This business plan introduces E*Trade Securities – a leading edge discount brokerage firm with a difference. E*Trade’s operations are highly automated in a centralized facility with few operating personnel. The result – highly efficient operation with low operating cost. E*Trade will pass this low cost to customers through super-discounted commissions rates – 38 percent less than Schwab’s advertised rates. The rates are the lowest of any nationally advertised discount broker. Even with the lowest rates to attract customers, the company’s profit margins are substantial – because of the high level of automation.

The name “E*Trade” was chosen for the new brokerage as a crisp name, quick to learn and remember, a take-off on today’s popular “Email” word – a name clearly identifying E*Trade as the leading automated broker in the evolving information age. E*Trade is a division of Gateway International Securities, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Trade*Plus, Inc.

Accomplishments:

- As president of RKS: 

- Assembled initial team, seed capital, upstreamed to Robinson Stephens

- Hired key personnel, initial licensing for broker dealer

- Managed regulatory approval, integrated extranet technology integrated with Etrade.