Amateur trader Yan Qin checks her smartphone for stock reports in New York December 7, 2010. Qin, 40, who describes her strategy as "impulsive," said she recently purchased 300 shares of Bank of America. Though she didn't realize it at the time, the amateur trader likely got a tad better deal on the stock than even the most sophisticated Wall Street traders, as her trade was routed it to a large firm known as a market maker, which sold Qin the stock at a slightly cheaper price. The market maker also paid E*Trade Financial Corp a small stipend, and in return got a chance to profit from what the industry considers "uninformed" trades -- or dumb money, to use the term of art. Picture taken December 7, 2010. To match special report MARKETS/DUMB-MONEY REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS)