Albuquerque's Retail Investor Landscape
Albuquerque is Southwest-based financial community. Local retail investors — from professionals and business owners to working families saving for retirement — use discount brokers that route orders to Citadel Securities through PFOF arrangements. These investors receive marginally inferior execution prices on each trade compared to what competitive exchange routing would provide.
How PFOF Affects Albuquerque Investors
When a Albuquerque resident places a stock order on Robinhood, TD Ameritrade, E*Trade, Schwab, or Webull, that order is routed to Citadel Securities through PFOF. Citadel executes the trade, capturing a spread, and pays the broker a per-share fee. The net result for the Albuquerque investor: a slightly worse execution price compared to what a competitive exchange-routed order would achieve.
What Albuquerque Investors Can Do
- Access your broker's SEC Rule 606 report to see how your orders are routed
- Consider switching to Fidelity (no PFOF for equity orders) or Interactive Brokers direct routing
- File a complaint with the New Mexico securities regulator
- Contact the New Mexico Attorney General