A Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA)-commissioned study maintains a majority of retail investors prefer electronic delivery (e-delivery) for its environmental benefits, speed and convenience.
The analysis conducted by YouGov involved surveying 1,312 individual investors nationwide between May 16 and May 19, 2022. Those surveyed held at least $5,000 across retirement accounts, college-savings investments, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or a brokerage account.
Per the survey findings, 85 percent of respondents are comfortable with default e-delivery for investor documents in the future, provided they can still opt-in to paper delivery; 79 percent have already chosen e-delivery for at least one type of investor document; and 8 percent want paper copies of all investor documents sent via the mail.
E-delivery proponents maintain the format is safer and more timely than hard-copy mail delivery, enabling investors to review documents in a more user-friendly method, leveraging modern communications technology to create more productive investor engagement.
The survey also revealed, per officials, 79 percent of individual investors indicated e-delivery is an easy way to cut their carbon footprint; 70 percent agree COVID-19 related mail disruptions showed the importance of e-delivery; and roughly half see speed and convenience as primary e-delivery benefits.