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?
Yes
3. On average, how often do you access your online account?
Once to a few times a week
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.)
The convenience access to my account and low fees on my online trading are the main factors in choosing my brokerage. It was mostly positive
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.)
I have read and witness more about how market works and how the institution use mechanisms like dark pools and naked short selling to manipulate prices while ignoring/hiding failure to delivers. With no enforcement action from the SEC to curb these practices, I learned to have less faith in the system and became more apprehensive about investing.
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 : 5+ Years
Bonds : None
Options : None
Mutual Funds : 5+ Years
ETFs : 5+ Years
Futures : None
Cryptocurrencies : 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?
Extreme volatility can cause trading halts. Market makers, brokers and clearing house can collude for a restriction when it benefits them as the expense of the investors.
11. What else would you like us to know positive or negative - about your experience with online trading and investing?
Some brokers are not transparent about how I don't actually own the shares in my account, selling of my information, price quoted not being the best price. General shady/illegal behaviour that often met with little enforcement or absurdly small fines erode my trust in the integrity of the system as a whole. Seeing online trading broker and Market maker CEOs committed perjury on live television with no consequence leaves me with little confidence in the market and law enforcement.