Our brokerage firms are supposed to insure that we obtain "good delivery" of the shares we purchase. They often fail to do so however markers for the shares we purchase do appear in our accounts and the brokerage firm remains liable for those shares. Placing an order to sell those shares supposedly then prevents our brokerage firms from lending them to others. If you took the time to listen to the presentation "Rotten to the Core" I posted last night you would soon realize just how fraud filled our markets are. A few brokerage firms have been caught and fined but the criminals have not been prosecuted just like the financial crisis of 2008. When you have an extra few minutes I suggest all watch the video.
The speech itself was delivered in 2011 which in itself is telling. Go IPIX!!!