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)
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 experience with my online trading platform has been generally positive it provides a broad investment offering, is easy to use and navigate, and is not gamified in any way I cared about. My concern with my platform is more with Payment for Order Flow and market disadvantages as a retail investor, not with the user interface of my platform.
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.)
Prior to opening an online account I owned a mail account with Computershare. I did not understand this medium at all and as a result did minimal investing, instead banking my money in a checking and savings. I now utilize my online investing as a place to grow money for the short term, and transfer money beyond what I feel is a reasonable amount from my checking/savings. My interest in investing and my knowledge of investing have both increased immensely since I started using my online account.
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 : None
Options : None
Mutual Funds : 2-5 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?
Fairly minimal, though it is my understanding that as a cash account, I am not required to post margin therefore cannot be shut down for insufficient funds (provided I maintain the minimum amount of cash in the account).
11. What else would you like us to know positive or negative - about your experience with online trading and investing?
The ability to invest from my home with my own computer has opened my eyes and my opportunities in so many ways, and indeed is responsible for me investing in the market at all I doubt that I would be investing in the stock market at all if if I was required to phone a broker or mail instructions for every trade I wanted, never mind being able to examine and choose companies to invest in on my platform. Negatively, I dislike the Payment for Order Flow system, as it encourages large companies to take advantage of my trades for profit. I have also noted that trading can be shut down by other, large players, in the market, such as the GME event in January, and this is not encouraging as to the levelness of the playing field between retail and major financial institutions a condition that I feel the SEC has turned a blind eye to and which makes me leery of investing my money in the market.