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SEC charges Robinhood with misleading its customers

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Miguel A. Rodriguez
Miguel A. Rodriguez
17 December 2020
The Silicon Valley-based startup accused of deceiving its clients about its practices

According to the latest statement published on its website, the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Robinhood today with misleading its clients about how it makes money. Also, the company failed to deliver to its customers the promised best execution of trades. SEC statement read:

“Between 2015 and late 2018, Robinhood made misleading statements and omissions in customer communications, including in FAQ pages on its website, about its largest revenue source when describing how it made money – namely, payments from trading firms in exchange for Robinhood sending its customer orders to those firms for execution, also known as ‘payment for order flow.’”

Robinhood didn’t fail to talk about the charges, which it didn’t admit nor denied, saying that ″We are fully transparent in our communications with customers about our current revenue streams, have significantly improved our best execution processes, and have established relationships with additional market makers to improve execution quality.”

Following the charges, Robinhood agreed to pay a civil penalty worth $65 million.

But while Robinhood pays $65 million in penalties, one of its competitors – Public.com has raised the same amount in Series C funding. Among investors are Advancit Capital, Lakestar, Mantis VC, and stars such as Will Smith and Keisuke Honda.

In the past eight months, Public.com managed to raise $90 million from investors.

Sources: sec.gov. cnbc.com, finance.yahoo.com

This information/research prepared by Miguel A. Rodriguez does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation, or particular needs of any particular person. The research analyst primarily responsible for the content of this research report, in part or in whole, certifies that the views about the companies and their securities expressed in this report accurately reflect his/her personal views and consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk.The research provided does not constitute the views of KW Investments Ltd nor is it an invitation to invest with KW Investments Ltd. The research analyst also certifies that no part of his/her compensation was, is, or will be, directly, or indirectly, related to specific recommendations or views expressed in this report.The research analyst in not employed by KW Investments Ltd. You are encouraged to seek advice from an independent financial adviser regarding the suitability of the investment, under a separate engagement, as you deem fit that conforms to your specific investment objectives, financial situation, or particular financial needs before making a commitment to invest. The laws of the Republic of Seychelles shall govern any claim relating to or arising from the contents of the information/ research provided. 

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Miguel A. Rodriguez
Miguel A. Rodriguez
Financial Writer

Miguel worked for major financial institutions such as Banco Santander, and Banco Central-Hispano. He is a published author of currency trading books.