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

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: 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: 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.  Here are a few…
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. The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help teachers make informed investment decisions, including about 403(b) and 457(b) plans -- tax-advantaged retirement savings programs often offered to teachers of public educational institutions.  More information for teachers is available in our A Guide for Teachers: Saving and Investing for K-12 Educators.
CategoryCorporation Finance
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 enc
CategoryCorporation Finance
Enforcement
Investment Management
Trading and Markets

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

Investor Bulletin: Publicly Traded Business Development Companies (BDCs)

Sep 25, 2020
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

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. Some important features of interval funds are:                                                              
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

Relationship Summaries (Form CRS or Form ADV Part 3): Investor Bulletin

Aug 6, 2020
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors information about the customer or client “relationship summary” (also called Form CRS and Form ADV Part 3) that broker-dealers and investment advisers are required to provide when they offer services to retail investors.
CategoryInvestment Management

Updated Investor Bulletin: Indexed Annuities

Jul 31, 2020
The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this bulletin to educate investors about indexed annuities. Indexed annuities are complex products. Investors should carefully read the indexed annuity contract, and any prospectus, before deciding whether to buy the annuity.
CategoryInvestment Management

Leveraged Loan Funds – Investor Bulletin

Nov 20, 2019
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors information about funds that invest in leveraged loans. As with any investment, we urge you to make sure you understand these products and their risks before investing.
CategoryInvestment Management

Investor Bulletin: How to Select an Investment Professional

Jul 1, 2019
Choosing an investment professional is an important decision. This updated Investor Bulletin provides a few key tips to help you make a well-informed choice. A number of questions you should consider asking before you hire an investment professional are in our investor bulletin “Questions to Ask When Hiring an Investment Professional.” Should you have any questions for us, feel free to call our toll-free investor assistance line at 1-800-SEC-0330 or use our online question web form at https://www.sec.gov/oiea/QuestionsAndComments.html.
CategoryInvestment Management

Updated Investor Bulletin: How to Check Out Your Investment Professional

May 29, 2019
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this investor bulletin to explain how to check out an investment professional’s registration status and background.
CategoryInvestment Management

Investor Bulletin: Variable Life Insurance

Oct 30, 2018
The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about variable life insurance and how it works. This bulletin provides a general description of variable life insurance. The features of each policy may vary by product and by state.
CategoryInvestment Management

Updated Investor Bulletin: Variable Annuities

Oct 30, 2018
The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about variable annuities and how they work.
CategoryInvestment Management

Investor Bulletin: Smart Beta, Quant Funds and other Non- Traditional Index Funds

Aug 6, 2018
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to inform investors about features and potential risks of non-traditional index funds.
CategoryInvestment Management

Investor Bulletin: Index Funds

Aug 6, 2018
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors basic information about index funds.
CategoryInvestment Management

Investor Bulletin: Investment Clubs

Mar 20, 2018
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to answer some common questions investors ask us about investment clubs.
CategoryInvestment Management