Why restrict/prevent intelligent folks from investment decisions? It's not American.

I should be able to choose the public investments that are right for me and my family. Leveraged and inverse funds are in the public domain and should remain there. Any effort to restrict or hinder my access to use these funds would be unfair and viewed by me as an attempt to keep the benefits of these funds to others. I understand the risks of leveraged and inverse funds, as I do the risks of other financial investments. Again, I do not need or want restrictive measures imposed on my ability to participate in leveraged and inverse funds, and would view it as economic repression.

I oppose changes that would require additional steps to be taken by investors before certain leveraged and inverse ETF's could be traded. These changes are not needed and interfere with the free market. I and other investors are fully capable of researching and understanding investment vehicles. Placing restrictions on such vehicles would not increase knowledge.

This regulation would be disastrous to retail investors who seek to invest in inverse funds to shield themselves from adverse market consequences, for example, by purchasing an inverse index fund as a part of their portfolio when market conditions indicate a market crash could occur, hedging against that outcome. These funds being regulated to this extent will push retail investors towards derivatives to achieve the same results, which are in most cases riskier than inverse ETFs.

1. Leverage to the extreme has gotten us into a lot of financial problems ... people, companies, cities, states, the country as a whole and the world. Mortgages with no money down (total leverage), 5X and 10X leverage bond products sold prior to the 2008 crash or 3X funds for stocks or commodities.

Often, when these investments break down, the issuers get off with a slap on the hand and the investors pay the price.

SO, spend more time watching and punishing the issuers as well as targeting those products with limits on who can buy.

I understand the risks of investing in leveraged funds and would like to continue my investments in the leveraged funds.

United States citizens are the creators and the product of the democratic systems they make. That's a high responsibility, and one which many American are ill-equipped to make. That doesn't mean they ought to lose it. Likewise in finance, regulators ought to take reasonable action to protect Americans, but Americans are ultimately individually responsible to themselves, their families and communities, and their nation.

"A vibrant market is at its best when it works for everyone."

"FINRA provides confidence to participate by safeguarding market integrity."

These two quotes are directly from the main page of your website. If FINRA is interested in protecting investors and providing a level playing field, then this proposed regulation is the very antithesis to that notion.

I have been using leveraged vehicles for myself and for my grandkids as funds to assure we have enough money during our retirement years. To restrict these vehicles at this time would create a real hardship for my retirement and for my grandkids. I don't understand why you are contemplating doing this.

It is Un-American not to permit people to invest freely.