Mar. 12, 2023
To Whom It May Concern: As a household investor, I yearn to see those with the most power -- who take advantage of rules and explicitly break them only to be handed insignificant fines that they can budget for as the cost of doing business -- held to a 'the punishment fitting the crime' standard. Every rule the SEC passes is only as good as the enforcement that backs it. I want to see higher fines that actually serve as a significant deterrent and, in cases where it's warranted, legitimate legal ramifications. I deeply support any effort to reduce the speed or straight up dismantle the speed games and high frequency algorithms that damage the integrity, credibility, and functioning of American markets for all investors. I am in support of efforts to reduce the 'farming' of individuals' orders for rebate money, PFOF and the like, and hope to see it effectively eliminated from our markets. Advantages given to the few work in complete opposition to the concept of "fair markets". I fully support rules like this one that bring more light and transparency to dark markets. The investing public should be able to trust that buying and selling a security legitimately yields truer price discovery and that their decision to buy or sell will move the ticker with pressure in the correct direction. The parties involved, like Citadel and its various entities, have very clear conflicts of interest. They exercise extreme influence on the markets as both a market maker and hedge fun, not to mention being the NYSE's biggest customer, and I am concerned that that influence will infect the ability of some participants to objectively review these rules. Furthermore, I see Citadel as a profiteering middleman, and desire to see that position yeeted out of existence. Competition is good. I thank the SEC for its efforts to bring fairness and justice to our markets with rules like this one. Thank you, A Concerned American Investor