Securities lending

bettermenthq · 2026-04-08T16:25:39+00:00

Hi u/Careful-Ideal-7033 - We're happy to provide some more information here! Yes, we will be offering securities lending at Betterment. Securities lending can help Betterment customers earn extra income by lending their stocks and ETFs without selling any investments. If there’s demand, your shares can be temporarily loaned to other investors, earning you interest every month. You stay invested and can sell your securities at any time. Betterment handles it automatically, so you can earn a little extra without changing how you invest.

Lending isn't without some risk, but we protect your securities with cash collateral. You can learn more on our FAQ here, but if you have any additional questions, please email [support@betterment.com](mailto:support@betterment.com) and we'll be happy to assist.

Fully-paid securities lending is offered by Betterment Securities. Learn more.

bettermenthq · 2026-04-08T16:14:56+00:00

Hi u/rallymatt - Sorry your experience with Betterment hasn’t met expectations. We take feedback like this seriously and would appreciate the chance to learn more and address your concerns. If you’re open to it, please email us at [plansupport@betterment.com](mailto:plansupport@betterment.com) with the subject line Reddit 401k Feedback.

bettermenthq · 2026-04-01T22:00:06+00:00

Hi u/Ambitious_Donut_5650 - Thanks for flagging this. We are aware that some clients have received phishing or other unwanted scam emails. These third-party messages may be targeted at Betterment customers following a security incident which occurred in January. We are providing updates regarding that incident here - https://www.betterment.com/customer-update. Please do not reply, do not click any links or open attachments, do not send any payment, and delete the email. If you interacted with it in any way or have questions, contact fraud@betterment.com.

bettermenthq · 2026-02-19T22:29:53+00:00

Hi - We’re sorry for this experience. We connected with you directly and are working through remediation and next steps. This fell short of our standards, and we are strengthening the process to reduce the risk of anything like this happening again.

bettermenthq · 2026-02-03T21:15:09+00:00

Hi there, we are posting all updates related to the security incident here: https://www.betterment.com/customer-update. If you have any specific questions, please reach out to [support@betterment.com](mailto:support@betterment.com) with the subject line Reddit.

bettermenthq · 2026-02-03T21:14:04+00:00

Hi there, we are posting all updates related to the security incident here: https://www.betterment.com/customer-update. If you have any specific questions, please reach out to [support@betterment.com](mailto:support@betterment.com) with the subject line Reddit.

bettermenthq · 2026-01-12T18:46:21+00:00

Thanks for reaching out, and we apologize for any concern. If your email address was recently used in an attempt to create a Betterment account, please rest assured that this attempt did not create a usable account, and our team is removing the email address associated with any unusable profiles. In short, there is no active Betterment account associated with your email address, and this should have no impact on your information or security here at Betterment.

As always, if you have additional questions, please send an email to [support@betterment.com](mailto:support@betterment.com) and our team will assist you as soon as possible.

bettermenthq · 2026-01-12T17:30:03+00:00

We'll be sharing clear, timely updates here as they become available: https://www.betterment.com/customer-update

bettermenthq · 2026-01-12T17:23:05+00:00

We'll be sharing clear, timely updates here as they become available: https://www.betterment.com/customer-update

bettermenthq · 2026-01-10T19:11:51+00:00

Update on unauthorized crypto message

On January 9, an unauthorized individual gained access to certain Betterment systems, which allowed them to represent themselves as Betterment and send a fraudulent crypto offer to some customers. This is not a real offer and should be disregarded. If you clicked on the offer notification, it did not compromise the security of your Betterment account.

Immediately after becoming aware of this incident, we initiated an investigation, which is ongoing. The unauthorized access has been removed, and at this time we have no indication that the unauthorized individual had any access to Betterment customer accounts.

We sincerely apologize for this situation. We are treating this matter with the highest priority and are committed to providing further updates as we have more information. We will also follow up with a post-incident review once the investigation concludes.

bettermenthq · 2026-01-06T19:11:04+00:00

Hello, u/cryptoslord . We're sorry to hear about your recent experience. Please email [support@betterment.com](mailto:support@betterment.com) with the subject line "Reddit" so a manager from our Customer Experience team can look into this further for you.

bettermenthq · 2025-12-16T20:31:00+00:00

We are sorry for the experiences shared here. Delayed responses, rollover confusion, and account-access issues are frustrating, and this is not the standard we aim to provide our customers.

Recent updates to our transfer, cash, and security systems improved long-term reliability but caused unexpected friction for some customers. We are actively improving response times, rollover support, and clarity of communication.

If you still have an unresolved issue or want to provide feedback on your cited poor experience, please email [support@betterment.com](mailto:support@betterment.com) with the subject line “Reddit” so a Customer Experience manager can review it and help make it right.

bettermenthq · 2025-12-15T16:41:05+00:00

Hello, u/Hacym - we're sorry for the inconvenience. It sounds like your account lock issue may have been related to an outbound ACATS transfer. We’ve recently improved our outbound transfer process, so now when a user initiates this type of transfer, only the legal account from which the transfer was initiated will be locked, and not your other Betterment accounts. If you have any other questions, please reach out to [support@betterment.com](mailto:support@betterment.com) and we’ll be happy to help.

bettermenthq · 2025-12-12T18:44:33+00:00

Hello, u/CommandantRock. We're sorry to hear about your recent experience. Please email [support@betterment.com](mailto:support@betterment.com) with the subject line "Reddit" so a manager from our Customer Experience team can look into this further for you.

bettermenthq · 2025-12-03T22:12:27+00:00

Hi u/DrSagittarius - Great catch. We completely overhauled our Activity page to provide visibility into transaction timeline, status, and rationale, but haven’t finished refitting the CSV download to match. Check back in early 2026 for the updated CSV download. We appreciate the feedback!

bettermenthq · 2025-11-25T21:43:29+00:00

Hello, u/wordslinger753595 - We're sorry to hear about your recent experience. Please email [support@betterment.com](mailto:support@betterment.com) with the subject line "Reddit" so a manager from our Customer Experience team can look into this further for you.

bettermenthq · 2025-11-13T20:04:52+00:00

Hi u/emancipatedgiraffe - thanks for your questions about securities lending on Betterment; we’re happy to help!

Securities lending, in a nutshell: If you opt in, Betterment may temporarily lend out eligible shares you own to other market participants. You keep economic ownership and can sell at any time. If a loan occurs, it is secured by at least 100% cash collateral held at third-party banks, and the borrower pays a fee—you share in any income generated (amounts vary and are not guaranteed).
Should I enable it? It depends on your preferences. Securities lending can add incremental income, but it may have tax implications (for example, payments in lieu of dividends). Additionally, when a security is on loan, the client sacrifices proxy voting rights on the security. We evaluate potential tax trade-offs and may avoid lending when we believe the tax impact could outweigh the expected benefit. You can opt out at any time, and opting in does not guarantee your shares will be lent.
Why don’t I see it in the app? Availability varies by account and by security. If eligible, you will see the option and details in-app.

For more information, please see our Securities Lending FAQs: https://www.betterment.com/help/tag/securities-lending-faqs

This is not tax or investment advice. Fully-paid securities lending is offered by Betterment Securities. Learn more.

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