1 International Client Application Form
About this Application

This is an International Client Application Form. Please read it carefully, as you select products and services, please advise the best way to communicate with us, and agree to certain provisions that will govern our relationship. Once accepted, this application and all accompanying or supplemental documents form the entire agreement between us for this account.

Unless otherwise indicated in this application, the words “you,” “your,” “yourself,” and “yours” mean the applicant(s). The words “we,” “us,” and “our” mean Allen Pierce, Equity Partners, The Exchange Tower Two, 189 Nanjing Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300051, China and our branches, subsidiaries, and affiliates.

Getting Started

Please complete and sign this application and forward along with any required supplemental forms identified through this application process.

In order to complete this application, you will need the following information:

  • Identification information, such as a driver’s license, passport, or another type of government-issued identification
  • Social Security Number
  • W-8BEN Form
  • Information about your annual income, debt, expenses, and net worth
  • Back-up contact information
  • All fields are required unless marked as optional.

The above information helps us comply with various securities regulations and rules and the USA PATRIOT Act, a Federal law that requires all securities firms to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each applicant. The information also helps us more fully understand your investment profile and identify what types of investments or strategies may be suitable for you. Please note: if we cannot verify the information you provide, we may be required to restrict or deny your account. To qualify for tax exemption in the US markets, we require an original copy of the completed Form W-8BEN and International Client Application Form within 30 days. If any information on Form W-8BEN becomes incorrect, you must also submit a new form within 30 days.

Please remember to notify us if you experience a significant life change, such as the birth of a child, marriage, divorce, death of a spouse, loss of a job, change in financial situation, etc.

Your Account
Account Type

What type of investor are you?

Do you have other accounts with us?

Initial Transaction Type:

Details:
Amount:
 
Your Account Information
Primary Applicant

Title:

Suffix:

Address and Contact Information

Corporate Information
2 International Client Application Form
Civil Status and Dependents

Employment Status

Mailing Address If Different From Above
Industry and Other Affiliations

Are you, your spouse, or any other immediate family members, including parents, in-laws, siblings, and dependent(s):

Employed by or associated with the securities industry (for example, a sole proprietor, partner, officer, director, branch manager, registered representative or other associated person of a broker-dealer firm) or a financial services regulator?

If yes, please specify entity below. If this entity requires its approval for you to open this account, please provide a copy of the required authorization letter (with this Application).

(*Including a national securities exchange, registered securities association, registered clearing agency or the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.)

Name of entity(ies) :

An officer, director, or 10% (or more) shareholder in a publicly-owned company? Name of company and symbol :

A senior military, governmental or political official in a non-US country? Name of country :

Financial Investment Experience

Please provide the following information below in order for us to fully understand your investment experience. We are aware that the information you provide may change over time as you work with us. Please check the boxes below to best describe your investment experience to date.

Investment

Years experience

Transactions per Years
(excluding automatic investments)

1. May include structured products, hedge funds, etc.

3 International Client Application Form
Financial Situation and Needs, Liquidity Considerations, And Tax Status (please tell us your estimates)

ANNUAL INCOME 2
(from all sources)

NET WORTH 3
(excluding your residence)

LIQUID NET WORTH 4

TAX RATE
(highest marginal)

ANNUAL EXPENSES 5
(recurring)

SPECIAL EXPENSES 6
(future, non-recurring)

LIQUIDITY NEEDS

Timeframe for special expenses:

The ability to quickly and easily convert to cash all or a portion of the investments in this account without experiencing significant loss in value from, for example, the lack of a ready market, or incurring significant costs or penalties is (check one)

2.

Annual income includes income from sources such as employment, alimony, social security, investment income, etc.

3.

Net worth is the value of your assets minus your liabilities. For purposes of this application, assets include stocks, bonds, mutual funds, other securities, bank accounts, and other personal property. Do not include your primary residence among your assets. For liabilities, include any outstanding loans, credit card balances, taxes, etc. Do not include your mortgage.

4.

Liquid net worth is your net worth minus assets that cannot be converted quickly and easily into cash, such as real estate, business equity, personal property and automobiles, expected inheritances, assets earmarked for other purposes, and investments or accounts subject to substantial penalties if they were sold or if assets were withdrawn from them.

5.

Annual expenses might include mortgage payments, rent, long-term debts, utilities, alimony or child support payments, etc.

6.

Special expenses might include a home purchase, remodeling a home, a car purchase, education, medical expenses, etc.

Investment Risk Tolerance

Different investment products and strategies will involve different levels of risk. When choosing different products and strategies you must understand that higher expected returns will involve different degrees of risk and therefore it may cause you to lose the majority of your investment. Investments should be chosen based on your objectives, timeframe, and tolerance for market fluctuations.

Please select the degree of risk you are willing to take with the assets in this account.

Decision-Making (check all that apply)

4 International Client Application Form
Other Investments

Please provide us with additional information about your other investments to help us more fully understand your investment profile and identify what types of investments or strategies may be suitable for you.

Investment Type / Description

Firm Holding Investment

Amount (US$)

How You Intend to Use This Account

Please answer the following questions regarding your investment targets and investment period of time in order for us to determine which investment products and strategies are suitable for you.

Investment Objectives and Investment Time Horizon

The investments in this account will be (check one):

I plan to use this account for the following
(check all that apply):

Investment Objectives and Investment Time Horizon

In order for us to fully understand your investment profile and type of investment and strategies that are suitable for you, please provide any additional information that has not been requested above, so that it will help us more fully understand your investment profile and identify what types of investments or strategies may be suitable for you.


5 International Client Application Form
Tell Us How You Will Fund This Account
Please tell us how you are funding this account (check all that apply):

Tell Us How You Want To Work With Us
Account Features
Please note: You may change your account features and options at any time, with advance written notice to us.
Borrowing Money to Buy Securities (Buying “On Margin”) Please Read Carefully

You will have a “cash account,” unless you choose to have a “margin loan account” (customarily known as a “margin account”). To help you decide whether a margin loan account is right for you, please read this information, the Margin Loan Agreement, and the Margin Disclosure Statement.

You may apply for a margin account at a rate of 10% APR after a period of one (1) year of trading with the firm.

In a cash account, you pay for your securities in full by the settlement date of the purchase (generally three business days from the purchase). In a margin loan account, we may lend you a portion of the purchase price. This is called buying securities “on margin.” For example, when you buy equity securities (such as common stock) on margin, you typically must deposit at least 50% of the purchase price, and we would loan you the balance. You are liable for repaying the borrowed funds and the interest incurred.

If you borrow funds in your margin loan account and the value of your holdings declines below the firm’s and/or regulatory maintenance margin requirement, you may be subject to a “margin call.” This means that we can either (1) require you to deposit additional cash or margin-eligible securities to your account immediately, or (2) sell any of the securities in your account to cover any shortfall, without informing you in advance. We will decide which of your securities to sell. Even if we notify you that you have a certain number of days to cover the shortfall, we may still sell your securities before that timeframe expires. Further, we may increase at any time the level of equity that you must maintain in your margin account without triggering a margin call.

We have the right to lend shares held in your margin loan account to others. This should not impede your ability to sell these shares, but may cause you to lose voting rights and the right to preferred tax treatment on certain dividend payments.

Managing Your Cash

Sometimes there is cash in your account that hasn’t been invested. For example, you may have just deposited money into your account without giving instructions on how to invest it, or you may have received cash dividends or interest. We will automatically place—or “sweep”—that cash into one of the cash management programs listed below— also called “cash sweep programs.” Cash management programs offer different benefits and risks, including different interest rates, customer protections, and insurance coverage (namely, FDIC or SIPC coverage). Some may have certain eligibility criteria, such as minimum cash balances and specific account types.

Please choose one of the cash management programs listed below. You may instruct us to change your selected cash management program at any time to another if you meet the eligibility criteria of the new cash management program. If you do not choose one, we will automatically place your un-invested cash into the default cash management program, which will be Money Market Deposit Account with an interest rate of 0.97% APR. We will give you advance notice of any change in your choice or of the options generally available to you. We may need your consent for certain changes, but not for others.

Sales Proceeds (check one)
Dividends/Interest (check one)

Please provide bank name and account number:

Please provide bank name and account number:

6 International Client Application Form
Communications Options

Unless you choose otherwise, we will use postal mail to send you any communications. As an alternative, you may choose to be notified by email when certain communications are available for you to access online. If you wish to be notified by email instead of receiving communications by postal mail, please select one of the options below:

Please select the degree of risk you are willing to take with the assets in this account.


If you choose email for any communications, please tell us the email address we should use :

Postal Mail Options (if you requested postal mail delivery in the previous section)

By checking the boxes below, you request that all communications for the applicants listed on this application be delivered to the following single postal mailing address:


Duplicate Copies (optional)

Please send duplicate copies of the following documents to the person listed below:

All Communications, Trade Confirmations, Account Statements, and Tax-Related Documents Only

Title:

Suffix:

Review and Submit This Application
Confirmations and Signatures (Please Read Carefully)

By signing this application, you affirm that you have received and read this application and any supplemental documents governing this relationship. You affirm that the information you have provided is accurate and you agree to notify us of any changes in the information provided.

Primary Applicant

By checking the boxes below, you request that all communications for the applicants listed on this application be delivered to the following single postal mailing address:


The Internal Revenue Service does not require your consent to any provision of this document other than the certifications required to avoid backup withholding.

Signatures

Past performance is shown only for illustrative purposes and is not a guarantee of future performance. In addition, factors including risk tolerance, currency movements, and geopolitical events, among others, affect performance. As a result, investments carry risk, and you may lose some or all of the money you invest.