Publicly Traded Business Development Companies (BDCs): Investor Bulletin

Dec 13, 2024
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors information about business development companies, or BDCs, that are traded on national securities exchanges. It is important to understand them before investing.
CategoryInvestment Management

Non-Publicly Traded Business Development Companies (BDCs): Investor Bulletin

Dec 13, 2024
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors with information about business development companies, or BDCs, whose shares are not traded on national securities exchanges. It is important to understand them before investing. Learn more about BDCs whose shares are traded on national securities exchanges at Publicly Traded Business Development Companies (BDCs): Investor Bulletin.
CategoryInvestment Management

Money Market Funds:  Investor Bulletin 

Nov 4, 2024
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help educate investors about money market funds. 
CategoryInvestment Management

Technology and Digital Finance: World Investor Week 2024 — Investor Bulletin

Oct 7, 2024
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC’s) Office of Customer Education and Outreach, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), the National Futures Association (NFA), and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) are issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors with information for World Investor Week 2024, a global campaign promoted by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) to raise awareness about…
CategoryCorporation Finance
Enforcement
Investment Management
Trading and Markets

Exchange-Traded Products (ETPs) Providing Exposure to Bitcoin and Ether – Investor Bulletin

Sep 9, 2024
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) urges investors to weigh carefully the potential risks and benefits if considering any investment product that provides exposure to the price of bitcoin or ether. Investors should understand that bitcoin and ether are highly speculative investments. This includes when exposure is gained through an exchange-traded product (ETP). Investors should consider the volatility of the price of bitcoin and ether.
CategoryCorporation Finance
Investment Management
Trading and Markets

Investor Resilience, Crypto Assets, and Sustainable Finance: World Investor Week 2023 — Investor Bulletin

Sep 29, 2023
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the National Futures Association (NFA), the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), and the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) are issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors with information about the three themes of World Investor Week 2023, a global campaign promoted by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) to raise awareness about the importance of investor…
CategoryEnforcement
Investment Management
Trading and Markets

Updated Investor Bulletin: An Introduction to ABLE Accounts

Sep 15, 2023
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about ABLE accounts.
CategoryInvestment Management

Subscription-based Advisory Fees: Investor Bulletin

Sep 6, 2023
An increasing number of investment advisers are charging clients subscription-based fees, rather than more traditional asset-based fees, for their investment management services. Many of these advisers are robo-advisers who market their services to new investors who may not yet have an investment account or may only have a small amount to invest. The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors, especially new investors, about these types of fees.
CategoryInvestment Management

Updated Investor Bulletin: 10 Questions to Consider Before Opening a 529 Account

Aug 31, 2023
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to answer questions that may arise when investing in a 529 plan account. Please also see our companion Bulletin, An Introduction to 529 Plans, for background information on the plans.
CategoryInvestment Management

Updated Investor Bulletin: An Introduction to 529 Plans

Aug 31, 2023
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors with background information on 529 plans. Please also see our companion Bulletin for a few questions to consider before opening a 529 plan account.
CategoryInvestment Management

Updated Investor Bulletin: Leveraged and Inverse ETFs

Aug 29, 2023
The SEC staff and FINRA are issuing this Alert because we believe individual investors may be confused about the performance objectives of leveraged and inverse exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
CategoryInvestment Management

Updated Investor Bulletin: Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)

Feb 23, 2023
This Investor Bulletin discusses only ETFs that are registered as open-end investment companies or unit investment trusts under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). It does not address other types of exchange-traded products that are not registered under the 1940 Act, such as exchange traded commodity funds or exchange-traded notes.
CategoryInvestment Management

Investment Adviser Advertisements

Nov 8, 2022
In recent years there have been changes in the technology used for communications between advisers and clients/prospective clients, the expectations of investors shopping for advisory services, and the nature of the investment advisory industry. The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help investors understand what to expect in advertisements from advisers, especially in online reviews or on social media, in this changed landscape.
CategoryInvestment Management

Investor Resilience – World Investor Week 2022: Investor Bulletin

Oct 3, 2022
For World Investor Week 2022, investors, investment professionals, teachers, parents, researchers, and others are encouraged to make a special effort to promote investor resilience and sustainable finance.
CategoryCorporation Finance
Enforcement
Investment Management
Trading and Markets

Investor Bulletin: Performance Claims

Sep 15, 2022
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about investment performance claims.  If you are in the market for an investment, you will likely come across sales and marketing materials that describe an investment’s performance.  You should know that performance information can be presented in many different ways.  Before making a decision, always make sure you understand how any performance claim is calculated and presented – and whether or not the claim is reliable and applies to your particular circumstances.…
CategoryInvestment Management
Trading and Markets

Tips for Teachers: Investing for Retirement -- Updated Investor Bulletin

Jul 18, 2022
As a teacher, you have a number of choices to make when investing for retirement.
CategoryCorporation Finance
Enforcement
Investment Management
Trading and Markets

Investor Bulletin: Fund Liquidation

Dec 17, 2021
The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this bulletin to help investors understand what happens when a fund closes and distributes its assets, or “liquidates.”  
CategoryInvestment Management

Key Topics for World Investor Week 2021: Investor Bulletin

Oct 4, 2021
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the National Futures Association (NFA), and the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) are issuing this Investor Bulletin to highlight some key topics for World Investor Week 2021, a global campaign to raise awareness about the importance of investor education and protection.  From October 4-10, 2021, investors, investment professionals, teachers, parents, researchers, and others are encouraged to make a special…
CategoryCorporation Finance
Enforcement
Investment Management
Trading and Markets

Funds Trading in Bitcoin Futures – Investor Bulletin

Jun 10, 2021
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC’s) Office of Customer Education and Outreach (OCEO) urge investors considering a fund with exposure to the Bitcoin futures market to weigh carefully the potential risks and benefits of the investment. Among other things, investors should understand that Bitcoin, including gaining exposure through the Bitcoin futures market, is a highly speculative investment. As such, investors should consider the volatility of Bitcoin and the Bitcoin futures…
CategoryInvestment Management

Investor Bulletin: Characteristics of Mutual Funds and Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)

Apr 2, 2021
The Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about mutual funds and ETFs. This Investor Bulletin discusses only ETFs that are registered as open-end investment companies or unit investment trusts under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”). It does not address other types of exchange-traded products that are not registered under the 1940 Act, such as exchange traded commodity funds or exchange-traded notes.
CategoryInvestment Management

Investor Bulletin: Mutual Fund Conversion to Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)

Apr 2, 2021
Some mutual funds have announced plans to convert to ETFs. ETFs are similar to mutual funds. They both are pooled investment vehicles that invest in a variety of investments, but they are structured differently. The Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about certain considerations in connection with these conversions.
CategoryInvestment Management

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Funds – Investor Bulletin

Feb 26, 2021
Funds such as mutual funds and ETFs that focus on environmental, social, and governance principles (ESG Funds) have gained popularity with investors over time. Investors may hear about these funds from financial professionals, from investment-focused online sites, or even from popular media. The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this bulletin to educate investors about ESG Funds, including important questions to ask if considering whether investing in them is right for you.  
CategoryInvestment Management

Investor Bulletin: Interval Funds

Sep 25, 2020
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors information about interval funds. Interval funds are legally classified as closed-end funds, a type of investment company, but they have some distinctive features that make them different from typical closed-end funds.
CategoryInvestment Management

Investor Bulletin: Publicly Traded Closed-End Funds

Sep 25, 2020
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors information about closed-end funds that are traded on national securities exchanges. It is important to understand them and their risks before investing.  
CategoryInvestment Management

How to Use the Investment Professional Search Tool on Investor.gov

Aug 6, 2020
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to show investors how to use Investor.gov’s free and easy search tool to help you check out brokers and investment advisers.  Always research an investment professional—including confirming they are registered and whether they’ve had any disciplinary events—before deciding to work with them. 
CategoryInvestment Management