Recently, many friends have asked me how to start investing in U.S. stocks, and honestly, this is a question that many people ask. The U.S. stock market is indeed the most mature stock trading market in the world, with high trading volume, transparent regulations, and fewer trading restrictions, no wonder so many people want to participate.

How to invest in U.S. stocks is actually not that complicated, but the premise is to understand the basic rules. U.S. stocks are mainly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), NASDAQ, and American Stock Exchange (AMEX). The standard trading hours are from 9:30 to 16:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) in summer, and from 10:30 to 17:00 in winter. There is also pre-market and after-hours trading, but this might not be very friendly for beginners. An important point is that U.S. stocks adopt a T+0 system, meaning you can sell the stock on the same day you buy it, which is very attractive for short-term traders.

When opening an account, you'll face choices, mainly two types of accounts. Cash accounts have a lower threshold, usually around $500, but you cannot short sell. Margin accounts require more than $2,000, allowing you to borrow money for financing, using leverage to amplify gains, which is more attractive to experienced traders. There is also Contract for Difference (CFD), which has the lowest threshold, possibly only $50 to $100, but the risk is relatively higher.

Honestly, what attracts me most about investing in U.S. stocks is the low trading cost. You can buy as little as 1 share, for example, Tesla's stock is just over $260 per share, which is very friendly for small investors. In comparison, the minimum lot for Hong Kong stocks might be 100 shares, and for Taiwan stocks, 1,000 shares, with a huge cost difference. Moreover, there are over 8,000 stocks available in the U.S. market, and many high-quality companies worldwide are listed here, like Alibaba, JD.com, which are listed on NASDAQ.

The average daily trading volume in the U.S. stock market exceeds 10 billion shares, meaning the market is hard to manipulate and has excellent liquidity. U.S. stocks are also known for technology stocks—Apple, Amazon, Google, Tesla—these innovative companies are all here. If you are optimistic about the future of technology, U.S. stocks are indeed a good choice.

So, how to operate specifically? One way is to directly buy U.S. stocks, which means actually holding company shares and earning long-term gains and dividends. Another way is to buy U.S. stock ETFs, which can diversify risk, such as technology ETFs, healthcare ETFs, with very low costs—some ETFs have management fees as low as 0.04%. The third method is trading CFDs, which is more suitable for short-term traders, allowing leverage to amplify gains, but also increasing risks.

If you really want to start investing in U.S. stocks, I suggest beginning with theoretical knowledge—understanding trading rules, account types, risk management, and other basics. Some people invest through domestic brokers acting as agents for overseas trading, while others open accounts directly with overseas brokers. No matter which method you choose, the key is to gain practical experience; just talking on paper won't do. Investing in U.S. stocks is not something that happens overnight; it requires time and patience to learn and practice.