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Your brokerage firm is
furnishing this document to you to provide some basic facts about purchasing securities
on margin, and to alert you to the risks involved with trading securities in a
margin account. Before trading stocks in a margin account, you should carefully
review the margin agreement provided by your firm. Consult your firm regarding
any questions or concerns you may have with your margin accounts. When
you purchase securities, you may pay for the securities in full, or you may borrow
part of the purchase price from your brokerage firm. If you choose to borrow funds
from your firm, you will open a margin account with the firm. The securities purchased
are the firms collateral for the loan to you. If the securities in your account
decline in value, so does the value of the collateral supporting your loan, and,
as a result, the firm can take action (such as issue a margin call and/or sell
securities or other assets in any of your accounts held with the member) in order
to maintain the required equity in the account. It is important
that you fully understand the risks involved in trading securities on margin.
These risks include the following: - You
can lose more funds than you deposit in the margin account. A decline
in the value of securities that are purchased on margin may require you to provide
additional funds to the firm that has made the loan to avoid the forced sale of
those securities or other securities or assets in your account(s).
- The firm can force the sale of securities
or other assets in your account(s). If the
equity in your account falls below the maintenance margin requirements or the
firms higher "house" requirements, the firm can sell the securities
or other assets in any of your accounts held at the firm to cover the margin deficiency.
You will also be responsible for any short fall in the account after such a trade.
- The firm
can sell your securities or other assets without contacting you.
Some investors mistakenly believe that a firm must contact them for a margin call
to be valid, and that the firm cannot liquidate securities or other assets in
their accounts to meet the call unless the firm has contacted them first. This
is not the case. Most firms will attempt to notify their customers of margin calls,
but they are not required to do so. However, even if a firm has contacted a customer
and provided a specific date by which the customer can meet a margin call, the
firm can still take necessary steps to protect its financial interests, including
immediately selling the securities without notice to the customer.
- You are not entitled to choose which securities
or other assets in your account(s) are liquidated or sold to meet a margin call.
Because the securities are collateral for the margin loan, the firm has the right
to decide which security to sell in order to protect its interests.
- The firm can increase its
"house" maintenance margin requirements at any time and is not required
to provide you advance written notice. These changes in firm policy often
take effect immediately and may result in the issuance of a maintenance margin
call. Your failure to satisfy the call may cause the member to liquidate or sell
securities in your account(s).
- You
are not entitled to an extension of time for a margin call. While an extension
of time to meet margin requirements may be available to customers under certain
conditions, a customer does not have a right to the extension.
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*IMPORTANT
INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENTS. NOT FDIC-INSURED. NO BANK GUARANTEE. MAY LOSE VALUE.
NOT A DEPOSIT. NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY
*The term Direct Access refers to the clients ability to determine which
Exchange, ECN or Market Maker receives their order. The term does not
mean to imply that you can trade without a broker, as any transaction
would require a relationship with a registered Broker-Dealer. Securities
offered through Online Brokerage Services member NASD/SIPC, NFA.
The
risk of loss in electronic trading can be substantial. You should therefore
consider whether such trading is suitable for you based on your individual
circumstances and financial resources. Account access, trade execution
and system response may be adversely affected by market conditions, quote
delays, system performance and other factors. Extended hours trading entails
several risks including lower liquidity, higher volatility, wider spreads,
changing prices, unlinked markets, news and announcements. Not all securities,
products or services are available in all states or countries outside
the United States and nothing herein should be deemed as an offer or solicitation
of these securities, products and services in any jurisdiction in which
Online Brokerage Services is not properly licensed and registered.
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