Improve Your Trading With Tips From the CEO of an Investing Platform – Business Insider

Zero-commission trading platforms have become more popular in recent years as more and more people look to get into investing. Retail investors, as nonprofessional investors are known, are seeking greater control over their finances and, ultimately, financial independence outside the limits of a 9-to-5 career.

In 2017, the trading platform Webull was founded. The company has seen strong growth ever since. CEO Anthony Denier said its key differentiator was the substantial market data it provided to help educate retail investors.

"We're the only mobile platform that provides data and analytics to all who download our app, void of any paywalls or brokerage-application requirements," Denier said, adding that Webull is "currently offering more than 50 analytical tools to make sense of our vast amounts of market data."

Trading platforms captured the public imagination in January, when members of a Reddit forum collectively agreed to buy shares in GameStop, a struggling video game retailer. This hurt hedge fund investors that had bet on its share price to tank.

As GameStop's share price rocketed, those hedge fund short-sellers lost billions. This was a tipping point for trading, shining a light on platforms that allow anyone to take part in the market, Denier said. Fifteen million people were using Webull as of January.

What's more, the coronavirus pandemic has also increased day trading's popularity, having prompted both government stimulus and fewer entertainment options during shelter-in-place restrictions. The market hit all-time highs, making it attractive to retail investors.

"We saw a culmination of social media and stock market awareness that has never been achieved before," Denier said. "It truly opened the idea of 'investing for all' to everyone across the globe." Webull offers fractional trading, which means investors can buy a small part of a stock, starting at just $5. The platform is also seamlessly available across desktop, mobile, smartwatches, and tablets, and with Webull's latest upgrade users can easily customize their dashboards.

Security is a key topic, no matter which level a trader is at. Denier's advice is to take investing at a pace that works for you. "Make sure you are dealing with a reputable broker or other financial institution," he said. "Secondly, do not trade or invest with money that you are not prepared to lose. Do not trade with your rent money! Start slow and refrain from putting all your cash to work on one single idea or opportunity. Spread the risk." Denier should know he started his career at Credit Suisse and spent many years as an institutional trader before running companies.

One way to try out trading but without the risk is to try "paper trading" on Webull, Denier said. "This free product allows people to test out investing with virtual money before they start using their real own dollars," he explained. "We believe that experiential knowledge can be the most beneficial for traders to build confidence and understanding."

Webull hopes to help people level up from intermediate to experienced trading: It provides users with real-time stock quotes from exchanges such as the Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange, meaning traders can get detailed information on who is buying and selling stocks, as well as their prices.

The platform has big ambitions: Its new sponsorship of the basketball teams the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Liberty marks its first foray into global sports partnerships. "As the CEO of a New York company, I could not be more thrilled to be partnering with these dynamic organizations while giving back to our communities," Denier said. Webull plans to work with both teams to implement STEM programs meant to benefit underserved populations in Brooklyn and beyond.

The partnership also underscores Webull's undertaking to help people upskill financially. "We make it our mission to help all people grow their knowledge of trading and investing," he said. Webull wants everyone to be able to use what Denier called "the most powerful wealth-creation tool for the past century: the stock market."

He added: "It definitely drives this amazing revolution we are so proud to take part in."

Learn more about how Webull can help investors level up their trading performance.

This article was created by Insider Studios with Webull.

Neither Insider Studios nor Webull are offering financial advice in this article.

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Improve Your Trading With Tips From the CEO of an Investing Platform - Business Insider