E*Trade Outage Map

Community Discussion

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E*Trade Issues Reports

Latest outage, problems and issue reports in social media:

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  ꧁༒𝕵𝖆𝖓𝖎𝖙𝖗𝖊𝖝 𝕽𝖔𝖈𝖐𝖘™ ༒꧂ (@NyxVespa) reported 14 seconds ago

  @etrade put a restriction on my account. No phone call nothing and I didn’t figure out til l this morning. I have $45k in market value of options open. They won’t even let me close.. it’s been 2 hours into trading desk. But margin team isn’t client facing? Traders shouldn’t That scenario is an absolute nightmare for any options trader, and the frustration is entirely justified. When a brokerage locks down an account with open risk—especially 45kinoptionswheretimedecay( \theta $) and volatility shifts can destroy premium by the minute—being frozen out is incredibly stressful. The tweet cuts off right where Sham was likely going to say "Traders shouldn’t be treated this way" or "Traders shouldn't have their hands tied when managing live risk." Here is a breakdown of what is likely happening behind the scenes, why the margin team operates this way, and the exact steps a trader can take to break through that wall. Why Brokerages Lock Accounts and Hide the Margin Team When an account is placed in "liquidation-only" status or fully restricted without notice, it is almost always triggered by automated risk management algorithms rather than human malice. The Non-Client Facing Margin Wall: The "margin team" or risk department at major brokerages like E*TRADE (Morgan Stanley) is intentionally walled off from direct client phone lines. They are back-office analysts whose sole job is protecting the firm from catastrophic clearing risk. They communicate only through internal tickets to the frontline trading desk. The "Closing Only" Trap: Usually, a restriction allows a trader to at least reduce risk by closing positions. However, if the system is completely blocking closing orders, it usually means the account has hit a severe threshold: Collateral Miscalculation: An unmapped exercise or assignment over the weekend that the automated system thinks the account cannot financially support. Pin Risk / Maintenance Spike: A sudden spike in the maintenance margin requirement for complex, multi-leg options spreads. Compliance or Fraud Hold: A sudden administrative freeze (e.g., identity verification or anti-money laundering triggers) which unfortunately freezes all trading operations simultaneously. Actionable Steps to Break Through the Trading Desk If a trader finds themselves trapped on the phone with a general customer service representative while their $45k position is exposed to the market, they need to bypass the standard script immediately. Demand a "Licensed Series 7/57 Broker": General phone reps do not have the licensing or authority to manually override a risk management block. The trader needs to explicitly state: "I have open, unhedged options risk decaying right now. Route me immediately to a licensed Derivatives or Elite Trading Desk broker." Request a "Broker-Assisted Closing Order": If the online platform blocks a closing trade, a licensed broker on the trade desk often has the technical capability to manually push a closing liquidation order directly through their internal terminal, bypassing the consumer frontend restriction. Establish a Paper Trail for Financial Damages: If the firm's system prevents risk mitigation, the financial loss accumulates. The trader should clearly state on the recorded line: "I am attempting to close my positions to mitigate risk and minimize losses. Your system is preventing me from doing so. Please note the current timestamp and asset prices for the record." This documentation is vital for filing a subsequent dispute or FINRA arbitration claim for restitution.

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  Charlie Harper (@CharlieBHarper) reported 2 minutes ago

  @etrade A day or so after the initial exchange, I got a call from someone at @etrade. He immediately asked me to give him personally identifiable information. This is one of the worst practices across multiple industries that is helping propagate identify theft. It needs to be banned.

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  max2205 (@max2205) reported 2 minutes ago

  @wallstengine i bet mostly @etrade accounts that can't stand their new trading platform which they refuse to fix after 6 months released

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  suresh panara (@PanaraSuresh) reported 3 minutes ago

  @etrade how do I reach you from India? Any email support?

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  IPODave (@IPODave) reported 5 minutes ago

  @AccessIPOs @etrade @MorganStanley Yes have to give them credit - they fix their IPO process and are doing a much better job w allocations. I've been complaining since 2016 about how they restrict setting up trades pre open but after a rocky last few years they solved that problem too.

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  Sandstone Capital (@SandstoneStox) reported 7 minutes ago

  @JRIGWM @etrade Understandable and that’s frustrating no doubt. I’m certain Morgan Stanley holds everyone’s dividend payment overnight so they make money lending it to other institutions with USD LIBOR just like banks do maybe file a complaint with the SEC?🤷

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  Nota Gaylib (@dfdfdfd243799) reported 8 minutes ago

  @etrade Fix your ******* power etrade web app... everything is frozen. I am losing money. #etrade

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  GF Vault (@GfVault) reported 10 minutes ago

  Based on my experience, I would strongly advise anyone against opening an account with @etrade or @MorganStanley. Nearly $10,000 restricted, legitimate payments reversed, two promised deadlines broken, 15+ calls, and still no explanation, timeline, or accountable person.

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  Middat Yildiz (@middatyildiz) reported 10 minutes ago

  @etrade is having feed error issues. $MU $WDC $SPCX $GS @GoldmanSachs

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  Edmund J. Janas (@slumbum) reported 16 minutes ago

  @ETRADE @MorganStanley Froze all my accounts, including Social Security, over a $118 overdraft. Blocked me from linking outside funds to fix it. Phone and chat both dead ends today. Need funds for food and meds. Zero urgency/care Twenty years a customer. I need this resolved.

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  Lyle Alzado (@LyleMAlzado) reported 16 minutes ago

  @etrade Etrade is down again

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  Global Contrarian Energy Construct ™ 𓃵 🏹 ♨ 𓂀 (@BakkenShale) reported 17 minutes ago

  --- Never trade on $MS @etrade its the worst trading platform I've ever seen. It was better 10 years ago.

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  Javier Gonzalez (@JavierHustle) reported 22 minutes ago

  @etrade Etrade=Bad News...zero customer service. Their interests are their own, not yours ******PICK A BETTER BROKER*******

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  Crispin Cowan 🇺🇦 (@CrispinCowan0) reported 28 minutes ago

  @ChrisCyberBTC @etrade How is BTC not Crypto? What is the book value of BTC, besides whatever the greater fools will pay for it? What are the fundamentals that would tell the market that BTC should go up or down? Or is it, as I suspect, just more fashionista bullshit, price 100% determined by fools?

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  More Life Global (@richbydemand) reported 28 minutes ago

  @Kslaze @etrade This **** is on purpose I’m convinced. When a big move is made and they owe a lot of money suddenly the site is down and you can’t fulfill orders. Not the first time this has happened to me. Every time I’m up huge they glitch. Such bullshit. Moving my money after this