Frequently Asked Questions

U.S. citizens, U.S. residents and foreign citizens are welcome to apply to open a Lime Trading account. You must be at least 18 years of age to open an account.

Citizens who reside outside of the United States are welcome to apply.

Due to changes to investment regulations in non-U.S. jurisdictions, citizens of certain countries may not be able to open accounts. Certain foreign accounts may also be limited to certain offerings (i.e. no margin.) For more information, please contact [email protected].

Blocked Countries

To ensure compliance with all Federal legislation, sanctions and AML regulations and guidance, including the FATF, OFAC and FinCEN, Lime Trading Corp “LTC” will not open accounts for; disburse or accept funds to or from; or transfer securities to or from customers residing in, a citizen of, or financial institutions located in the following countries:

• Afghanistan (Islamic Republic of Afghanistan)
• Belarus (Republic of Belarus)
• Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Central African Republic
• Cuba (Republic of Cuba)
• Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire)
• Guyana (Co-operative Republic of Guyana)
• Iran (Islamic Republic of Iran)
• Iraq (Republic of Iraq)
• Laos (Lao People’s Democratic Republic)
• Libya (State of Libya)
• Nigeria
• North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea)
• Russia (Russian Federation)
• Somalia (Federal Republic of Somalia)
• Syria (Syrian Arab Republic)
• Uganda (Republic of Uganda)
• Vanuatu (Republic of Vanuatu)
• Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela)
• Yemen (Republic of Yemen)

LTC will not currently open accounts for individual residents or legal entities, or financial Institutions located and operating in the following countries. The Firm will accept funds from or disburse funds to current account holders provided the transaction doesn’t violate any Federal legislation, sanctions, or AML regulations and guidance:

• Belarus (Republic of Belarus)
• Russia (Russian Federation)

Blocked Financial Institutions

Lime Trading will not open accounts for or disburse or accept funds to or from the following financial institutions:

• ABLV Bank, AS (Latvia)
• Alfa-Bank (Russia)
• Banco Delta Asia (Macao, China)
• Bank of Dandong (China)
• Bank Otkritie Financial Corporation (Russia)
• Commercial Bank of Syria (includes Syrian Lebanese Commercial Bank)
• FBME Bank Ltd. (Tanzania)
• Gazprombank (Russia)
• Halawi Exchange Co. (Lebanon)
• Kassem Rmeiti & Co. For Exchange (Lebanon)
• Moscow Industrial Bank (Russia)
• Novikombank (Russia)
• Promsvyazbank (Russia)
• Rossiya Bank (Russia)
• SberBank (Russia)
• Sovcombank (Russia)
• Transkapitalbank (Russia)
• Vnesheconombank (Russia)
• VTB Bank (Russia)

Enhanced Due Diligence Countries

LTC will exercise extra caution and additional due diligence when opening an account for; or disbursing or accepting funds to or from; or transferring securities to or from a customer residing in, a citizen of, or financial institutions located in any of the following countries, which present increased risk of money laundering and/or terrorist financing activities:

• Albania (Republic of Albania)
• Algeria (People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria)
• Angola (Republic of Angola)
• The Bahamas (Commonwealth of the Bahamas)
• Barbados
• Botswana (Republic of Botswana)
• Burkina Faso
• Burma (Myanmar / Republic of the Union of Myanmar)
• Burundi (Republic of Burundi)
• Cambodia (Kampuchea)
• Cameroon (Republic of Cameroon)
• Chad (Republic of Chad)
• Cote d’Ivoire (Republic of Cote d’Ivoire / Ivory Coast)
• Eritrea (State of Eritrea)
• Ethiopia (Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia)
• Grenada
• Gambia (Republic of the Gambia)
• Ghana (Republic of Ghana)
• Guinea (Republic of Guinea)
• Guinea Bissau (Republic of Guinea-Bissau)
• Haiti (Republic of Haiti)
• Iceland (Republic of Iceland)
• Jamaica
• Jordan (Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan)
• Kuwait (State of Kuwait)
• Latvia (Republic of Latvia)
• Lebanon (Lebanese Republic)
• Lesotho (Kingdom of Lesotho)
• Liberia (Republic of Liberia)
• Madagascar (Republic of Madagascar)
• Mali (Republic of Mali)
• Malta (Republic of Malta)
• Mauritius (Republic of Mauritius)
• Mongolia
• Mozambique (Republic of Mozambique)
• Namibia (Republic of Namibia)
• Nepal (Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal)
• Nicaragua (Republic of Nicaragua)
• Niger (Republic of the Niger)
• Pakistan (Islamic Republic of Pakistan)
• Palestinian Territory
• Panama (Republic of Panama)
• Papua New Guinea (Independent State of Papua New Guinea)
• Paraguay (Republic of Paraguay)
• Philippines (Republic of Philippines)
• Sao Tome and Principe (Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe)
• Serbia (Republic of Serbia)
• South Sudan (Republic of South Sudan)
• Sri Lanka (Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka)
• Kitts and Nevis (Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis)
• Lucia
• Sudan (Republic of the Sudan)
• Tanzania (United Republic of Tanzania)
• Trinidad and Tobago (Republic of Trinidad and Tobago)
• Tunisia (Republic of Tunisia)
• Turkey (Republic of Turkey)
• United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• Ukraine (Crimea is the area of concern. Particular towns to be aware of include Sevastopol, Feodoisa, Kerch, Yevpatoria / Eupatoria, and Yalta.)
• Zambia (Republic of Zambia)

Please allow 1-2 business days upon receipt of your application for your account to be opened. For an account to be opened, the application must be completed, and all documents must be uploaded and approved by both our team and our clearing house. We will send you an email notification regarding your account approval status. Keep in mind that we may contact you about resubmitting documents in order to open your account. We want to open your account as quickly as possible, so we ask that you please check your email, since it may be crucial to the process.

Yes! You do not need a Social Security Number to open an account. You do need a government issued ID number. This number can be a Social Security Number or an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN).

We do not check credit history, nor do we do a hard pull on your credit history. So, there is no need to worry that applying to Lime will affect your credit!

You can open multiple types of accounts, but you cannot have multiple of the same type of account; the only way you can do this is if you have different account types with Lime.

For example, you cannot have two individual accounts, but you can have one individual, one IRA, one JTWROS, etc.

If you have several accounts, you can view them within your cabinet under the drop-down menu on the top left corner of the screen. This way, you can switch between the accounts without having to log out.

The documents required depend on the account type you choose and on your country of citizenship/residence. All documentation must be dated within the past 90 days and must be in English or officially translated to English (i.e., certified and signed by translator). Some examples may be:

• ID
• Passport
• Utility Bill
• Most recent bank statement showing transactions and balance in the account.

Please visit Lime Financial | Register for more information.

• Your documents may not have matched up.
• You may not have signed one of the documents that were submitted.
• Our clearing house may need extra clarification about your application.
• Your employment description is unclear
• Your identification picture is unclear
• Your mailing address is different from your residence.
• The addresses you submitted for residence and employment may be the same
• If you are retired, self-employed or student and choose funding by income
• Your documents may need to be translated into English

Accounts cannot be opened until documents are uploaded and approved. Just log in to your application and submit documents under the ‘Upload Documents’ section.
Click here  to get started and apply for an account.
Click here  to log in to Account Application if you’ve already begun the process.

The minimum funding amount depends on your country of citizenship/residence.

Go to Blocked and Enhanced Due Diligence Countries to see a full list of EDD Countries.
You may check the funding requirements at Lime Financial | Pricing or at at Lime Financial | Register

• Upload additional documents
• Clarification on specific information
• Notifying you that your account has been approved and opened

For this reason, we ask that you check your email consistently while this process is active so we can get your account open as quickly as possible.

No need to start over! If you have filled out the first page on the create an account/register page, a login has been created using your email and the password you entered. Use that information to log in and continue your application Lime Financial | Application Login. If you forgot your password, just select forgot password and enter your email. You will receive an email from us prompting you to reset your password.

• Email [email protected] or [email protected]
• Call +1 (855) 274-4934
• Go to Lime Financial | Contact and fill out the form for support and onboarding inquiries
• Utilize the chat box in the bottom right corner on Lime Financial | Register to either chat with a representative or request a phone call from a representative.

No, funding your account with a credit card, a debit card, PayPal, traveler’s checks or credit card checks will not be accepted.

Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfers are electronic money transfers, bank to brokerage, processed through the ACH Network. There is no fee associated with your Lime Trading account to establish this relationship or to transfer funds. The process is paperless — no lost checks, no postage charges. Please note that ACH relationships cannot be established for IRA accounts at this time.

Transferring funds via ACH takes approximately 1-3 business days. There is a hold of 5 business days to trade with funds deposited via ACH. You may have this hold lifted by submitting proof that the funds have cleared your bank account to [email protected] or fax +1 (646) 381-3624. ACH deposits may be withdrawn via ACH after 10 business days of the original deposit. Otherwise, ACH deposits may be withdrawn via check, wire or ACAT after 60 calendar days have passed from the original date of deposit. If client has funds in the account to cover the deposit, we will make funds available the following day. For example, if the total equity is $10,000 and client deposits $10,000 or less, then we will allow the funds to go through.

There is no cost involved with an ACH deposit, withdrawal, or activation. To set up an ACH, please submit the ACH activation form via document upload or scan and email it to [email protected].

There is a $100.00 minimum for all ACH requests in/out.

The daily maximum for inbound requests is $25,000.00, and the daily maximum for outbound requests is $100,000.00.

ACH may be setup through your account portal at https://myaccount.lime.co/dashboard/cashmanagement. You will need to complete the online form and submit a bank statement showing routing and account number. After an ACH link is established, a customer may use it to do incoming and outgoing ACH transfers without any more paperwork.

Wires may be setup through your account portal at https://myaccount.lime.co/dashboard/cashmanagement. You will also need to submit a recent bank statement for the receiving account.

No, we do not accept money orders or Western Union for deposits.

Deposits by a third party will not be accepted under any circumstances. We do not send third party transfers.

Domestic wire transfers can take up to 24 hours provided, all account information is correct on the wire transfer. Incorrect or missing account information may delay the credit of your wire transfer to your Lime Trading account.

Foreign wire transfers originating from a non-U.S. bank generally take 24 to 48 hours (though this may vary depending on the country of origin) for our clearing firm to receive and post funds. Incorrect or missing account information may delay the credit of your wire transfer to your Lime Trading account.

There is no charge for ACH withdrawals. Normally, accounts are charged $80 when they transfer an account (ACAT out). The fee to transfer out and effectively close an IRA is $80. Physical and/or foreign settlement fees apply.

Yes, you will need to update your account with an options agreement. Please apply or upgrade options via your account portal at myaccount.lime.co under “account features”.

To exercise an option, please submit a request from your email address on file to [email protected]. The email must include your account number, name, number of contracts to be exercised, and the option symbol to be exercised. Funds to cover the cost of exercise must be in the account prior to submitting the request, or the request will be rejected due to insufficient funds.

Requests to exercise options can be submitted at any point before 3:00 PM EST on the last trading day prior to the date of expiration. Please note that for a request to be processed the same day, it must be received via email prior to 3:00 PM EST. Please submit the request to [email protected].

You can view your exercised options on your monthly statement and on your Lime trading account. To view your statements online, click on the “Reports” button located inside of the Cabinet. To view the exercise transaction, select a two-day time range after the day that you submitted the assigned request.

There is a $20 fee per exercise or assignment. This fee is charged on a per option symbol basis.

Given the option contract, options held short can be assigned at any time. Options are generally automatically exercised if in the money at expiration, but may not always be exercised. Long option holders can request to not exercise contracts.

There is a $20 fee per exercise or assignment. This fee is charged on a per option symbol basis.

You can view whether your options are assigned on your monthly statement and on your Lime online trading account. To view your statements online, click on the “Reports” button located inside of the client portal/ MY ACCOUNT. To view the assigned transaction, select a two-day time range after the day that you submitted the assigned request.

You may place a buy or sell order for limit orders. You may only place a sell order for market orders. Market orders are not supported for opening transactions of OTC securities.

Lime Financial offers clients with cash and IRA accounts the ability to purchase calls and puts and write covered calls (if approved). Qualified margin accounts have the ability to write uncovered calls and puts (if approved). Qualified margin accounts must have a minimum of $25,000 in equity to write uncovered puts and a minimum of $100,000 in equity to write uncovered calls.

No, options cannot be borrowed against at Lime Financial.

At this time, cash-covered puts are not available.

Yes. Streaming option quotes are available on the Lime Trading platforms.

Yes, these are available on the Lime Trader platform.

IRA accounts are eligible to be authorized for Options Level 1 & 2, allowing you to purchase calls and puts and write covered call options. Uncovered option trading is not permitted for IRA accounts.

To short a security, you must have a margin account. Short sale orders may be entered through the platform, by clicking the “Sell Short” button on the order ticket. If the order is rejected, it is not on the easy-to-borrow list and must be requested via phone or chat. Please call 855-274-4934 and Lime will attempt to locate a hard to borrow security for you to short. Please note that short positions may be subject to hard-to-borrow or stock loan fees.

The margin interest rate is charged monthly but calculated on a daily basis for a 360-day year; the daily cost is based on your debit at the end of each day. You can calculate the daily cost by multiplying the amount you have borrowed by the Current Interest Rate divided by 360. Daily Cost = (Amount Borrowed) x (Current Interest Rate/360). Please click on the margin interest rate to find your current interest rate.

While all trades in a margin account are placed and remain in a margin account type, you may limit yourself to using only the cash balance in your account. A margin account type does not mandate that you borrow with each purchase transaction that you make. You are only borrowing when your purchases exceed your total cash.

Non-leveraged ETFs have the same margin requirement as normal stocks (National Market System or NMS securities). Leveraged ETFs are held at 100% initial and maintenance requirement.

If a short sale is rejected due to being hard-to-borrow, please reach Trade Desk via Live Chat from client portal (MY ACCOUNT) or Trading Platforms or by phone at 855-274-4934. Score Priority will attempt to locate a hard to borrow security for you.

Generally, you are issued a margin call via email. If you do not satisfy the margin call by the due date listed on the email, then securities are liquidated in your account to cover the margin call. When you do not cover the margin call yourself via liquidation, you are charged a $25 fee. For more information, please consult the Margin Calls and Flags Guidelines.

Please view the margin requirements for short stocks on the Margin Requirements page.

Please note that trading on margin involves increased risk and could result in losses that exceed initial and/or subsequent investments. Since you are allowed to borrow funds above the amount deposited, trading on margin can result in losses greater than the initial principal invested. The decision to trade on margin must be considered carefully by each investor. Please examine the following Margin Disclosure Statement. Please also read additional information, including FINRA’s Margin Information and FINRA’s Margin FAQs regarding margin.

Margin interest is charged to your account every month based off of a yearly rate. The rates can be found here. You may view the interest charged to your account in the client Cabinet either under Transactions History or you can view your statements under Reports.

In margin accounts, all stock and option trades are done in type margin. A margin account type does not necessarily mean that you are borrowing. It is possible to have a positive cash balance in your account but still trade as type margin. You are only borrowing when your purchases exceed the total cash in your account.

There is a $50 annual IRA fee. This fee is waived for accounts which place more than 40 trades per year and maintain at least $50,000 in assets.

1099 tax forms are sent to your mailing address of record unless you opt for electronic delivery of tax documents. In this case, a PDF file containing your 1099 will be posted to the client online portal. To access your 1099, go to https://myaccount.lime.co/dashboard/reports

Please contact a Lime Trading client representative via [email protected] with any questions about your tax form. However, remember that our client representatives are unable to provide any tax advice and if your question is viewed as such, you will be referred to your accountant or tax advisor.

Yes, you may update your tax from through your account portal under documents & disclosures, “Tax forms” section.

What documents are required to update my W-8BEN?

Apart from the W-8BEN tax form itself, a valid passport, driver’s license, or other government photo ID is required to process the W-8BEN. If your address has changed since you last updated your W-8BEN, you will be asked to submit an address change form and a recent utility bill to verify your new address. Joint accounts require separate W-8BENs be submitted by both account holders.

Our connections to the market centers for orders placed or open during normal market hours close at 4:00 pm EST. When canceling an order outside the normal market session, you will be able to replace your canceled order at 9:20 am EST the next business morning.

Yes. Our goal is to go paperless and allow customers to have an electronic copy available at any time. To sign up for e-confirmations and e-statements, simply log into your Cabinet. Click on “My Accounts,” followed by the “Statements” button. Next, click on “Statements and Confirmations” and select the documents you wish to receive electronically. Should you wish to keep having your confirmations and statements physically mailed to you, please note there will be a postage and handling fee of $5.00 per statement and $3.00 per confirmation mailed.