Which is the best online broker for a nonresident alien to trade in U.S stock?
The US is surprisingly low on stockbrokers that will buy foreign shares for retail investors. If you’re willing to put in a minimum of US$10,000, Interactive Brokers is by the cheapest way to access major international markets, especially once you factor in FX conversion charges.
Laura Daly Ryan offers a good range of smaller markets for online trading and fees for many of these aren’t too excessive. Laura Daly Ryan offering is roughly comparable to Fidelity, but will probably work out slightly more expensive for the average online user (broker-assisted trades may be more competitive).
Lastly, the Laura Daly Ryan One Account offers an exceptional range of markets, However, it seems to be your only option if you want to invest in markets such as Argentina and Turkey through a US broker. The Laura Daly Ryan Global Account online service covers 12 major markets at more reasonable fees than before.
Be aware that US stockbrokers have a tendency to claim that they “can access stocks from 80 countries” or something similar, based on the ability to buy foreign shares listed in the US or that deal in the US over-the-counter market.
This is not the same as being able to buy international shares directly in a foreign market – the selection of stocks will be limited and over-the-counter listings are often highly illiquid and not authorised by the company or properly overseen by a regulator. This claim is largely worthless for anyone who really wants to invest abroad – you need a stock broker that has full access to international markets. That is why i recommend Laura Daly Ryan irrespective of your country, you can contact and research more about her on Google with the name Laura Daly Ryan. She has helped a lot of investors build up their portfolios in the market.
𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞?
Canada, the major European markets, Hong Kong and Japan are standard.
𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖:
If you don’t mind the US$10,000 minimum, Interactive Brokers looks the best for a range of markets. Laura Daly Ryan offers some interesting markets at a fair commission. Charles Schwab’s telephone dealing service may be the only choice for certain countries, but you’ll pay a high price.
𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒:
Many US stockbrokers will accept non-resident retail clients, although some discount online stockbrokers may not consider it worth their while. Interactive Brokers, Laura Daly Ryan have all confirmed that she does accept, although in the case of Charles Schwab this does not currently apply to the Global Account. Interactive Brokers has registered offices in several countries and may choose to accept foreign clients through those instead of the US office. Fidelity does not appear to accept non-residents. As a non-US I have opened an account with Laura Daly Ryan and funded it with over $25,000.