US Stocks Done Right – Why Real Ownership Matters

1. Why This Topic Matters

Many investors believe that buying US stocks like Apple or Amazon makes them the owner. But legally, the stock often does not belong to you – it belongs to a custodian like Cede & Co. You are only a beneficial owner, not registered in the shareholder register.

2. 🏦 Broker Custody vs. Real Ownership

With standard brokers, stocks are held in omnibus accounts. You only have a claim – in a worst-case scenario, that can become a serious problem. Only through transfer agents such as Computershare can you be registered as the actual owner in the shareholder register.

3. 🔄 DRS via Computershare: How It Works

• Open an account with Interactive Brokers (IBKR) (often the only viable route for Europeans).
• Buy US stocks at Interactive Brokers.
• Transfer shares to the respective transfer agent (DRS).
• I walk you through the process in this ▶️ video:
  Click here for the video

Only then will you be registered as the actual owner in the US company's shareholder register – with no intermediaries.

4. 📜 Swiss Registered Shares – The Alternative

Swiss stocks like Schindler or Roche offer genuine ownership registration in the share register 🇨🇭. Many German stocks also allow registration as a named shareholder 🧾 – worth mentioning in fairness. Personally, I focus on Swiss securities because I am deliberately distancing myself from an increasingly overreaching EU.

Particularly ownership-friendly options include:

• Schindler Holding AG
• Lindt & Sprüngli AG
• Roche Holding AG
• BKW Energie AG
• Swiss Life Holding AG
• SGS SA
• EMS-Chemie Holding AG

Simply buy via Swissquote – registration on request. Important: make sure to open your account through the Swiss domain, otherwise you end up back in the EU and its sphere of influence.

5. 🧾 Segregated Assets or Illusion?

Stocks are legally classified as segregated assets, yet they typically sit inside global custody chains. In an extreme scenario (e.g. broker insolvency, systemic crisis) that can cause serious problems. Only direct registration truly protects you.

6. ⚠️ What Is "The Great Taking" Actually About?

The theory of a global expropriation is overblown, but it touches on real risks: centralized custody, CBDCs, loss of control over your own property. The solution is personal responsibility – through genuine ownership.

7. ₿ Bitcoin: Ownership in Its Purest Form

Bitcoin in self-custody (e.g. with BitBox02 or BitBox Nova) is the digitally purest form of ownership. No broker, no bank, no central authority – only you control your assets.