2026-01-16 09:31:49

Things have been quite busy lately. The day before yesterday, I visited a leading tech company for research, and then I spent two days running around to brokerages to handle company investment accounts. I’ll share my impressions from there next time. Today, I want to talk about why I suddenly decided to open an account and how I plan to proceed.

**Main Reason**

Having company cash sitting in the bank is really pointless. Last year, the one-year fixed deposit still yielded 1.5%, but this year it has already dropped significantly. Moreover, once the money is locked in a fixed term, early withdrawal is calculated at the savings account interest rate, which is really frustrating. Since my stock investments have been consistently earning double digits annually, rather than letting the company’s funds sit idly in the bank, I’d rather find some more imaginative places to put them.

**About Opening an Account**

I decided to do it right away. First, I applied for an institutional account at a brokerage, bringing all necessary documents. The process is much more complicated than for retail investors. Then, whether it’s basic account opening or applying for permissions for the ChiNext or STAR Market, I had to go through the "dual-record" procedure — listen to the risk warning, then sign and stamp, taking responsibility for the consequences. This whole process took about half a day.

While at the branch, I noticed an interesting phenomenon: most of the people opening accounts on-site were companies or older folks who aren’t very familiar with mobile apps. The branch has only had about ten new clients in the past few months, so it’s quite quiet.

**Market Reality**

Through various sources, I found that although the A-share market looks very lively, the main driving forces are not traditional retail investors. Quant teams, hot money, and various public funds are the main forces supporting the market. Public funds mainly influence the market through explosive growth in industry-themed funds and the expansion of various ETFs. Recently, the A500 ETF warrants are about to be launched, and several large public funds are actively positioning themselves. These details reflect that institutional investors are increasingly dominating the market.

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FOMOmonster

· 10h ago

Bank interest is eaten up by inflation, no wonder there's this fuss Institutional decision-makers, retail investors can only be陪玩 That double recording process is really perfect, bear the consequences yourself haha The branch is so cold, what does that mean Public funds turn away as soon as they enter the market, retail investors are always a step behind

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AmateurDAOWatcher

· 10h ago

Bank fixed deposits are dead; the era of institutional rush has arrived, while retail investors are still dreaming.

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PretendingSerious

· 10h ago

Bank fixed deposits are not as good as just lying flat. Instead of doing that, it's better to directly invest in A-shares, since retail investors also have no say.

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RugDocDetective

· 10h ago

Bank fixed deposits are just so-so; institutional involvement is indeed the main trend. Retail investors should have recognized the reality long ago.

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NotGonnaMakeIt

· 10h ago

The bank's returns are really disappointing, not as flexible as retail investors' operations. Is the process for institutional accounts so complicated? How much effort does it take? Retail investors have long been drained; quantitative funds are the real profit-makers. A quiet branch indicates what? Retail investors have all woken up. Now I finally understand, we're really just playing the role of the backup runner.

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BagHolderTillRetire

· 10h ago

Bank fixed deposits shrinking, I understand that frustrating feeling. But the double-record process for institutional accounts is really annoying, having to sit for half a day listening to risk warnings. --- Currently, the main players in the A-shares market are still institutions; retail investors have long been marginalized. That's a correct point. --- Is the brokerage branch so quiet? It seems offline account opening will eventually be phased out; young people simply don't do it this way. --- Double-digit returns? Not easy in this market, really. But putting all company cash into stocks is something to think carefully about. --- Looking at your pace, researching and opening accounts nonstop, you're busy. I suggest trying a small position first, don't press too hard. --- Public funds' recent layout of A500ETF does send a signal. But don't be fooled by these details; in the end, it all depends on whether your trading logic holds up.

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GasFeeNightmare

· 10h ago

Bank 1.5%? Laughing to death, might as well use it to play with quantification Retail investors have long become the ones running behind; this is the real truth The business department is quiet, indicating that people have all moved on-chain A double-digit annual return is good, but the institutions eating the meat, we can only drink the soup Opening an account is so troublesome, requiring dual recording; I would have voted with my feet if it were before Now A-shares are just a playground for quantification and public funds; we are late to the game It looks lively, but in reality, retail investors are being cut under the guise of harvesting leeks Running to two brokerages in two days, isn't that tiring? It’s better to have a one-click on-chain account that's more comfortable Institutions pushing ETFs in groups, I've seen this tactic too many times Lying in cash at the bank is indeed a waste, but can you get out once you're in? That's the key

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