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Does Questrade pay interest on uninvested cash as of October 2023?
No, Questrade doesn't pay any interest on uninvested cash, so make sure you don't leave too much cash lying around at Questrade for too long.
I've thoroughly tested Questrade services with our analyst team by opening a real-money account and these are my most important findings:
- Questrade offers no interest on your uninvested funds
- Interest on your cash can help preserve its value while you search for your next investment target
- Your cash is as safe at brokers as at most banks
- Watch out for minimum balance requirements or inactivity fees
|
USD maximum cash yield
|
0.0% |
|---|---|
|
GBP maximum cash yield
|
0.0% |
|
EUR maximum cash yield
|
0.0% |
|
Inactivity fee
|
No
|
Data updated on October 10, 2023
How interest on uninvested cash can benefit you
In times of inflation, it's usually not a good idea to keep too much cash lying around, whether in your bank account or broker account. Do you have uninvested cash in your broker account? You'll be delighted to hear that many brokers now pay significant interest on excess cash, so you don't necessarily need to withdraw and/or reinvest it.
Brokers have widely different interest rates and policies when it comes to uninvested cash. Some brokers pay nothing at all, but some brokers offer higher interest rates than banks. In such cases, it may be a good idea to deposit some money to your broker account even if you don't plan to immediately invest it.
If the interest paid by your broker is high enough, you'll feel less pressure to withdraw your money from your broker account after selling a stock; this way, you can avoid withdrawal or conversion fees. Also, if interest is high, you'll feel less of an urge to reinvest your cash right away; allowing you to patiently wait for the best opportunity to buy your next stocks.
When it comes to keeping cash in your broker account, you shouldn't be concerned about safety in most cases. For example, in the US, the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) insurance scheme protects your cash holdings up to $250,000 in the case of broker bankruptcy. In addition, many brokers keep their clients' uninvested cash at reliable third-party banks, keeping it further out of harm's way.
Eager to seek out advice or improve your investment skills? Check out our overview of the most popular learning tools for long-term investors.
Things to watch when managing your cash
It's great to earn interest on uninvested cash in your broker account, but there are a couple of things to remember:
- Some brokers require a minimum account balance from you to qualify for interest payments; this is often relatively high ($100,000 or more).
- If you keep a broker account solely for earning interest on your excess cash, pick a broker that doesn't charge a regular account fee or an inactivity fee.
Best brokers for long-term investment
Are you in the stock market for the long term? Check out our list of the top brokers for buy-and-hold investors.
Check out this short video for a behind-the-scenes peek into how our experts personally test and evaluate brokers.
Further reading
- Diversifying your investments
- Questrade stock conditions as of July 2023 explained
- Questrade penny stocks trading conditions explained as of July 2023
- Questrade bond availability as of September 2023
- Questrade ETF trading explained July 2023
- Questrade fractional shares trading conditions explained as of July 2023
- Questrade ESG investing July 2023
- Questrade invest $100,000 as of July 2023
- Questrade IPO accessibility
- Questrade Mexican stocks trading availability October 2023
- Questrade US stock trading details October 2023
