Equity trading’s race to zero fees

Retail investing in 2020 was a story of “Reddit bros” pushing up meme stocks on new zero-cost trading platforms. But beyond the headlines, advisor-based retail investing also jumped, up 19 percent. However, those zero-commission platforms are making their presence felt; advisors now charge less than half of their list price.

Equity trades per advisor rose by 19 percent between 2019 and 2020, but pricing continues to decline.

To read the article, see “The value of personal advice: Wealth management through the pandemic,” May 25, 2021.