So, I started buying U.S. stocks just three months ago, and in this guide, I’ll share how you can also buy or invest in U.S. stocks from the Philippines as a Filipino investor.
I’m sure you already have some idea of how stock market investing works — some of you might even have investments in the Philippine Stock Exchange. You’re probably here because you just need a step-by-step guide on how to get started, how to choose a legitimate U.S. stock broker, and how taxes work once you start earning profits from your investments.
I’ll do my best to cover everything you need to know about buying U.S. stocks as a Filipino. But first, let’s talk about the advantages of investing in U.S. stocks — just to spice things up a bit and give you that extra push and motivation to start investing in the U.S. market.
Why Invest in the U.S. Stock Market?
When it comes to investing, the U.S. stock market is one of the best places to grow your money. It’s home to some of the biggest and most successful companies in the world — like Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Tesla. These are brands we use every single day, and by investing in them, you’re not just buying shares — you’re buying into innovation and global growth.
Another reason why many Filipinos invest in U.S. stocks is because of its strong track record. Historically, the U.S. market (especially the S&P 500 index) has delivered an average annual return of around 8–10% over the long run. That’s higher compared to most other markets, including our local stock exchange. It’s not a get-rich-quick kind of thing, but if you’re consistent and patient, the returns can really compound over time.
Investing in U.S. stocks also helps you diversify. Instead of putting all your money in one market — like the Philippines — you get to spread your investments globally. That way, if our local economy slows down, your U.S. investments can still perform well. Plus, everything you earn from U.S. stocks is in U.S. dollars, which is a huge advantage especially when the peso weakens.
And lastly, the U.S. market is very transparent and well-regulated. You can easily track company performance, read financial reports, and make informed decisions. You’re investing in a system that’s built on trust and accountability — something that gives a lot of confidence to both local and international investors.
Best Broker For U.S. Stocks In The Philippines
Choosing a broker that connects you to the U.S. stock market is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make as an investor. It’s something you should research carefully to avoid future issues, especially when you’re dealing with international investing.
Personally, I didn’t just rely on online articles or YouTube videos when choosing a broker — I also asked a few people I personally know who are already investing in U.S. stocks. And it turns out, the best and most trusted broker among them is Interactive Brokers (IBKR).
If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re also trying to figure out how to invest in U.S. stocks from the Philippines, and more importantly, which broker to use to get started. Based on my experience, I can confidently say that Interactive Brokers is the best U.S. stock broker for Filipinos. I’m fully convinced that this platform can truly help us grow our money by investing in the U.S. market safely and efficiently.
Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a fully regulated global broker based in the United States. It allows you to trade and invest in U.S. stocks, ETFs, options, futures, bonds, forex, and more — all in one platform. It supports multiple currencies and payment methods, and operates in over 200 countries. And yes, this is the same broker I personally use for all my U.S. stock investments.
Getting Started with Interactive Brokers (IBKR)
Getting started with IBKR is pretty straightforward. You just need to create an account and answer a few questions that best describe you. During signup, IBKR will ask things like your investor type, income source, estimated net worth, and a few other personal details. Just be honest with your answers — that’s the best way to avoid any issues with your account later on.
As for the requirements, here’s what you’ll need to get your IBKR account verified. Make sure not to use your account for trading until it’s verified.
- Email Address
- Phone Number
- Valid Government ID
- A Selfie
You’ll also need to upload a valid ID and record a quick selfie. I recommend using your phone for this step for a clearer capture. IBKR will give you a QR code you can scan to start the verification process right from your phone.
After submitting your credentials, based on my experience, it took around two days for my account to get verified. Don’t worry — they’ll email you once it’s done. If they need additional documents, they’ll include clear instructions in the email as well.
Funding Your Interactive Brokers Account
You can fund your IBKR account using your local bank, but I wouldn’t really recommend that. It usually takes a few business days before the funds appear in your account.
What I personally use — and highly recommend — is a platform called Wise. It’s a payment service that lets you easily convert your Philippine Pesos (PHP) into U.S. Dollars (USD) and transfer the money directly to your IBKR account with just a few clicks. IBKR and Wise are integrated, so the transfer process is smooth and fast.
Creating a Wise account is also easy. You just need your phone number and email address. Once your account is set up, you can transfer your preferred amount from your bank to Wise, then from Wise to IBKR — all done inside your IBKR dashboard.
Create Wise AccountBuying Your First U.S. Stocks
The U.S. stock market is open from 9:30 PM to 4:00 AM (Philippine Time), Monday to Friday. You can’t trade when the market is closed, but you can place pending orders that will automatically execute once the market opens.
IBKR has its own trading platform you can install on your computer, but if you’re like me — a long-term investor with a 5- to 10-year goal — you can simply buy your preferred stocks from your account dashboard. There’s a search bar at the top — just type the name or symbol of the stock you want to buy, and make sure to select “Stock” when it appears on the list.
Personally, I don’t like picking or researching individual stocks one by one. Instead, I invest in ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds). An ETF lets you invest in many companies at once — like Apple, Tesla, and Meta — without having to buy each stock individually. It’s basically an investment fund that holds a collection of assets such as stocks, bonds, or commodities, and trades on the stock exchange just like regular shares.
I’m currently investing at least ₱30,000 per month, divided into:
- VOO (60%)
- QQQ (30%)
- SCHD (10%)
These three ETFs give me good diversification. You can research them yourself and even follow a similar strategy if it fits your goals. My personal target is to invest monthly for the next 15 years, which could potentially grow to at least ₱15 million by the time I retire — based on compounding returns.
I’m also planning to create a detailed YouTube video that will walk you through everything I’ve discussed here step by step. Once it’s ready, I’ll embed the video here for everyone to follow along.
That’s all I have for you in this post. If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments — I’ll gladly answer and help you out.
