[tree3]

> I think they have really democratized stock trading

How does "free" = "democratizing"? Stocks have been easily accessible for years to retail investors.

> their presence pushed a lot of big players to adopt the same offering

Misleading, big brokers were already going down this path.

[robjan]

How much did it cost to place a trade for a $100 stock previously? RH definitely helped more people gain access to directly trading shares on the stock market, regardless of whether or not they were responsible in doing so.