How to get started with US share trading

1. New to ii? Open an account

You can buy and sell US shares with any of our investment accounts. It only takes a few minutes to get started.

2. Set up your account for US trading

Before trading US incorporated stocks you will need to:

— Sign the online Exchange Agreements
These are agreements with international exchanges which allow us to provide live international share prices to you. When you attempt to trade a non-UK listed stock you will automatically be prompted to sign the exchange agreement. 

— Complete a W-8BEN form
A W-8BEN form confirms you're not a U.S. resident and may reduce the tax withheld on U.S. dividends and interest payments depending on your country’s tax treaty with the U.S. You can do this online by logging in and visiting our Useful Forms page. You don't need to do this if you are only investing in the ii SIPP.

More information and guidance on completing a W-8BEN can be found here.

3. Do your research

You can find ideas by visiting our International investing page, or head over to our international shares news.

— Jump to: What shares can I buy?

4. You’re ready to go

A few useful things to remember about trading US shares:

— US markets are usually open from 2.30pm to 9pm UK time (that's 9.30am to 4pm Eastern time) - so you can trade later than UK shares.

— You will see prices in dollars and cents – not pounds and pence.

— When you trade US shares, you will not see the 15-second countdown with a fixed price as you do with UK shares. Your order will be sent directly to the US exchange, and the actual traded price will be confirmed when the trade completes.

— With our Trading Account and SIPP, you can convert pounds into dollars and hold it in your account until you’re ready to trade. This saves you having to pay currency conversion fees on every trade.