This post was created in partnership with IG Markets All views and opinions expressed in this article are Beansprout's objective and professional opinions.

What happened?

Lately, I’ve been thinking more about building a portfolio for long-term growth and income.  While the US still offers access to many of the world’s leading companies, I’ve been looking beyond US stocks to diversify across markets and tap different opportunities.  Singapore remains useful for dividend-paying stocks and REITs, while markets like the UK, Hong Kong, and Japan can add another layer of diversification.  The challenge is that investing across multiple markets can come with friction, from brokerage fees to juggling multiple platforms.  Recently, I came across IG Markets, a broker that offers access to stocks and ETFs across five global markets with zero trading fees.  On top of that, it also pays 3% p.a. interest on eligible invested shares and ETFs.  Here’s how I’d...