Do you feel safe when you use your computer? When you use online banking or enter your credit card number online, are you certain that the information won’t fall into the wrong hands? Firstrade has always taken a proactive role in protecting customers from online fraud, offering free Trend Micro Anti-Virus software to all of our customers. Earlier this year we also began testing SafeCentral secure browser with Authentium, I hope people were able to take the opportunity and test the beta program.
There are obvious trade-offs between convenience and security, but unfortunately the reality is that if we are not careful, there are malicious people looking to make money off our carelessness. Where do you stand, will you sacrifice convenience for peace of mind?
Let us know, we’re always looking for feedback, and creating new ways to protect you, the customer.
May 15th, 2008
Are the sub-prime issues behind us? Was Paulson’s plan to introduce more regulation on the lending market just what the we needed? Regardless of what people think of those questions, the market started Q2 of 2008 in a big way. The Dow was up 391.47, the NASDAQ up 83.65, and the S&P was up 47.48.
Companies such as Lehman Brothers, on the brink of a collapse in stock price just weeks ago, is now on a turnaround (at least in stock price). The Dollar was showing signs of stabilizing, good news all around it seems.
The first quarter was brutal, Dow down 7.6%, S&P 500 down almost 10% and the Nasdaq down over 14%. Does the April Fools day rally mean the beginning of a recovery? Chime in!
April 1st, 2008
Apple’s keynote yesterday certainly disappointed many investors, as the stock dropped continuously throughout the trading day. People are expecting quite a lot from Apple, though personally think the products are quite exciting and can’t wait to get my hands on them.
Can Firstrade claim to be the world’s first brokerage firm with a Webclip Icon? Add our website as an Webclip to your iPhone and this is what you get!
January 16th, 2008
A belated Merry Christmas to all our readers, hope there were gifts aplenty under the tree, and everyone did lots of shopping to keep the economy strong.
With that said, early numbers from the retail sector doesn’t seem that promising, and the housing market reported another major decline. Many major retailers are staging sales and extended operating hours to get shoppers into their stores. I’d love to provide first hand reports, but I’m working here, so unfortunately I have no idea how well the plans are working.
Many shoppers are also spending more money on gift cards this year. Gift giving people love its simplicity and convenience, retailers love gift cards because: 1. It gets you into stores to buy more stuff; 2. Some people forget to use it or leave a balance; 3. Some cards expire, meaning the retailer keeps the money for nothing! Shoppers are expected to flood major retailers in the next few weeks, armed with their gift cards, so another surge of shopping should be taking place right now, or just as soon as we get out of work.
December 26th, 2007
Down 200 points one day, up 300 the next. The volatility in the market recently has been shocking. It seems that any news, either positive or negative, is automatically amplified by nervous investors, swaying the market in one direction.
Today the DJIA rallied on hopes that the Feds will lower rates in their next meeting. Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Donald Kohn mentioned that the Feds need to be nimble in its approach. What exactly does nimble mean? we won’t know till the next Feds meeting, but as of today, most people seem to think it means a lower interest rate.
In other news, oil falls $4 to around the $91 level. There are so many macro events that are impacting the market right now: sub-prime mortgage, oil prices, dollar weakness, consumer confidence, the list goes on. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
November 28th, 2007
The market closed early today at 1PM. Early morning crowds at major retailers seems to have given the market a confidence boost. We’ll know by Monday how some of these retailers fared over the busy shopping weekend.
Anyone managed to grab “door-buster” or “early-bird” deals on technology items? Share the experience here!
November 23rd, 2007
The sub-prime mortgage problems has spread across various parts of the financial industry. Earlier this month, one of our competitors was seriously hit by the bad news, and their stock plunged over 50% in one trading session. It seems that the firm invested a large portion of their portfolio in asset-backed securities. A solid chunk of these “assets” were in forms of collateralized debt obligations, or CDOs, and home-equity loans. Concerned that the write-downs will jeopardize the firm’s ability to remain well capitalized, shareholders sparked a sell-off that wiped out over half the company’s market cap in one day.
Firstrade does not invest in any asset-backed securities, therefore we are not affected by the sub-prime mortgage problems. Rest assured that your account with Firstrade is safe, plus don’t forget our unlimited account protection free for all Firstrade customers.
November 21st, 2007
At Firstrade, we take the security of our customer’s accounts very seriously. While we try our best to protect customers by using some of the latest in encryption technologies, customers themselves will always be the first line of defense against hackers, viruses, and identity thieves.
You can have the most complex password in the world, but the password is useless if it is written on post-it notes lying around the desk. The same can be said about malware and viruses. Firstrade can also implement all sorts of encryption security on our web servers, but if the customer’s own machines are compromised, the customers put themselves at risk. Spyware and viruses infest a person’s computer and log all the keystrokes, including username and password.
So what can you do to protect yourself? Use AntiVirus and AntiSpyware programs to protect your PC! In fact, Firstrade is going to help you protect your computer by offering a free 1-year subscription to Trend Micro AntiVirus plus AntiSpyware 2007 to all Firstrade account holders! Simply login to your account for more details!
September 17th, 2007
We’ve had a a solid bull market for many years, then all of a sudden subprime woes bring incredible volatility to the market. I cannot remember the last time two, three hundred point swings was accepted as the norm, I think that was back during the dotcom bubble.
With the Feds stepping in to stabilize the financial markets, the market seems to have calmed down. With that said, I think everyone is still recovering (some very nicely) from the 600+ single day swing for the DJIA last week, what a ride!
Anyone want to share any stories from last week? Comment away!
August 21st, 2007
The Firstrade T-Shirt design contest ended very well, the top two designs are currently being produced as our future corporate T-Shirts. We want to take a moment to thank everyone who took part in this design contest. The winning entries can be found on the T-Shirt Design Contest web-page, please take a look at the excellent winning entries!
So now we’re looking for a new contest! Feel free to give us some ideas, nothing is too strange for us.
Updates will come more frequently during the dog days of summer.
August 2nd, 2007
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