Vested Finance

Vested Finance is a US-registered investment adviser (RIA) and broker-dealer platform specifically built for Indian investors wanting to invest in US stocks. Founded in 2018 by Viram Shah and Vikas Bansal, both Stanford graduates, Vested's primary innovation was creating an end-to-end LRS (Liberalised Remittance Scheme) compliant US investing workflow designed specifically for Indian account holders, with a focus on guided portfolio products called "Vests" alongside direct stock and ETF investing.

The LRS compliance infrastructure is the core value Vested provides for Indian investors: the platform handles the Form A2 (LRS declaration) requirements, the US W-8BEN withholding tax form, and the integration with Indian bank remittance processes in a way that makes the entire workflow accessible to first-time investors who might otherwise be intimidated by the regulatory and procedural requirements of investing abroad.

Vests — Vested's thematic curated portfolios — are pre-built baskets of US stocks grouped by theme (e.g., "Work from Home," "Electric Vehicles," "Big Tech"). Investors can invest in a Vest like an ETF, getting diversified exposure to a theme without needing to select individual stocks. The curation and rebalancing are handled by Vested's advisory team. This product is well-suited for Indian investors who want US exposure but lack the conviction to select individual stocks.

The FX cost involves two stages: the LRS remittance from your Indian bank (carrying the bank's standard FX spread, typically 0.5-1%) plus Vested's own conversion fee when the USD arrives and is invested. The combined cost is typically USD 60-90 per USD 10,000 invested — higher than direct IBKR access (approximately USD 10 per USD 10,000) but the trade-off is significantly simplified LRS compliance and a more guided experience.

Vested is best suited for Indian investors who are new to US market investing and want a managed, guided experience with full LRS compliance handled end-to-end, and who are comfortable paying a modest premium for that simplicity. Cost-optimising experienced investors who are comfortable with the LRS process independently should compare IBKR's direct access before committing to Vested's higher-cost structure.