# InteractiveBrokers (IB) now supports fractional shares
**URL:** https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939
**Category:** Investing / Brokers
**Created:** [December 22, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939 "2019-12-22T15:30:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Setsugetsu](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/Setsugetsu)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/1 "2019-12-22T15:30:47Z")
Hello everyone, in case someone missed this, IB now supports fractional shares for securities!
[https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/index.php?f=1656&nhf=T#fractions](https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/index.php?f=1656&nhf=T#fractions)
> [What products can I trade in fractions?](https://www.interactivebrokers.com/lib/cstools/faq/#/content/faq%3A%2F%2FpageId%3D83257314?articleId=83261303)
> U.S. stocks listed on NYSE, AMEX, NASDAQ, ARCA, or BATS
I believe this should work for ETFs also, if I am not mistaken (I am yet to try this). Personally I am excited as this will simplify my calculations for my buy-ins and I will consider setting up automated investing.
What do you think about this feature? Will you consider buying fractional shares?
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### Author:  [@Cortana](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/Cortana)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2019, 5:04pm UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/2 "2019-12-22T17:04:51Z")
Nice, I’ll try it on Tuesday.
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### Author:  [@pandas](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/pandas)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2019, 5:32pm UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/3 "2019-12-22T17:32:36Z")
Are you too poor to buy a whole share?
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### Author:  [@Cortana](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/Cortana)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2019, 6:49pm UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/4 "2019-12-22T18:49:25Z")
Lol I think it’s more about using all the money that you got on IBKR.
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### Author:  [@nabalzbhf](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/nabalzbhf)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2019, 7:02pm UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/5 "2019-12-22T19:02:24Z")
And it’s much simpler to rebalance, no need to fiddle as much with spreadsheets.
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### Author:  [@pandas](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/pandas)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2019, 8:35pm UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/6 "2019-12-22T20:35:37Z")
Rebalancing should take into account relative price developments between the funds to push portfolio towards your desired allocation so I don’t see how fractional shares helps avoid “fiddling with spreadsheet”. Both price development and buying integer shares will cause your portfolio to deviate from target, you must correct it periodically either way.
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### Author:  [@pandas](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/pandas)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2019, 8:40pm UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/7 "2019-12-22T20:40:36Z")
> [@Cortana](#):
>
> Lol I think it’s more about using all the money that you got on IBKR.
I don’t know abotu you but to me 100-200 fr (cost of a typical share) is less than a rounding error and i don’t care if it’s kept as cash at a broker or my wallet or as fractional share
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### Author:  [@San\_Francisco](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/San_Francisco)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2019, 10:00pm UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/8 "2019-12-22T22:00:54Z")
> [@pandas](#):
>
> I don’t know abotu you but to me 100-200 fr (cost of a typical share) is less than a rounding error and i don’t care if it’s kept as cash at a broker or my wallet or as fractional share
Also, it might create potential headaches further down the line, when doing the tax return.
I have had to sell fractional shares manually at other brokers, have seen them settling on another date (than the “integer part”), the numbers might fail to add up exactly on a tax return or personal finance application, etc. Not really worth the potential hassle for me for a larger ETF position in my portfolio, if it’s just a few dozens of USD/CHF.
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### Author:  [@pandas](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/pandas)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/9 "2019-12-22T22:28:42Z")
At least the ZH tax software supports fractional shares, but yeah, there’s point to keeping it simple
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### Author:  [@nabalzbhf](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/nabalzbhf)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2019, 10:32am UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/10 "2019-12-23T10:32:49Z")
> [@pandas](#):
>
> I don’t see how fractional shares helps avoid “fiddling with spreadsheet”.
I find it a bit easier to e.g. buy 9420 USD worth of shares, instead of 121 shares (translation is currently done by my spreadsheet, it’s just I can avoid an extra USD → shares conversion when using fractional shares).
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### Author:  [@bamboo](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/bamboo)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2019, 3:53pm UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/11 "2019-12-23T15:53:46Z")
> [@pandas](#):
>
> Are you too poor to buy a whole share?
For Berkshire Hathway class A may be?
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### Author:  [@pandas](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/pandas)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2019, 6:04pm UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/12 "2019-12-23T18:04:37Z")
> [@bamboo](#):
>
> For Berkshire Hathway class A may be?
That’s why they offer class B now. Only ~ 200 bucks.
> [@nabalzbhf](#):
>
> I find it a bit easier to e.g. buy 9420 USD worth of shares, instead of 121 shares (translation is currently done by my spreadsheet, it’s just I can avoid an extra USD → shares conversion when using fractional shares).
+/- $9420/121 = $77 deviation from your desired target allocation is pretty much a negligible rounding error and doesn’t matter. Unless maybe you have low 3-4 figures portfolio or so
If you’re trying to roll-your-own-hedge-fund buying dozens-hundreds of different shares, then it can be worth something to think about it. But if you’re just buying VT or a few other broad index funds, it simply DOESN’T MATTER!
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### Author:  [@nabalzbhf](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/nabalzbhf)
#### Post date: [December 23, 2019, 7:04pm UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/13 "2019-12-23T19:04:49Z")
I guess we agree 🙂, the fractional part doesn’t matter for the allocation. I just like the simplicity of not having to care about shares/share price, that’s all (you can have a USD denominated order instead of number of shares).
(of course IB will convert behind the scenes, but I don’t care :))
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### Author:  [@FIREstarter](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/FIREstarter)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2022, 6:41am UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/15 "2022-05-07T06:41:23Z")
Personally, fractional shares don’t really appeal to me. Unless I want to own some Lindt stock 🙂
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### Author:  [@Rainmaker](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/Rainmaker)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2022, 11:45am UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/18 "2022-05-07T11:45:53Z")
Can you get free stuff from the company if you own a fractional share?
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### Author:  [@johndoe1](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/johndoe1)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2022, 12:14pm UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/20 "2022-05-07T12:14:28Z")
> [@ProvidentRetriever](#):
>
> But that’s exactly what fractional shares were invented for. For Lindt stock. 😄
My most pressing question: Will they give you a fraction of the chocolate case goodie too (physical dividend). Or will Calida cut the pajama-goodie apart for fractional owners 😁?
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### Author:  [@ma0](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/u/ma0)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2022, 6:35am UTC](https://forum.mustachianpost.com/t/interactivebrokers-ib-now-supports-fractional-shares/2939/24 "2022-05-10T06:35:42Z")
> [@johndoe1](#):
>
> Will they give you a fraction of the chocolate case
IB will be full of chocolate and pajamas since they are the only ones inscribed in the register as owners.
I wonder if each employee takes his turn to be owner “on paper” for this kind of stocks, otherwise there is just one big owner (XXXXXL pajama 😃 )