August 25, 2021
1. Do you have one or more online trading or investment accounts?
Yes, I have one or more accounts that I access online, either using a computer or a mobile app but I also access the account(s) in other ways (e.g., by calling or visiting in person).
2. If your response to Question 1 is Yes, do you think you would trade or invest if you could not do so online using a computer or using a mobile app?
No
3. On average, how often do you access your online account?
Once to a few times a week
4. On average, how often are trades made in your online account, whether by you or someone else?
Once to a few times per month.
5. If you access your account online, did you have the account first, and only began to access it electronically later? Or did you open the account with the idea that you would access it electronically immediately?
I downloaded an app or visited a website first, and then opened up an account with the company
6. My goals for trading or investing in my online account are (check all that apply):
Keep the amount of money I have, while keeping up with inflation
Save and grow my money for short-term goals (in the next year or two)
Save and grow my money for medium- to long-term goals
Have fun
Other
If Other, Explain:
To learn about the not so obvious complexities of the market and to help uncover and expose fraud thats happening in them.
7. What would you like us to know about your experience with the features of your online trading or investment platform? (Examples of features are: social networking tools games, streaks, or contests with prizes points, badges, and leaderboards notifications celebrations for trading visual cues, like changing colors ideas presented at order placement or other curated lists or features subscription and membership tiers or chatbots.)
While flashy, I wouldnt compare any trading platform I've used to anything as manipulative as a slot machine or freemium mobile game. Investimg is not gambling.
8. If you were trading or investing prior to using an online account, how have your investing and trading behaviors changed since you started using your online account? (For example, the amount of money you have invested, your interest in learning about investing and saving for retirement, the amount of time you have spent trading, your knowledge of financial products, the number of trades you have made, the amount of money you have made in trading, your knowledge of the markets, the number of different types of financial products you have traded, or your use of margin.)
The fact of the matter is, these trading apps and online platforms give retail investors more freedom than previously available. While some apps like robinhood were using payment for order flow to inform hedgefunds of retails investments, once this was widely understood by retail, retail left robinhoods app.
9. How much experience do you have trading or investing in the following products (None, 12 months, 1-2 years, 2-5 years, 5+ years):
Stocks : 1-2 Years
Bonds : 12 Months
Options : 1-2 Years
Mutual Funds : 12 Months
ETFs : 12 Months
Futures : 12 Months
Cryptocurrencies : 2-5 Years
Commodities : 12 Months
ClosedEnd Funds : 12 Months
Money Market Funds : 12 Months
Variable Insurance Products : 12 Months
Business Development Companies : 12 Months
Unit Investment Trusts : 12 Months
10. What is your understanding, if any, of the circumstances under which trading or investing in your account can be suspended or restricted?
While under a margin account, my account could have been margin called. I have less than $25k in my account, I cannot daytrade and am limited to buying and seling the same shares 3 times per week.
11. What else would you like us to know positive or negative - about your experience with online trading and investing?
Even though retail traders have more cpability and more at their disposal, we still come no where near the trading capabilities as hedge funds. There's always fine print to what little gains retail investors get. Like commisions free trading came at the cost of paymemt for order flow. The market is not fair.