No brokerage firm can guarantee you will be able to purchase shares in an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

While it can be difficult for individual investors to buy IPO shares, more and more firms, including several online brokers, offer IPOs. Because these firms often have a small allotment of shares to sell to the public, your ability to buy these shares – especially "hot" IPOs – may be limited no matter which firm you do business with.

By their nature, investing in an IPO is a risky and speculative investment. Brokerage firms must consider if the IPO is appropriate for you in light of your income and net worth, investment objectives, other securities holdings, risk tolerance, and other factors. A firm may not sell to you IPO shares unless it has determined the investment is suitable for you.