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, either using a computer or a mobile app but I also access the account(s) in other ways (e.g., by calling or visiting in person).
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 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):
Save and grow my money for short-term goals (in the next year or two)
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 shocking thing I have discovered is that many of these platforms use my trades and long term investments to profit via order flow off exchange.
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 never use margin and I am a cash investor for my future in companies that I believe will succeed. I have a long term relationship with my financial planner and I review my research with him as I chose what investments to make with him and my personal cash account. Since using web interfaces to track my investments I have learned how markets get minipulated by those on top as I can actually see pressure through the day without price increases. I would say it has lead me to lose faith in the system and the ability of the us government to understand and oversee the market.
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 : 5+ Years
Options : None
Mutual Funds : 5+ Years
ETFs : 5+ Years
Futures : None
Cryptocurrencies : None
Commodities : 2-5 Years
ClosedEnd Funds : None
Money Market Funds : 5+ Years
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?
What I have learned over the last 9 to 10 months is that brokers will restrict my access to my account and ability to trade at any time if they experience a threat to their own ability to make money using my account and stock as collateral.
11. What else would you like us to know positive or negative - about your experience with online trading and investing?
There is little to no transparency on SEC actions to effectively police the American market and the rules have been altered since 2008 to effectively negate the dodd frank act. Those at the top end of the market are able to take money from hard working Americans with no threat to punishment and will be consolidated and/or be backed by government funding and therefore will proceed at extravagant and likely illegal levels of risk and margin as they will not have consequences.