September 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 using a computer.
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 per month
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
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.)
My online trading platform does not have any of the listed features nor anything similar. I don't feel like I'm missing anything by this as well.
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.)
When I made my first stock trades quite some time ago it was not online and I started multiple positions on stocks that I intended to be (very) long positions. Now that I have an online trading account my activity has increased, but my overall trading philosophy and behavior has not appreciably changed: I remain a long position investor even though I have made significantly more trades online. My knowledge of stock markets has increased significantly although this has little to do with the fact that I am now trading online. My knowledge has increased because the price action on two of my stock positions that have nothing to do with each other's industries were coordinated to a very high degree over many months and I wanted to understand why.
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 : 5+ Years
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 believe cash accounts should not be suspended or restricted from trading or investing by the broker at any time. Margin accounts can and should be suspended or restricted by the broker if the account does not have sufficient collateral. Trading or investing in a specific stock can be suspended or restricted when trading volume is too high for the systems to handle as well. As far as I'm aware these are the only circumstances under which trading or investing in my account can be suspended or restricted.
11. What else would you like us to know positive or negative - about your experience with online trading and investing?
I have had generally only positive experiences with online trading. I don't believe that 'gamification' of online trading is a pressing problem with trading or investing relative to the structural and regulatory problems of American stock markets over-all, e.g. shady disproportionate darkpool trading activity, essentially unchecked naked shorting, massive overleveraging, sacrificing accurate price discovery and transparency for supposed liquidity, and inherent conflicts of interest that come from Payment For Order Flow to name a few.