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Non-Tech : E*Trade (NYSE:ET) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stanley L Brown who wrote (4430)	1/22/1999 11:20:00 PM
From: Matt Brown	Respond to of 13953

Some Positive ETrade Comments!!! ETrade is going through the same crap as AOL did back when they were having explosive growth. AOL kept advertising, except for a breif time, even thought they couldn't handle it. Etrade is a master marketer. I have a feeling that being as bright as Costakos (sp?) is that he is definitly in the process of expanding. Your revenues can't 60%+ and not need to increase. He knows this. ETrade will contine to thrive. why? 1)Master Marketers/Advertising--They're everywhere. 2)Obvioulsy low prices 3)ETrade is the AOL of online trading--its very easy 4)Unexperienced investors always turn to ETrade because it is a household name 5)many more reasons--don't want to bore the naysayers though! Just go and compare the website of ETrade to other online brokers. They don't even compare. Especially with all of the pluses you get. Plus, remember ETrade will be participating in a lot of IPOs this year. Definite plus for members and a good reason for more people to sign up. Just my .02, Matt

To: Stanley L Brown who wrote (4430)	1/23/1999 10:42:00 AM
From: ecommerceman	Respond to of 13953

Stan, Thanks for your post. I think you're right to this extent--ETrade has very well positioned themselves to take advantage of what you called InterNuttyness, but they would be crazy not to, in my opinion (and, I suspect, yours as well). As for your charge that they're are churning--well, maybe, but the evidence I've seen is that they have an over 95% retention of customers. That may change due to their present difficulties, of course, but where are folks going to go? Ameritrade? I don't think so--they have far worse problems than ETrade. Waterhouse? ditto. There really aren't any on-line brokers that don't have problems, as far as I know (see Gomez post), so your choice is either to go back to Merrill Lynch or stick with an on-line broker that is going through growing pains. And, I guess I should be ashamed of this but I'm not, I'm also an AOL user--the horror, the horror... There's a lot of crap that they offer that I don't use, but I find that their connection to the web is quick and efficient, and that's all I need. Plus, after you've been here a while, it's too much hassle to change--as you noted. I believe that's true for E*Trade as well, which is why I'm staying long. That's not to say that I think they should just blithely ignore their problems, but I understand they're opening a new facility in Georgia to try and address them, and I can't believe that a CEO as smart as Cotsakos is oblivious to them. Anyway, thanks again.

To: Stanley L Brown who wrote (4430)	1/23/1999 1:14:00 PM
From: RetiredNow	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13953

Stanley, you are so correct. That is what I have been telling complainers on this thread for over a year now. The complaints have no correlation to the stock price in today's market. Logic would tell you otherwise, but all bets are off now that inexperienced investors are calling the shots and creating these wild swings in stock prices. You are absolutely right when you say that E-Trade's service and stock are 2 different things. But if my hunch is right, I think E-Trade and most of the Internet crazed stocks still have much more correcting to do. Before the year is out there will be much wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth as they come down from these dizzying heights. :)

To: Stanley L Brown who wrote (4430)	1/23/1999 9:25:00 PM
From: italiana	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 13953

Different Set of Rules, I am learning each day that I use ETrade. I do not use "market" to either sell or buy, I use only "limit." I have noticed that if the bid or ask is at XX dollars, and I go to the "Preview Stock Order" and the current bid or ask is exactly XX dollars and I place an order at market, it will be filled at a different price, and never in my favor. If I use a limit order it always gets filled at that limit. I do not rely on any figures listed by ETrade, such as if I own a number of shares. Sometimes in the "Preview Stock Order" it will be posted that I have XX number of uncommitted shares, or "Our records indicate you may not own these shares." Their records are rarely correct, and ETrade does not care about how the mistake was made. I keep a running record by using excel on all trades, including the number of shares I own. You have to do your own policing and learn from your mistakes. I also enjoy reading about problems other traders experience, and want to learn for their mistakes before I make them. ETrade still has the best game in town. italiana