Guide: How to Buy VWRA or VALL on IBKR
“VWRA and chill” is a popular passive investing strategy to grow one’s wealth over time in globally diversified ETFs. Of late, the newly released VALL has also become another great option for investors to invest in world equities over the long term. One of the best ways to invest in either of these popular ETFs would be to use Interactive Brokers (IBKR).
However, while IBKR offers low fees and access to a huge range of markets, its interface can be rather confusing, especially when you are buying Ireland-domiciled ETFs listed on the London Stock Exchange.
So here’s a simple step-by-step guide on how to buy VWRA or VALL on IBKR.
⚠️ Investing involves risk and Sethisfy.com is not liable for any loss, financial or otherwise. You are encouraged to exercise due diligence when signing up for any financial product, or investing based on the materials published on this site. None of the content here should be construed as financial advice.
Why use IBKR?
IBKR is well known in local investment circles as a good choice if you are looking for a low-cost broker. Some of its advantages include extremely competitive foreign currency exchange rates, low commissions, and access to Ireland-domiciled ETFs which generally benefit from lower dividend withholding taxes compared to US-listed ones. You can find out more info and sign up here.
While it may not matter that much when one’s investments are smaller, the savings can add up for larger portfolios. The downside, however, is that the user interface can be a bit more challenging to use than other platforms.
This article will hence be a part of a series of guides on how to use IBKR to invest, particularly for those who are unsure on how to get started so stay subscribed for updates.
Before you start: VWRA vs VALL
Both are Ireland-domiciled Vanguard ETFs designed to provide broad global equity exposure, but they track slightly different indices:
| VWRA | VALL | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Vanguard FTSE All-World UCITS ETF | Vanguard FTSE Global All-Cap UCITS ETF |
| Index | FTSE All-World Index | FTSE Global All Cap Index |
| Coverage | Large and mid-cap | Large, mid, and small-cap |
| Expense Ratio | 0.14% | 0.07% |
| Domicile | Ireland | Ireland |
| Dividends | Accumulating | Accumulating |
| Ticker | VWRA | VALL |
VWRA’s underlying index covers large and mid-sized companies across developed and emerging markets, while VALL’s FTSE Global All Cap Index adds small-cap stocks as well. Vanguard currently lists their respective expense ratios at 0.14% and 0.07%. I don’t think one can go wrong with either, but stay subscribed for a more in-depth look at both funds.
I have a separate article discussing my approach towards investing in global equities:
Step 1: Make sure you can trade UK-listed stocks
Both VWRA and VALL are traded on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). If you haven’t enabled this previously, you may need to give your IBKR account permission to trade UK stocks.
On the IBKR Client Portal , go to:
- Tap on More, then Settings
- Tap on Trading Settings, then Trading Permissions
- Tap on Edit under Stocks, and scroll down and make sure United Kingdom is checked
For most people who have already been buying Ireland-domiciled ETFs on IBKR, this should already be enabled.
Step 2: Fund your IBKR account
You’ll obviously need some money in your IBKR account before buying anything.
For Singapore investors, that will commonly involve transferring SGD from your Singapore bank account into IBKR.
You then have two main choices:
- Manually convert SGD into USD before investing
- Keep SGD in your account and let IBKR automatically convert the necessary amount when you buy.
I’ve already covered both methods, including the fees involved, in my separate guide:
Step 3: Search for VWRA or VALL
Buying VWRA
- Search “VWRA”
- Select VANG FTSE AW USDA, VWRA LSEETF
- Confirm that the fund is in USD (indicated next to the price)
Buying VALL
- Search “VALL”
- Select VANGUARD FTSE GLB AL-CAP ETF (there may be more than one)
- Confirm that the fund is in USD (indicated next to the price)
Step 4a: Tap Buy
Once you’ve selected the correct ETF, tap Buy. You’ll then be brought to IBKR’s order screen.
You generally need to decide:
- How much to buy
- Whether to use a market or limit order
- How long you want the order to remain valid
For a straightforward ETF purchase, you probably don’t need most of IBKR’s more advanced order functions.
IBKR gives you several order types, but the two most relevant ones for a normal ETF purchase are Market and Limit.
Step 4b: Deciding between Market and Limit order
Market order
A market order effectively tells IBKR to buy at the best available price now. This is simple and means that you will almost certainly be able to get your order filled.
The disadvantage is that you don’t know the exact price until the trade executes. For a fund like VWRA where the fund size is large and the spread is low, you can generally get away with using market orders.
Limit order
A limit order instead tells IBKR to buy but not to pay more than the price specified.
For example, if an ETF is trading around US$5.00, you might set your maximum purchase price at US$5.01. This does mean that you might not get your order filled if no one in the market is selling at this price.
Market vs Limit
Personally, I tend to use market orders for VWRA, and limit orders for VALL. VWRA is a much more established and heavily traded ETF, and its bid-ask spread is typically very small, so I’m comfortable simply buying at the prevailing market price for normal-sized orders.
For the much newer VALL, I prefer using a limit order as its bid-ask spread can be less consistent. A market order could potentially execute at a less favourable price if the spread happens to widen or there aren’t enough shares available at the best asking price.
Step 4c: Deciding on Time in Force
When placing an order on IBKR, you will also need to choose how long you want your order to remain active. This is known as the Time in Force.
The three options you are most likely to see are:
| Time in Force | What it means |
|---|---|
| Day | Your order remains active for the current trading day. If it is not filled by the end of the session, it expires automatically. |
| Good Till Cancelled (GTC) | Your order remains active across multiple trading days until it is filled or you cancel it yourself. |
| At the Opening (OPG) | Your order is only intended to execute at the market opening. If it cannot be filled during the opening session, it is cancelled. |
Step 5: Wait for the order to be filled
After you submit your order, you have to wait for it to be filled. IBKR will send you notifications when your order is partially or fully filled.
Once filled, you would be the proud (part) owner of potentially several thousand companies around the world.
How much does buying VWRA or VALL cost on IBKR?
Just because IBKR Lite offers commission-free trading for qualifying US-listed stocks and ETFs doesn’t mean VWRA or VALL are free to trade. These are London-listed ETFs.
The commissions therefore depend on whether you use:
- IBKR Lite
- IBKR Pro Fixed
- IBKR Pro Tiered
You can refer to this article for more info on which is the most suitable for you:
Generally, IBKR Pro Tiered can be particularly attractive for smaller London-listed ETF purchases, largely because its minimum commission is lower. However, the cheapest option can also change depending on your transaction size, so refer to the comparison above rather than blindly changing your pricing plan.
How to automatically invest each month
Refer to this guide on how to set up an automatic recurring investment:
See more info on IBKR
See more info on IBKR here, or tap here to look at more IBKR guides.
Always check the latest information, applicable fees, product documents, and terms and conditions directly with Interactive Brokers and the relevant fund provider before placing a trade. This article is for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice.
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Seth Wee was a licensed financial adviser representative from 2009 to 2025, with over 16 years of experience in Singapore’s financial advisory industry.
He started Sethisfy.com in 2019 to share practical insights on credit cards, banking products, and miles strategies, helping readers identify financial products that deliver the best value. Seth has been featured in CNA, Channel 8, Today, and a host of other publications. In 2025, he was also part of a panel at CPF’s Ready For Life festival.
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