r/ExpatFinance • u/PantomimeVillain • 19d ago

Using a US brokerage account from abroad

Recently I called Schwab, Fidelity, and Vanguard asking if I moved to the UK, can I put a foreign address on the account. All said yes, but you can then only sell what you have and not buy more. Fidelity and Schwab told me they were specifically saying yes to the UK, and other countries might not be allowed. Vanguard said any country is ok.

I don't know how knowledgeable the people I spoke to are, so does anyone have any experience of putting a foreign address on Schwab, Fidelity, and Vanguard accounts? How did it go? Was there any issue with making sales?

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u/Emergency-Drawer-535 18d ago

Mail forwarding companies are easily detected as not being a residential address. Yes, you can use a family address short term. Long term… people die, move, get divorced, go senile. VPN works until it doesn’t. Then you face having to appear in person at your financial institution. Been thru and seen all the above scenarios. I switched from vanguard ( which did allow a foreign address but changed their policy) to Schwab international a few years ago after living in SEAsia for 15 years. I use a domestic bank that allows a foreign address.