August 27, 2021
1. Do you have one or more online trading or investment accounts?
Yes, I have one or more accounts that I access both online using a computer and using a mobile app.
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?
Yes
3. On average, how often do you access your online account?
Daily/more than once a day
4. On average, how often are trades made in your online account, whether by you or someone else?
Once to a few times a week.
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:
1st: Education, I wanted and still want to learn more about the financial system, economics, and investing. 2nd: I enjoy the idea of investing in and growing with people, ideas, and companies that I like
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.)
I enjoy the educational features as well as the informational charts and graphs.
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.)
My online account is my first crack at investing and trading. I have learned so much more about the markets and investing than I ever would have guessed before doing it. Not knowing what I was doing my first account was a margin account and I was interested in trading options at the time. After learning how my brokerage can use and lend out shares in a margin account as well as the risks taken in options trading I moved all my shares and to a cash account and haven't considered options since. At this time I'm still unsure of how my brokerage handles my investments even in a cash account so I'm looking at direct registration of my shares.
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 : Less Than 12 Months
Bonds : None
Options : None
Mutual Funds : None
ETFs : None
Futures : None
Cryptocurrencies : None
Commodities : None
ClosedEnd Funds : None
Money Market Funds : None
Variable Insurance Products : None
Business Development Companies : None
Unit Investment Trusts : None
10. What is your understanding, if any, of the circumstances under which trading or investing in your account can be suspended or restricted?
I know there are situations in which a brokerage can halt trading if they suspect criminal activity or manipulation, I also think the same brokerages may use the conditions stated above as an excuse to halt trades even when they aren't true and should be under higher scrutiny about if and when they decide to stop trading.
11. What else would you like us to know positive or negative - about your experience with online trading and investing?
Personally my online trading has gone very well and I'm quite happy with my investment decisions. That being said I now have far less faith in the regulatory and financial systems beyond these investments. I have seen that the SEC has been very active in the past 24 months with the implementation and creations of new regulations and policies as well as asking for and listening to feedback. (on platforms such as this one now) However the fact that many of the highest positions within regulatory bodies (such as the DTCC and SEC) are held by people that once worked at the entities these bodies are supposed to regulate, as well as people who now work at these entities that once worked within the regulatory bodies strikes me as a massive conflict of interest that has a powerful negative impact on our financial system and the appropriate regulation of online trading platforms as well as the \"market makers\" that handle these executions.