In recent years, the online trading platform Robinhood has been gaining popularity among typically younger and novice investors, mainly because they have no minimums or commissions. However, there are some things about the way Robinhood operates that are not always in the best interests of the users. In this episode, Grant reviews how this brokerage firm is set up, how they make money, and what you should keep in mind if you’re trading on Robinhood.
Show Notes
[01:37] Background – Robinhood’s origin story and how it forced many other brokerage firms to drop commissions to zero.
[04:39] Day Trading Mishaps – Grant reviews one of the horror stories related to day trading on Robinhood, where one investor ended up getting a massive tax bill because they didn’t understand the rules around trading.
[08:09] Wash-Sale Rule – The IRS has set up a rule related to wash sales that get triggered when you trade frequently. Grant dives into how this rule can lead to massive tax bills for day traders on Robinhood.
[12:24] How Robinhood Makes Money – Grant reviews how Robinhood’s commission-free business model works, how it differs from a traditional brokerage firm, and one revenue source that put Robinhood under scrutiny in the investor community.
[22:56] Unnecessary Trading – Some of Robinhood’s features are designed to encourage users to make more transactions. Grant explains why this practice does not work in the best interests of Robinhood users.
[29:47] Strategies for Robinhood Users – Grant shares his take on some of the strategies Robinhood users could implement to build a robust investment portfolio.
Resources
Episode #63 - Anatomy of a Short Squeeze: GameStop FAQs:
growmoneybusiness.com/podcast/episode63