Requesting Investor Account Data from the SEC
Summary
The note considers how to obtain historical counts of new investor accounts for sentiment research. The researcher seeks figures for several major stock market indices after finding that commercial financial databases did not provide the desired series. The suggested route is to search SEC documents first, then submit a Freedom of Information Act request or contact the agency if the records are not publicly available. The response explains that the SEC receives account-related information from broker-dealers and may be able to release relevant records.
This is a data-acquisition suggestion rather than a dataset citation or documented outcome. It supplies no evidence that the SEC holds comparable counts for each requested market, that the records are public, or that the figures can be obtained at a useful frequency or level of detail. The answer itself cautions that access and granularity may be limited. Researchers should verify jurisdiction, definitions, time coverage, and release conditions before treating any obtained series as comparable sentiment inputs.
Key ideas
- The response suggests searching SEC documents for investor account records.
- If public documents do not contain the data, a FOIA request or agency contact is proposed.
- The suggestion rests on the SEC receiving account information from broker-dealers.
- The note does not confirm availability, granularity, market coverage, or comparability of the data.
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Full text
# Where to find historical time series data for number of new investor accounts # Where to find historical time series data for number of new investor accounts I am examining the impact of investor sentiment on the probability of stock market crises. I am constructing a composite measure of investor sentiment according to the methodology used in this paper http://121.192.176.75/repec/upload/201312051625034821.pdf One of the variables used in the composite index is the "number of new investor accounts" - top of page 6. This paper uses data for the Shanghai composite index and the Shenzhen Index. I am looking for data on the number of new investor accounts for the S&P 500, FTSE 100, NIKKEI 225, S&P/TSX and the ASX 200. I have searched Bloomberg and datastream but cannot find anything. Any suggestions on where I might find such data would be great. Thanks. ## Answer by Ted Taylor of Life (score 2, accepted) https://quant.stackexchange.com/a/28131 I think you best bet is calling up/emailing the SEC and asking to request some records from them. > First, do a search. https://www.sec.gov/search/search.htm > "Search SEC Documents" for what you seek and if not, request the records with a FOIL Request. Request the docs from them using the " Freedom of Information Act " if it does not come up, call them and see if they can release the information you seek because they get the information about new accounts from broker-dealers. . --https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/34-44992.htm > Below is where you go if what you seek is not coming up where you searched through the document above because it may be non-public. -https://www.sec.gov/oso/foia-freq-docs-custom-list-page** -Phone number FOIA Office phone: (202) 551-7900 ****You will not be able to get as granular as you like unless you get approval from them meaning they know you will not do anything that is against foil law with it. ======================================================================== Good Luck!
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