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 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 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):
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.)
It's pretty dull, I have charts and analytics plus the option to open new trades
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.)
Much more interest in learning and working towards my goals
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 : None
Options : None
Mutual Funds : None
ETFs : None
Futures : None
Cryptocurrencies : 2-5 Years
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 had some restrictions on January 2021 for options on my platform. I do not know how they were able to justify the limitations and why other brokers stopped allowing purchases of some stocks. It really turned my attention to the lack or proper enforcement in the stock market. My trading experiences started in crypto, in that space rehypothication of shares, failure to delivers, and settlement periods don't exist which leads to much more trust as an investor in those platforms.
11. What else would you like us to know positive or negative - about your experience with online trading and investing?
The SEC needs to do a better job at enforcing the rules already in place for market makers and hedge funds. New rules that are approved need to be evaluated for what they are trying to prevent and if those measures are the best way of preventing that. Also, retail investors deserve to have real time data on the markets just like the larger players have. Without open data sources that aren't months behind you cannot have a free and fair market. A move to immediate settlement of trades is very necessary and FTD allowances must be shortened. A market makers getting up to 30 days to deliver is a joke.
If I buy a stock, that trade needs to hit the market, not be funneled into a dark pool. This type of behavior will ruined the people trust in our markets as awareness grows. I already feel like I am better off putting my money elsewhere, the u.s. stock markets really are a casino stacked against retail.