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Robinhood launches 3% checking account

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Re: Robinhood launches 3% checking account

#61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It looks like both FDIC and SIPC have a 250K protection, are there any other differences between the two that would matter to an average consumer?

Does this mean it's not smart to store more than 250k in robinhood? (I don't, just wondering)

[deleted]

Re: Robinhood launches 3% checking account

#62
post #34

3% on checking sounds too good to be true. What's the catch? For example, I didn't see anything about how funds are insured. If Robinhood were to somehow lose depositor funds, what recourse would account holders have?

Like all "tech" companies - they're selling your data. They already do it in their brokerage accounts. Now imagine the value of knowing what you spend every single dollar on, how often you're shopping at a competitor, what time of day you're most likely to swipe your card, etc.

They're SIPC insured (like a brokerge account) instead of FDIC insured (like a bank account) which is a subtle difference and ever-so-slightly riskier for the consumer but not terribly different.[1] The biggest/riskiest difference is that the insurance here is provided by a group-funded non-profit as opposed to the federal government.

But mostly it's about making up the difference with your data.

[1]https://www.schwabmoneywise.com/public/moneywise/essentials/...

Re: Robinhood launches 3% checking account

#63

I've using their brokerage services -- no fee on stock and option trading -- and I'm ready to move my primary ETrade account to Robinhood soon. Capital One currently offers 5-yr CD for 3.15%. I just signed up for Citi Priority to save a few pennies on "foreign transaction fees," but it pays paltry 0.03%. That 3% sounds to good to be true, but it's probably not impossible.

Its not too good to be true. These are simply the effects of true non crony capitalism at work. Decentralisation of everything is forcing the crony status quo capitalistic system to change, thus pushing the boundaries of progress further than before. This is simply the beginning.

Until Robinhood exhausts its runway, is acquired by a traditional finance firm, or is run out of business by FINRA complaints because they kill options trading for hours at a time for their users during market hours [1].

[1] https://i.imgur.com/VTZifUQ.png

Re: Robinhood launches 3% checking account

#64
post #38
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess I'm a bit naive, why is this?

Interest rates for banking accounts for quite some time have been low. 3% is very high for the USA so it' s a pleasant surprise for many people.

Also 3% is astronomical for Euro zone. Here you typically have 0.01-0.1% on saving accounts (only for 100k Euro and below), and negative rate on checking accounts (most people usually pay 7-12 Euro per month for checking accounts and 20-40 Euro per year for Visa card).

Re: Robinhood launches 3% checking account

#65
post #56
post #14

As a user of the Robinhood brokerage for all of my "fun investment money" I'm a fan of this. I do wonder how the big banks are going to respond however as this is blatantly a "shots fired" kind of event.

BOA interest rates will probably rocket up from .02% to .03% when the prime rate goes above 6%

I know, right? I'm soooo tempted to hoard $100k with BoA for that 20% extra bonus to their crappy interest rate.

Re: Robinhood launches 3% checking account

#67

This is higher than even most long-term CDs at the moment. Anyone have thoughts on how this is possible? Possibly a teaser that will adjust down soon?

> Anyone have thoughts on how this is possible?

... they are paying out money to the depositor instead of the shareholders

Re: Robinhood launches 3% checking account

#68

Is it FDIC insured?

No, and that is one of the reasons their rate is so high. To receive FDIC insurance from the government, FINRA and the SEC generally have much tighter restrictions on what they allow the banks to do with the deposits and what they force the bank to keep in capital reserves, both of which are a drag on interest rates.

Re: Robinhood launches 3% checking account

#70

Is it FDIC insured?

They aren't part of FDIC but they have SIPC insurance https://support.robinhood.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001469903 Is my money insured? Your cash in Robinhood is insured up to $250,000 by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). SIPC protects cash deposits in your account in the unlikely event that Robinhood fails. Up to what amount? SIPC insurance covers your checking, savings and investments. Your cas…

Apparently, SIPC doesn't provide blanket coverage[1].

So no coverage against, i.e. fire, flood, robbery or embezzlement [2]. The first 3 may not be relevant with digital bank that doesn't handle cash, but the last one might be.

EDIT: I misread the second reference. apparently FDIC does not insure against theft or embezzlement, but according to the first link FDIC does provide blanket coverage unlike SPIC. it's still not clear to me what blanket coverage means in this instance.

[1] https://www.schwabmoneywise.com/public/moneywise/essentials/...

[2] https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/information/fdiciorn...

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