Lately, I’ve been thinking about why so many people are turning to investing in U.S. stocks. The reason is actually quite simple.

The U.S. stock market is different. It’s the most mature stock trading market in the world, with a daily trading volume of over 10 billion shares—what does that mean? It means you don’t have to worry about manipulation, and liquidity is so good there’s basically nothing to complain about. Plus, the trading rules are transparent and there aren’t that many restrictions, which is truly investor-friendly.

I’ve noticed that one of the biggest sources of confusion for many beginners is the issue of entry barriers. Compared with other markets, U.S. stocks are really more approachable. You can buy as little as 1 share. Want to invest in Apple? That’s just 260 USD. If you tried to do that in Hong Kong stocks or A-shares, it just wouldn’t be possible. In Hong Kong stocks, there’s a minimum lot size, and for A-shares it starts at 100 shares—once you calculate it, the cost difference is huge. And with more than 8,000 stocks available in the U.S., global high-quality companies are listed here, giving you an enormous range of choices.

When it comes to how to invest in U.S. stocks, there are mainly three approaches. The first is to buy individual shares directly—this is the most traditional method. The benefit is that you can truly own shares. The U.S. stock market operates on a T+0 system, meaning you can buy and sell on the same day, and liquidity is indeed quite good. The downside is that you need to pay attention to time differences—U.S. market trading follows Eastern Time, so if you prefer short-term trading, you may have to stay up late often.

The second approach is ETFs, which spread risk more widely. Personally, I think this is especially friendly for beginners: you don’t have to put in much effort to pick individual stocks—one ETF can cover an entire sector. U.S. ETF management fees are surprisingly cheap. Some charge as low as 0.04%, which is something you’d hardly ever see in other markets.

The third approach is contracts for difference, which is more aggressive. You can use leverage to control a larger position with a smaller amount of capital, and two-way trading is also possible. But the risks are also real—if you don’t use leverage properly, it will magnify your losses. So this method is more suitable for people with hands-on experience.

You also need to understand account types. The cash account has the lowest threshold: you can open one with around 500 USD, but you can’t short-sell, making it more conservative. Margin accounts require more than 2000 USD. They allow financing leverage and offer greater flexibility in how you operate. The contracts for difference account has the lowest entry threshold—50 to 100 USD is enough, but remember: high leverage means high risk.

To be honest, what attracts me most about investing in U.S. stocks is the opportunity to participate in global innovation. Nasdaq brings together tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Tesla, as well as a whole bunch of promising startups. The United States is the global innovation hub, and investing here is essentially betting on future trends.

As for which stocks to choose, my advice is: don’t rush. Apple, Microsoft, and Nvidia are indeed good companies. Nvidia has been extremely hot in recent years and is the leader in the chip industry. Consumer giants like Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble are also stable and suitable for long-term holding. But the key is to match your choice with your own risk tolerance and investment timeline.

Finally, I want to say that investing in U.S. stocks isn’t gambling, even though many people think it is. When you buy a stock, you become a shareholder of that company, and what you’re benefiting from is the company’s real, tangible operating results. This requires time to accumulate and experience to build up. Don’t just look at how great Warren Buffett is—his ability to handle market fluctuations calmly comes from having gone through enough storms. So when investing in U.S. stocks, don’t chase quick wins. Master both the theory and the real-world practice—only then can you go further in the market.