According to the Federal Reserve, approximately 80% of American families don’t own stock directly in companies. If you include 401Ks and Mutual Funds, the number hovers around 70%.

The question is why. We have a theory. When Opinion Research Corporation conducted a quantitative survey across the US and asked ideally how much would people want to invest in companies they knew, they average reply was $57 per month. 55% wanted to invest $25.

So if you’re someone who has $25-50 a month to invest, what choices do you have? Put the money in the bank or under the mattress? Truth is, there really are no good choices. And that’s a huge problem.

Even at the lowest transaction fees available today, less than $10, the above numbers don’t make sense given the cost per transaction as a percentage of investment. This fact, that the majority of Americans want to invest low amounts, combined with the difficulty of the standard investment process, may be at the heart of the reason.

That’s why we created our Customer Stock Ownership Plan (CSOP™) technology, to enable people to invest in companies they know and do business with, in just 3 clicks, with no fees to buy or sell stock, with investments starting at $10, regardless of the share price.

While our business is young - we recently launched with NASDAQ earlier this month - our ability to offer ordinary Americans a simple and convenient,  no-cost way to invest, is an idea whose time has come.

Some of us are on our way to the annual Investor Relations (NIRI) Conference in Orlando. We’ll be sharing a booth with our strategic partners at NASDAQ and hosting our own Lunch & Learn Session on Tuesday, June 14^th.

We’re excited to meet and talk with Investor Relations Officers from many of America’s finest companies. For many, this will be the first time they’ve heard about our technology, our Customer Stock Ownership Plan (CSOP.)

Our CSOP technology enables companies to sell their stock directly to their customers right on Facebook, in just 3 clicks. And consumers can invest as little as $10 and pay no fees to buy or sell stock. This is innovative stuff.

Our revolutionary technology represents an enterprise-wide solution, and often requires internal champions from both the IR and marketing sides of the house. This is a unique partnership and it makes what we do particularly cool.

The IR team gets involved because we’re transforming stock ownership into a powerful loyalty currency. We’re taking stock and transforming it into an innovative strategic and competitive weapon, an up until now completely underutilized asset.

The marketing team gets involved because by converting ownership into a branding and loyalty currency, this is the first time marketing has ever had a program that serves as a promotion, while also building brand -- and locking in retention.

So what we like to tell IR executives is that your company’s customers are your customers too.  You hold the keys to the kingdom and can help marketing drive unprecedented value.

And what we like to tell marketing executives is that they’re your shareholders too. And now you have an opportunity to create measurably more valuable customers, and by doing that, for the first time ever, truly own your customer.

Last week, LOYAL3 launched its Customer Stock Ownership Plan (CSOP), a sophisticated technology that enables you to buy stock on Facebook directly from the brands you love, in just 3 clicks, with investments as low as $10, and pay no fees to buy or sell.

It was a wonderful week for all of us. 

Click here to see some of the press coverage.

Click here to see the Opening Bell Ceremony.

Click here to read the press announcement.

Below please find the Opening Remarks from our Chairman and CEO, Barry Schneider. It captures the essence and spirit of what we’re doing and why we do it!

Barry’s speech at The NASDAQ Opening bell, June 2, 2011:

There’s so much to say, I’m here because of some amazing people, who have spent the best part of two years building a technology that will democratize the markets, that will make ownership, for the first time ever, easy and affordable for tens of millions of Americans.

And I’m proud to be here today announcing this partnership with NASDAQ, who understands the power of technology, and who, through our Customer Stock Ownership Plan, our CSOP, will allow public companies to use ownership, stock ownership, to create more loyal and valuable customers.

We will help these public companies scale their loyalty through the combination of our technology, and the power of the web and Facebook.  

We talk about first times, starting next week, people will be able to buy stock from their favorite brands, they’ll be able to buy NASDAQ stock, on NASDAQ’s Facebook page, or their web site, with 3 clicks, for as little as $10, and they will pay no fees. 

This is about empowering people. This is about the American dream of equality and leveling the playing field. 

So I want to take this opportunity to thank our team and everybody who has worked so hard. We have a lot to do.  Thank you for everything.