To minimize costs and maximize security and efficiency for our customers, our regulators, and our staff, GFM handles almost all signed documents using paperless digital signatures. As a platform, we have chosen Adobe Sign, which is similar to its more widely used competitor DocuSign. In the future, we may see increasing use of open digital signature platforms using blockchain technology.
We understand e-business, including digital signatures on electronically signed documents, are now widely accepted in many legal jurisdictions around the world, and the acceptance of digital signatures is growing as governments realize that digital signatures are much harder to forge than wet ink signatures. In Hong Kong, you can read more about the Electronic Transactions Ordinance here and in the FAQ.
Some of the brokerage and custodian firms we use outside the United States still require some paper documents and wet signatures to open accounts, but we are pleased to report that GFM is 100% paperless for US accounts, including IRAs.
Photo credit: Massachusetts Historical Society