number of counterparties involved. The fee applies to transactions and account transfers involving foreign securities that are not registered in the U.S. and not DTC eligible
|
|
| Physical Settlement Fee | Physical Settlement Fee At cost per certificate. |
| Applies to transactions and account transfers involving domestic securities that are not DTC eligible. Fee may also apply to transactions involving securities with a DTC “chill” restriction.) | |
| Regulation T Extension | $25.00 per request, plus margin interest |
| NSCC Illiquid Margin Charge | Click here for explanation of fee |
Trading Fees
| Option Exercise/Assignment | $20.00 per exercise/assignment |
| Broker Assisted Treade Fee | $20.00 |
| Sell-Out/Buy-In Notices | $25.00 |
| Foreign Stock Transaction Fee | $75.00 per trade |
Wire
| Wire – Outgoing – Domestic | $35.00 |
| Wire – Outgoing – Foreign | $80.00 |
| Wire Return Fee | $25.00 |
|
We do not accept third party wires. Incoming third party wires will be returned and the Wire Return Fee will be charged to the account. |
Margin Rates
Enjoy some of the lowest margin rates in the industry.
Trading on margin is not appropriate for every investor.
Please see our Margin Disclosure Statement for information on risks.
| Debit Balance | Lime Trading Corp | TD Ameritrade | Schwab | Etrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0.01 – $9,999 | 8.75% | 10.25% | 9.075% | 9.70% |
| $10,000 – $24,999.99 | 7.75% | 10.00% | 9.075% | 9.45% |
| >$25,000 – $49,999.99 | 7.25% | 9.75% | 8.575% | 9.20% |
| $50,000 – $99,999.99 | 7.00% | 8.75% | 7.625% | 8.70% |
| $100,000 – $249,999.99 | 6.75% | 8.50% | 7.575% | 8.20% |
| $250,000 – $499,999.99 | 6.50% | 8.25% | 7.325% | 7.70% |
| $1,000,000 or more | Please inquire |
Margin rates are subject to change.
Margin Requirements
Trading on margin is not appropriate for every investor. Please see our Margin Disclosure Statement for information on risks.
Long Stock
Short Stock
| Price | Initial Requirement | Maintenance Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| $3.00 – $5.00 | $2.50 per share. Cannot open short positions for stock priced below $3.00 | Greater of $2.50 or 100% |
| $5.01 or more | The greater of $5.00 or 50% | The greater of $5.00 or 40% |
Concentrated Positions
If one long equity position accounts for more than 50% of the total margin account’s value, then the maintenance requirement for that equity security will be adjusted to no less than 50%.
Please note that Lime Trading reserves the right to set a higher concentration requirement on certain stocks it deems too volatile. Additionally, stocks priced below $5.01 have a requirement of no less than 50%.
Options
| Option Order | Initial Requirement | Maintenance Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Short Calls | Options Premium | (Whichever is greater): |
| 35% of the underlying market price minus out-of-the-money | ||
| $5.01 or more | The greater of $5.00 or 50% | The greater of $5.00 or 40% |
| OR | ||
| 10% of the underlying market price | ||
| Short Puts | Option premium | (Whichever is greater): |
| 35% of the underlying market price minus out-of-the-money | ||
| OR | ||
| 10% of the strike price | ||
| Credit Spreads* | Difference between Strike Prices | Option Premium x Number of Contracts |
| Debit Spreads* | Net debit paid multiplied by the number of contracts | |
| Short Straddles | Short Call or Short Put requirement (whichever is greater) | Number of Contracts Premium received before the other leg |
Minimum Equity Requirements for Options
| Short Calls | Short Puts | Spreads | Credit Straddles |
|---|---|---|---|
| $100,00 | $25,000 | $5,000 (when Short Leg expires AT or BEFORE Long Leg expires) | $100,00 |
| $25,000 for Put Spreads (when Short Leg expires AFTER Long Leg expires) | |||
| $100,000 for Call Spreads (when Short Leg expires AFTER Long Leg expires) |
Note:
- Pink Sheets, OTC Bulletin Board (OTC-BB) and Leveraged ETFs / Stocks are NOT margin eligible.
- For a list of Lime Trading non-marginable securities, email us at [email protected].
- Margin Calls & Flags Guidelines
- Maintenance requirements may be set higher for certain stocks if considered necessary by our clearing firm.