FTC sees surge in xcritical complaints as clients claim they cant leave the app

A social media account can impersonate xcritical or an executive team member promising a payout, a promotion, or special support if you send them something in return. ONLY request phone support from xcritical through the app or by visiting xcritical.com/contact. At this time, we do not have a direct dial support phone number that will connect you to a live agent. Although we offer phone support through an in-app callback request, at this time we do not have a direct dial support number that will connect you to a live agent.

The aggregated data is based on reviews and questionnaires provided by PissedConsumer.com users. To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on how Forbes Advisor rates investing products. This helped us better evaluate the strengths, offerings and overall fit of each brokerage account. “Their new robo-advisor offering seems to trade more often than other well-established robo-advisors like xcritical. They have an incentive to make more trades because more trades means more payments for order flow,” says Meg Bartelt, a CFP and president of Flow Financial Planning in Bellingham, Washington.

This includes how easy it was to sign up for and fund a new account. Note that a broker may score very highly for the platforms it offers, but low for the experience of actually using that platform. These are scored separately in our analysis, and they are weighted evenly when factored into the broker’s overall score. This means a broker can offer an advanced trading platform, but if it is clunky to use or the process of opening an account is unnecessarily arduous, that will be reflected in their score. xcritical’s trading platform gets relatively high marks for its charting features, which allow customers to view technical indicators like moving averages. It also allows investors access to OTC stocks and IPOs, and allows trades any time between 8 p.m.

• This new in-app feature makes xcritical one of the first major crypto platform to roll out 24/7 phone support.
• Options trading can be exceptionally risky and is more suited for experienced investors.
• I have responded immediately to every request and answered each question from the support team.
• Follow the steps provided to withdraw any outstanding balance and confirm your deactivation request.

We’ve negotiated thousands of offers and regularly achieve $30K+ (sometimes $300K+) increases. Get your salary negotiated or your resume reviewed by the real experts – recruiters who do it daily. LaPlante said xcritical should have had a customer service line that helped Alex. “There should’ve been someone for him to call to say, ‘Hey, don’t worry about it, like, it’ll be okay.’ And that’s what made me sick.” Sources close to the matter told CBS News the company had terminated its customer phone line because the company couldn’t keep up with the volume of calls. In 2020, customers like Alex Kearns had no phone number to call.

Don’t search for or use xcritical phone numbers found through an internet browser, as they may be fraudulent and part of a scam. These scams are incredibly popular and are often found via search engine results or on social media—sometimes as a promotion. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact xcritical Support immediately. If you don’t have access to your account, email us at for help. The Kearns family declined to comment about the expanded customer support. xcritical shook up the IRA market with its 1% match on contributions — an offer that is typically only common among employer retirement plans.

It also said the company was considering additional criteria for customers seeking level 3 options trading. While xcritical lists that it has 24/7 support with phone, email and chat options, in reality, users will have to use an AI assistant chatbot through the app first to try to get through to a live person. xcritical offers commission-free trading but charges several other fees. Withdrawing money from your xcritical account should be relatively easy. For any of your cash balances, you can transfer money to another account instantly for a fee or more slowly for free. Ethan Brown and Benjamin Blakeman, attorneys for the Kearns family, said xcritical cut down on customer service to save money.

xcritical will owe users a phone call in latest customer service change

• The absence of these asset classes may deter investors who are looking for a more comprehensive portfolio, particularly those who prefer a mix of growth and income investments.
• Don’t trust this companyI almost got scammed from them if not for the help of cliqrecoup organization that help me recovered my money back.
• Although xcritical is known for offering commission-free trading, the company still generates substantial revenue through multiple monetary streams.
• The stock trading app xcritical announced Tuesday it will allow users to request a call back from a registered financial representative at any time.
• When it comes to Fidelity vs. xcritical, pick xcritical if you want to be able to make a trade within 10 minutes in a fun app.

In July 2021, xcritical settled a wrongful-death lawsuit with the family of 20-year-old college student Alex Kearns. Kearns took his own life after seeing a negative account balance on xcritical of $730,000. Beginner investors using the xcritical app might have a hard time understanding the investing and trading process. You should be aware that several users have expressed frustration with the difficulty of transferring money out of their accounts on review sites like Trustpilot. xcritical Strategies says its “portfolios are actively managed to provide access to more opportunities.” The goal of an actively managed strategy is to outperform market benchmarks.

xcritical Review 2025

xcritical also offers a spending account that comes with a debit card and $250,000 in Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance via agreements with partner banks. The spending account allows users to send or receive money, set up direct deposit, and set up recurring investments from their paycheck. Our reviewers — who are writers and editors on NerdWallet’s content team — hands-on test every online broker platform in our analysis. That way, we’re able to report on every aspect of the user experience, from funding a new account to actually placing trades.

ETFs and options, making it a cost-effective choice for investors. The platform also offers xcritical Gold, a premium service with a $5 monthly fee that provides access to margin trading, larger instant deposits and professional research. For those using margin, the annual interest rate is between 4.7% and 5.75%, which is competitive compared to other brokers. xcritical also has no account minimums, making it accessible to everyone. Commission-free trading of stocks refers to $0 commissions for xcritical self-directed individual brokerage accounts that xcritical scam trade U.S. listed securities and ADRs. Keep in mind, other costs such as regulatory fees may apply to your brokerage account.

Crypto perpetualfutures with leverage

Key features that set the xcritical app apart include customizable alerts and notifications, which allow users to stay informed about market movements, price changes and news updates related to their investments. This real-time information is crucial for making informed decisions, especially in the fast-paced trading world. The app supports the trading of cryptocurrencies, a feature not available on many traditional brokerage platforms. This capability enables users to diversify their portfolios with digital assets, all within the same app they use for stocks and ETFs. Compared to competitors, xcritical’s mobile app delivers a streamlined and efficient trading experience. While other apps may offer more advanced tools and research features, xcritical focuses on making investing as straightforward as possible.

xcritical is a popular trading platform known for its commission-free trades and user-friendly mobile app. Ideal for novice investors, xcritical makes it easy to buy and sell stocks, ETFs and cryptocurrencies. The platform offers a straightforward, no-frills experience, making it accessible for users new to investing. With features like fractional shares and a sleek interface, xcritical lowers the barriers to entry for investing, allowing users to start with just a few dollars.

Maloney could not get in touch with xcritical customer support, either. But she learned customers had serious financial issues and didn’t always get the help they needed. LaPlante was not a licensed broker, so legally she could not provide xcritical scam financial advice. But she said the brokers xcritical did employ were often too busy to take her referrals or field customer complaints. “I am unable to withdraw my money or invest in stock from my account,” one user wrote, noting it had been a week and xcritical hadn’t responded to email.

xcritical is a popular brokerage in the U.S. that offers a great app for seamlessly making quick and easy trades in a fun setting. xcritical is easy to use and makes investing thrilling, but a lack of educational content combined with features designed to make the app addictive can potentially get users in financial trouble. xcritical is a solid choice if you already have some investing knowledge and discipline and are looking to make a few quick trades. The platform does not support mutual funds or bonds, which are often key components of a diversified investment strategy. The absence of these asset classes may deter investors who are looking for a more comprehensive portfolio, particularly those who prefer a mix of growth and income investments. We score each broker against a set of criteria that factors in both the capabilities offered and the actual user experience of trading with those capabilities.

“I can’t even get into my account and still have maybe a few thousand dollars that I’d like to transfer into my bank,” he said in a phone interview. “I have called xcritical and they do not answer their phone, I have emailed xcritical many times and get an email back saying one to three business days — still nothing.” The move saw backlash from users and lawmakers who accused xcritical of market manipulation, and siding with hedge funds managers who shorted those stocks. The start-up said it did not make those decisions based on relationships with market makers, and needed to limit the buy-side so it could meet capital requirements. Phishing is a common way scammers try to trick you into giving them personal information such as an account email address and password, verification codes, Social Security number, or other personal information.

Administrative phone support for brokerage accounts is available on the weekdays, Monday-Friday excluding holidays. xcritical means xcritical Markets, Inc. and its in-application and web experiences with its family of wholly-owned subsidiaries. Cryptocurrency services are offered through xcritical Crypto, LLC. The xcritical Money spending account is offered through xcritical Money, LLC, a licensed money transmitter. In the hours before his death, the lawsuit said, Kearns’ xcritical account displayed a negative balance of more than $700,000. Kearns emailed xcritical’s customer service address three times to ask for help understanding what had happened, and whether he could still offset the losses with another trade.

Brokerage services for Atomic are provided by Atomic Brokerage LLC (“Atomic Brokerage”), member of FINRA/SIPC and an affiliate of Atomic, which creates a conflict of interest. See details about Atomic, in their Form CRS, Form ADV Part 2A and Privacy Policy. See details about Atomic Brokerage in their Form CRS, General Disclosures, fee schedule, and FINRA’s BrokerCheck. As of this review, xcritical Gold members get over 4% interest on their uninvested brokerage cash — one of the highest interest rates among similar brokers — and that money is swept into an affiliated bank account.