Fully Paid Lending Program

Earn Income While Maintaining Full Ownership of Your Long Equity Positions

The Fully Paid Lending Program provides you an opportunity to earn extra income by lending certain securities you already own within your portfolio. We do all the work for you. There are no fees associated with the program. Learn more below.

How the Fully Paid Lending Program Works

Eligibility:
The Fully Paid Lending program is available to Cash accounts, IRA accounts, and Margin accounts. You must have a minimum of $50,000 in total account value to apply. Securities must be fully paid-for to be eligible for lending under the Fully Paid Lending Program. Positions eligible for lending are securities that are fully paid-for and excess-margin securities*.

Enrollment:
Please complete and submit the Fully Paid Lending Application and Agreement to our Customer Support team to begin. Once the application and agreement have been reviewed and approved, you are enrolled in the program. Moving forward, your cash account equity positions are eligible to be lent.

Commitment:
There are no long-term commitments. Your participation can be terminated at any time upon your written request.

Lending:
Hilltop Securities, our clearing firm, may borrow certain eligible equity securities from you based on demand in the securities lending market. You maintain full ownership and can sell your loaned shares at any time.

Earn Income on Your Loaned Shares:
Hilltop Securities, our clearing firm, will pay you income on borrowed securities each day your shares are on loan. Payments will reflect on a monthly basis.

View Income and Activity Online:
Accrued payments will be credited to your account on a monthly basis. This will be reflected in your Account History.

FAQ:
Click Here to review our Frequently Asked Questions regarding the Fully Paid Lending Program.

*Excess-margin securities are securities that have not been completely paid for, but whose market value exceeds 140% of the customer's margin debit balance to Hilltop Securities.

Example of How Payment Works

Number of Shares on Loan Market Price Total Market Value of Position Annualized Lending Rate** Daily Accrual Rate
($50,000 x 9.00%/ 360 days)
Your Monthly Income in this Hypothetical Scenario
($12.50 x 30 days)
5,000 $10.00 $50,000 9.00% $12.50 $375.00
**Demand and pay rates vary by security and over time. Hilltop Securities may terminate a loan at any time. Shares loaned out are not protected by SIPC. However, Hilltop Securities maintains cash as collateral, which will amount to at least 100% of the loan. In the unlikely event of Hilltop Securities filing for bankruptcy, you can draw on this collateral, which may be the only source of resolution. Each security will have its own lending rate based on demand. Not all securities will be eligible to loan. The annualized lending interest rate is a portion of the total interest earned on the loaned shares. Hilltop Securities shares income 50/50 with the client. Shares on loan often support short selling strategies.

Example of How Payment Works

Number of Shares on Loan 5000
Market Price $10.00
Total Market Value of Position $50,000
Annualized Lending Rate** 9.00%
Daily Accrual Rate
($50,000 x 9.00%/ 360 days)
$12.50
Your Monthly Income in this
Hypothetical Scenario
($12.50 x 30 days)
$375.00
**Demand and pay rates vary by security and over time. Hilltop Securities may terminate a loan at any time. Shares loaned out are not protected by SIPC. However, Hilltop Securities maintains cash as collateral, which will amount to at least 100% of the loan. In the unlikely event of Hilltop Securities filing for bankruptcy, you can draw on this collateral, which may be the only source of resolution. Each security will have its own lending rate based on demand. Not all securities will be eligible to loan. The annualized lending interest rate is a portion of the total interest earned on the loaned shares. Hilltop Securities shares income 50/50 with the client. Shares on loan often support short selling strategies.
Complete the FPL Application & Agreement Below to Get Started
FPL Application & Agreement

Important Considerations Before You Enroll

Voting Rights:
While you participate, and your shares are loaned out, you forgoe all voting rights on positions borrowed from your account.

Dividend Payments:
Dividend payments will be made as cash in-lieu for shares that are lent. Hilltop Securities, our clearing firm, will make efforts to not lend shares pending a dividend payment, but this is not guaranteed. Tax treatment of payments made as cash in lieu versus dividend may have tax consequences. Please consult your tax advisor for clarity.

SIPC:
While your shares are on loan, they are not covered under Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). As a result, Hilltop Securities, our clearing firm, deposits collateral at a minimum of 100% of the loan value. In any securities transaction, counterparty default is a risk.

Here is a 2 minute video simplifying how Fully Paid Lending works:
Disclaimer: The information herein is intended to provide an overview of the FPL Program. Individuals seeking to enroll in the FPL Program must carefully review all documents provided at enrollment including, but not limited to, the Master Securities Lending Agreement and the Risk Disclosures Statement for the Fully Paid Lending Program, which contain important additional information and disclosures regarding the FPL Program. eOption does not give tax or legal advice.