IC Markets Joint Accounts guide

A joint account is held in the names of two or more account holders. Depending on the account structure and the laws of your country, holders may share equal control, or one holder may need the consent of others for withdrawals and closures. For long-term investors, the key questions are how ownership is recorded, what happens to the account if one holder dies or becomes incapacitated, and how each holder's tax reporting is handled. None of these details should be assumed; they vary by broker, entity, and jurisdiction, and must be confirmed in the broker's own account documentation.

Do not rely on third-party summaries or forum posts to decide whether a broker supports joint accounts. Go to the broker's official account opening pages and legal documents, and confirm with support in writing. Ask which entity would onboard you, whether joint accounts are offered to residents of your country, what identity documents each holder must supply, and how withdrawals to multiple bank accounts are handled. Keep copies of the answers you receive so you can refer back to them if terms change. You can apply the same process to any broker using the checklist at /find-my-broker.

Joint accounts can carry the same fees as individual accounts or different ones, and administrative steps such as adding or removing a holder may involve paperwork or charges. Before committing, list every cost you can identify in the broker's current fee schedule and estimate the long-term impact using the brokerage fee calculator at /tools/brokerage-fee-calculator. Also decide how you and your co-holder will divide responsibilities, such as monitoring statements, responding to margin or document requests, and reviewing the account annually. Related planning guides are available at the long-term investing hub at /invest-long-term.