Oct. 30, 2022
October 30, 2022 SEC Proposal S7-18-21 regarding reporting of securities loans has my vocal and full support. Transparency and real-time reporting of securities loans by all actors is critical for the health of our market structure, and the confidence of investors both domestic and foreign. Real-time access to information regarding who borrowed, who lent, and for what purpose the securities were lent (very explicitly including short positions) can help all market participants clearly see investment risks which may be otherwise be obfuscated by a lack of reporting and insufficient data. Though valid arguments can be made regarding Short-selling's role in price discovery, it is important to remember that every security sold Short is a bet against American companies, the American economy, and the American people themselves. Without clear regulation and strict oversight bad actors can, and have, used abusive short-selling to do real harm to the working-class people who put their hard-earned money into the market with hopes that they can one day retire comfortably. Any and all efforts to force market participants to regularly and accurately report their lending practices are a step in the right direction. Thank you for your time.