March 1, 2020
I understand the SEC is considering a proposal in 2020 to impose unprecedented restrictions on buying leveraged and inverse funds and is accepting public comments. I would like to offer my comments as a current investor in these funds. I oppose this proposal on several grounds.
In my view, controlling the free will of market investors to make their own financial decisions is contrary to the well-established economic policies of this nation and dangerously interferes in a free marketplace, a vital part of our society. Such restrictions could result in volatile changes in these funds and undermine the value of individual investments, creating more, not less, stability for small investors.
In addition, requiring the submission of extensive personal and financial information to assess whether an individual will be allowed to invest in such funds violates an individuals privacy, security, and freedom of choice. It also results in the disparate and unequal treatment of investments without a substantial showing that such disparate treatment is justified.
In an age when extensive public information is available on the internet regarding these funds and other investments, it is presumptuous, in my view, for the SEC to unilaterally impose its opinion on investors as to the advisability of such funds, and I ask the SEC to refrain from taking any action to further this proposal.
Thank you for your consideration of my comments. I hope that, by hearing from an individual who understands and accepts any risks associated with these funds, the SEC will agree that an individuals ability to manage his own financial matters without unduly burdensome government intervention should be respected, and this freedom should not be abridged by this perhaps well-intended, but misguided, proposal that has the potential to actually undermine ordinary market forces and create more difficulties for small investors.