How to Invest in US Stocks as an Indian — Robinhood vs Fidelity (2026)

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The brokerage you pick on H1B affects: fees, account types you can open, and what happens to the account if you ever return to India. Most H1Bs default to Robinhood — usually wrong.

Key takeaways

• Fidelity wins on H1B: Roth IRA, 401k rollovers, lets you keep account if you return to India
• Robinhood is great for first-timers but limits what you can do later
• 3-fund portfolio (VTI + VXUS + BND) beats 90% of professional managers over 10 years
• RSU taxation is brutal — sell at vest unless you have a strong reason to hold
• If you're returning to India, transfer your account to Fidelity FIRST (Robinhood will close non-resident accounts)