August 30, 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?
No
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 had a pre-existing account and downloaded an app or visited a website to access my account
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
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.)
None of the trading platforms I use have any form of gamification... The only thing that matters is the percentage gain or loss...
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 amount of money I have invested increased. I went from a super low volume 401k investor that barely kept up with inflation, to increasing my overall self traded assets to 29k that I manage myself and maximized my 401k investment to take advantage of my companies match. Getting actively involved in investing has made me completely reconsider frivolous expenses I used to waste money on and instead I take that money and invest it. I have gotten control of my finances and increased my credit score by over 300pts. In other words, actively participating in investing has changed my life for the better.
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 : 2-5 Years
Bonds : 1-2 Years
Options : Less Than 12 Months
Mutual Funds : 1-2 Years
ETFs : 2-5 Years
Futures : None
Cryptocurrencies : 2-5 Years
Commodities : None
ClosedEnd Funds : None
Money Market Funds : None
Variable Insurance Products : None
Business Development Companies : Less Than 12 Months
Unit Investment Trusts : Less Than 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?
My understanding is my broker should never independently halt trading on my account, unless I am in direct violation or there are market variables that trigger a trading halt. I was on Robinhood and actively trading several stocks that were halted in January 2021. I slowly moved my funds off the platform to one of my other broker accounts after that.
11. What else would you like us to know positive or negative - about your experience with online trading and investing?
The playing field needs to be leveled, big money interests are far too advantaged in their ability to pay for priority and data. We have literally created a pay to win economic model and the stock market is no where close to an accurate representation of the economy it's expected to represent. We have not had a \"free market\" in quite some time, and the mix between legal and financial sectors has created a mess manipulating the system to their personal gain.
Simply put, when the fines for breaking the laws are less than the profit made from breaking them, they are simply a line item in the budget. Retail traders are begging you to enforce the existing laws, and patch the loopholes...
Finally, most of this is solved by moving the market to a blockchain technology and ensuring direct ownership of the underlying assets. Open, transparent, and free...
And just so its perfectly clear... Retail doesn't need \"protecting\", what we need is a level playing field where the market makers cant route orders for their personal gain...