Watch out for American Depositary Receipt Fees

Some brokerages charge you extra when you invest in shares of foreign companies.

On my monthly statement from TD Ameritrade, I noticed a $6 "ADR service fee" on 300 shares of Tata Motors. When I called TD Ameritrade, the representative told me that charge was showing up on some foreign stocks but couldn't give a reason for it. In the future, will I pay a fee on any ADRs I own?

You won't have to pay a fee for all American depositary receipts, but there's nothing you can do about the one TD Ameritrade is charging you.

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Kimberly Lankford
Contributing Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance

As the "Ask Kim" columnist for Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Lankford receives hundreds of personal finance questions from readers every month. She is the author of Rescue Your Financial Life (McGraw-Hill, 2003), The Insurance Maze: How You Can Save Money on Insurance -- and Still Get the Coverage You Need (Kaplan, 2006), Kiplinger's Ask Kim for Money Smart Solutions (Kaplan, 2007) and The Kiplinger/BBB Personal Finance Guide for Military Families. She is frequently featured as a financial expert on television and radio, including NBC's Today Show, CNN, CNBC and National Public Radio.