Simplex Investments Reviews

Current Employee – been working at Simplex Investments full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – Full IT staff in office, wonderful help desk. Top notch equipment available, and we hold weekly meetings about what other tools we could use throughout the trading day. Profit sharing, monthly performance bonuses. Daily Lunch included.

Cons – Just like any other company in the business: Fast paced and stressful. I come in to do as I'm expected: Make money. If you can't make money, you're not going to have a good time.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Simplex Investments full-time for more than a year

Pros – The management is cool and the developers are extremely talented and friendly. The prop software they have developed is nothing but the best.

ONLY go here if you back your own account.

Cons – Sadly, that's where the pros stop. I spent some time here a while back and the traders who work here are a despicable bunch. I couldn't believe the amount of trash talk and obvious backstabbing that was actually allowed. They want trading ideas, but when you provide them, someone else takes your idea and claims it as their own, and gives you no credit whatsoever. They also love to leave their email chat up just so you can see them talk about you behind their back. A fine way to develop trust between coworkers.

There's NO upward mobility and the turnover rate is astounding. Look at prior reviews. Every graduating class they bring in new traders just to let them go (conveniently right before bonus time) as the next wave of college grads come in. You think that many reviews could be wrong? They aren't. The pay is also insulting; you could easily find another trading firm that will ON AVERAGE pay you double. Be wise and look elsewhere.

Oh, and forget about their business outlook. Once they can't get any more speed, this place is toast.

No matter how pretty you wrap your lump of coal under your Xmas tree, it's still a lump of coal.

Advice to Senior Management – The training program is worse than awful, it's nonexistent. I was put with some incompetent fool who had no social skills. If this firm wants to be successful, hire some senior traders who aren't narcissistic and who actually have trading experience, or better yet, TRAIN your new employees.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend – I'm not optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Simplex Investments full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – Fast paced, exciting work environment. Talented and dedicated employees (in all areas: trading, development, support). The company is committed to attaining excellence in everything it does. Employees share in the firms success and are motivated to contribute to the growth of the firm. Very strong company culture and great benefits.

Cons – Like any job in the trading industry it can be stressful and management expects high levels of contribution and dedication from employees. However, employees maintain work/life balance.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Former Employee – worked at Simplex Investments full-time for less than a year

Pros – You get to learn trading. They have a basic training program that walks you through the fundamentals of derivatives trading. Some (emphasis on some) staff are helpful.

Cons – Terrible salary. No upward mobility. Management has temper tantrums all the time. Extremely stressful work environment. Low employee morale. They also lied to me about the compensation structure during my interview.

Advice to Senior Management – Treat employees with more respect, pay traders what they are worth.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Simplex Investments

Pros – You learn the basics of options trading and get hands on experience. Young and less bureaucratic work environment. Teaches you that trading retail options is usually a bad idea.

Cons – Low starting salary without benefits and no contract. They give a bonus to one person and it was a gift certificate for 100 dollars. There is no future in working here as the options are moving to penny spread.

Advice to Senior Management – Since the margins are so low and it is not economical to pay options traders sufficiently maybe it's better to for go the opportunity and not pillage naive recent graduates.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Simplex Investments

Pros – Fast Paced, excellent culture, free lunch and drinks, got to learn a lot.

Cons – Small company that has just started to grow.

Former Employee – worked at Simplex Investments

Pros – Catered lunch and decent health benefits.

Cons – This company has a reputation for hire and fire. People are hired with very high expectations, placed under an extreme degree of pressure, and are then fired within months. If you are lucky enough to make it to bonus season, well, don't expect to be wowed. If you are unlucky enough to be in the crossfire when things are going wrong you WILL be screamed at (and we're talking borderline abusive). There are MANY MANY trading firms in the Chicago area. If you've got talent you should really do your homework and talk to firms other than Simplex. Not only will you be compensated better, but, you will be happier in an environment that is more respectful of it's employees.

Advice to Senior Management – It's really common sense that people do not like to work under the kind of pressure that is common practice at Simplex. Treat people with respect. Pay people what their experience is worth. Stop the whole hire and fire practice!

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Simplex Investments

Pros – Good pay, Good location, Good benefits

Cons – 1)They apply for your H1-B only after u have worked for 3 months. Basically u have a chance of getting fired between the 3 mnths
2) Training is hard
3) THE Biggest
I joined the company right after i graduated from college, campus hire and i was laid off with the rest of all the new hires in exactly 4 weeks. 4 WEEKS. No prior notice, no benefits given , NOTHING. Called us to the conference table (18 of us) and just told us in 5 min , u guys r laid off. Please leave .
 Even if u dont have another job, DO NOT JOIN

Advice to Senior Management – Please do not hire so many ppl when u plan to lay them off in a month.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Simplex Investments

Pros – Salary was ok, as well as the benefits.

Cons – Unstable working environment
No room for progress
High turnover rate

Advice to Senior Management – Give more support to new employees
Better management of workload, projects and employees

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Simplex Investments

Pros – Catered Lunch
Snacks and drinks
Hard working co-workers

Cons – Having worked at other trading companies in the area, I would rank Simplex in the bottom quartile of trading companies in the area. Most good companies in the Chicago area cater lunch.

Unprofessional management (you can be screamed at almost anytime for any reason), bad compensation structure, practically no career advancement opportunities.

If you are serious about learning (technology/trading) and being compensated for your contributions - look else where. You will be better off almost anywhere else.

Advice to Senior Management – Create a more professional work environment or, get used to employees resigning in the first 2 months.

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend