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Does the Internet Increase Trading? Evidence from Investor Behavior in 401(k) Plans

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  • James J. Choi
  • David Laibson
  • Andrew Metrick

Abstract

We analyze the impact of a Web-based trading channel on the trading activity in two corporate 401(k) plans. Using detailed data on about 100,000 participants, we compare trading growth in these firms to growth for a sample of firms without a Web channel. After 18 months of access, the inferred Web effect is very large: trading frequency doubles, and portfolio turnover rises by over 50 percent. We also document several patterns of Web-trading behavior. Young, male, and wealthy participants are more likely to try the Web channel. Frequent traders (before Web introduction) are less likely to try the Web. Participants who try the Web tend to stick with it. Web trades tend to be smaller than phone trades both in dollars and as a fraction of portfolio. Short-term' trades make up a higher proportion of phone trades than of Web trades.

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  • James J. Choi & David Laibson & Andrew Metrick, 2000. "Does the Internet Increase Trading? Evidence from Investor Behavior in 401(k) Plans," NBER Working Papers 7878, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:7878
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    Cited by:

    1. Ulrike Malmendier & Stefan Nagel, 2011. "Depression Babies: Do Macroeconomic Experiences Affect Risk Taking?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 126(1), pages 373-416.
    2. Harrison Hong & Jeffrey D. Kubik & Jeremy C. Stein, 2001. "Social Interaction and Stock-Market Participation," NBER Working Papers 8358, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Md Miran Hossain & Babak Mammadov & Hamid Vakilzadeh, 2022. "Wisdom of the crowd and stock price crash risk: evidence from social media," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 709-742, February.
    4. Kuwayama, Mikio, 2001. "E-commerce and export promotion policies for small- and medium-sized enterprises: East Asian and Latin American experiences," Comercio Internacional 4351, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    5. Christophe Boucher, 2003. "Stock Market Valuation : the Role of the Macroeconomic Risk Premium," Finance 0305011, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Gene D'Avolio & Efi Gildor & Andrei Shleifer, 2001. "Technology, information production, and market efficiency," Proceedings - Economic Policy Symposium - Jackson Hole, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, pages 125-160.
    7. Chan, Terence & Watson, Iain & Wee, Marvin, 2005. "The impact of the Internet on earnings announcements," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 263-300, June.
    8. Paul Willman & Mark Fenton‐O'Creevy & Nigel Nicholson & Emma Soane, 2006. "Noise Trading and the Management of Operational Risk; Firms, Traders and Irrationality in Financial Markets," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(6), pages 1357-1374, September.
    9. Richard H. Thaler & Shlomo Benartzi, 2004. "Save More Tomorrow (TM): Using Behavioral Economics to Increase Employee Saving," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 112(S1), pages 164-187, February.
    10. Julie Agnew & Pierluigi Balduzzi & Annika Sundén, 2003. "Portfolio Choice and Trading in a Large 401(k) Plan," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(1), pages 193-215, March.
    11. Daniel, Kent & Hirshleifer, David & Teoh, Siew Hong, 2002. "Investor psychology in capital markets: evidence and policy implications," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 139-209, January.
    12. Brad M. Barber & Terrance Odean, 2001. "The Internet and the Investor," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 15(1), pages 41-54, Winter.

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    JEL classification:

    • D0 - Microeconomics - - General
    • G0 - Financial Economics - - General

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