E*Trade: Too much, too soon?

E*Trade's trading functions went down temporarily today for the third day in a row and frustrated users say they can't get through to the company to find out what's happened to their accounts. Meanwhile, New York State's attorney general has launched an investigation into online trading, and four congressmen have sent a letter to the Securites and Exchange asking for clarification of the regulations affecting this nascent industry. Is the desire for market share causing havoc for Net users?

Problems hit E*Trade for third day For the third day in a row, investors are unable to trade through the online brokerage--and the New York attorney general is investigating. Quest for market share has fallout news analysis As the recent service problems at E*Trade show, Internet companies race to snare customers, but then often can't serve them. Congressmen ask SEC about Net trading Four Democrats express concerns about whether online brokerages have the capacity to keep up with demand. They may seek congressional hearings on the matter.