This should be a BIG RED FLAG that you are the product and not the customer. In general, if you aren't paying, they have no interest in keeping you happy.
For regular purchases, most large brokerages don't charge commissions these days on most purchases. Not a particular fan of RH but the fact that they don't charge commissions isn't any more of a flag than in the case of Fidelity.
They skim a little bit off each trade, but in a way that doesn't cost the consumer more than the sticker price. It's basically a commission and every broker does it, so no red flag.
Depends on which broker. But generally it's somewhere around a penny so for most trades even if you're paying more per stock it's a better deal than even a very cheap direct commission.
Obviously brokerages still make money in lots of ways such as low interest on cash accounts, fees on their own mutual funds, etc. But the point is that there's noting unique about RH not charging commissions.
This should be a BIG RED FLAG that you are the product and not the customer. In general, if you aren't paying, they have no interest in keeping you happy.