Commonwealth sought to further understand the experiences of Black, Hispanic, and Latinx investors in a six-month study through observational field research with a self-directed investing platform. This project involved 472 participants, focusing particularly on households earning LMI (under $80,000). Participants were given seed funding, created accounts on the self-directed investing platform, and participated in surveys and interviews about their experiences. They self-reported their experience with investing, with the majority saying they were first-time investors.

These learnings are relevant to all investing platforms seeking to expand their investing communities and improve access for people earning LMI.