By alphaspirit.it @Shutterstock

As you know, Robinhood offers online traders an easy way to invest in stocks like GameStop. But did you know it makes itโ€™s money from PFOP or payment for order flow?

What PFOP means is that Robinhood sells its own customer trading data to outsidersโ€”those more than willing to pay for it. Why you might ask? Follow the money.

A hedge fund might want to know what the order flow looks like on a specific stock and bet for or against it. Itโ€™s like sitting at the poker table and they see everyoneโ€™s hand. Itโ€™s basically a legal way (I guess) to show them the money.

Donโ€™t let that be you. Itโ€™s yet another reason why I like doing business with my favored custodian Fidelity Investments. Itโ€™s order execution is second to none and it doesnโ€™t sell your order flow to some outside predators. You know the guy looking to take your money, and your house, and move you into a van down by the river!

Read here why Fidelity is #1.

Action Line: Make sure youโ€™re aligned with a big boy brokerage platform like Fidelityโ€™s. As you know, investing isnโ€™t always fun and games.

P.S. Did you know actor/writer Bob Odenkirk, Saul the lawyer in Breaking Bad, wrote this skit โ€œMatt Foley: Van Down by the Riverโ€ when he worked at SNL?