Legal and broker-level product access. If your residency rules or your broker policy blocks US-domiciled ETFs, the correct move is using allowed ETF wrappers (often UCITS) rather than chasing “the best broker.” No amount of broker research solves a regulation-level restriction.

Often yes. Many European investors can buy individual US stocks — Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia — without any restriction. The PRIIPs/KID block applies specifically to US-domiciled packaged products (ETFs, funds) that lack the required Key Information Document. It is a product-type restriction, not a restriction on US securities in general. If your broker blocks SPY, check whether it still allows individual US stock purchases — it likely does.

Yes, and this is underappreciated. US-domiciled ETFs are classified as US-situs assets. Non-resident aliens who die holding more than $60,000 in US-situs assets may face US federal estate tax at rates up to 40% on the value above that threshold. UCITS ETFs domiciled in Ireland or Luxembourg are not classified as US-situs assets and do not carry this exposure. Some bilateral tax treaties reduce or eliminate the US estate tax liability — but treaty coverage varies by country and is not universal. At larger portfolio sizes, this is a material reason to prefer UCITS over US ETFs even when both are technically accessible.

Because every deposit and purchase can force a currency conversion. Wide FX spreads and repeated small conversions compound into a large drag over time, especially with regular monthly contributions. The IBKR multi-currency workflow — deposit once, convert once at institutional rates, hold in USD — eliminates most of this. Consumer brokers that convert on every trade can cost 0.5–1.5% per conversion, which dwarfs any headline commission saving.

Often yes. IBKR is widely chosen because it supports a wide range of countries, handles multiple currencies natively, provides institutional-grade FX rates, and gives access to virtually any global market. The trade-off is a more complex setup process compared to beginner-focused consumer apps. If you want automated savings-plan execution, a local neobroker may be a better fit for the contribution workflow — even if you use IBKR for larger purchases.

Most cannot. PRIIPs/KID regulations block common US-domiciled tickers for EU retail investors. The solution is UCITS equivalents — the same index exposure packaged in a compliant wrapper. Only elective professional clients or investors outside the EU retail perimeter can typically access US tickers directly.

The mechanism exists. Selling a cash-secured put or buying a call option on a US ETF can result in delivery of the underlying shares, which bypasses the PRIIPs retail purchase restriction. In practice it is not a passive-investor route. You need options permissions on your account, large contract sizing (typically 100-share lots worth thousands of dollars), assignment uncertainty, broker policy approval, and the ability to handle the resulting tax complexity. For most long-term investors, UCITS equivalents achieve the same economic exposure far more cleanly. Put this in the “technically possible, rarely sensible” category.

Yes. If you invest monthly, prioritise brokers where small, frequent purchases and FX conversions are cheap — high per-conversion costs punish regular contributions. If you invest in larger lump sums, the priority shifts to reliable international funding, low conversion rates, and scalability over time.

Use 1–3 broad, low-cost index ETFs (US or UCITS depending on eligibility and your tax situation), automate contributions on a fixed schedule, and avoid frequent trading that creates FX and fee churn. Consistency over time beats any allocation optimisation or broker feature set.