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: 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

Natural Disasters and Investment Scams – Investor Alert

Aug 16, 2023
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) urges investors to be on the lookout for scams related to the recent Hawaii wildfires. Bad actors may use natural disasters, including the recent Hawaii wildfires, to lure victims into investment scams.  These frauds may directly target individuals receiving money from insurance companies or other sources.  They can take many forms.
CategoryEnforcement

Investors in the Crypto Asset Markets Should Exercise Caution With Alternatives to Financial Statement Audits: Investor Bulletin

Jul 27, 2023
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, along with the Office of the Chief Accountant, is issuing this Investor Bulletin to alert investors in the crypto asset markets of the risk of relying on audits not conducted following SEC rules and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) standards.
Category

Investor Bulletin: Holding Your Securities

Jul 12, 2023
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) are issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide information on the ways you might be able to hold your securities.
CategoryTrading and Markets

Investor Bulletin: SIPC Protection (Part 1: SIPC Basics)

Jun 7, 2023
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) are issuing two Investor Bulletins to help educate investors about SIPC protection for brokerage accounts. The first Investor Bulletin (“SIPC Basics”) will provide investors with an overview of how SIPC protection works and what it protects, and the second Investor Bulletin (“Filing a SIPC claim”) will provide investors with an overview for how to file a SIPC claim.
CategoryTrading and Markets

Investor Bulletin: SIPC Protection (Part 2: Filing a SIPC Claim)

Jun 7, 2023
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) are issuing two Investor Bulletins to help educate investors about SIPC protection for brokerage accounts. The first Investor Bulletin (“SIPC Basics”) will provide investors with an overview of how SIPC protection works and what it protects, and the second Investor Bulletin (“Filing a SIPC claim”) will provide investors with an overview for how to file a SIPC claim.
CategoryTrading and Markets

What You Need to Know About the End of LIBOR – Investor Bulletin

May 1, 2023
You may have recently read in the financial press about the phase-out of LIBOR.  You may be affected by the transition away from LIBOR if you hold securities, financial instruments or financial products that have exposure to LIBOR.  The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) wants to help you understand how the transition away from LIBOR could impact your investments and financial situation, and where you can go for additional information.
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Exercise Caution with Crypto Asset Securities: Investor Alert

Mar 23, 2023
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy continues to urge investors to be cautious if considering an investment involving crypto asset securities. Investments in crypto asset securities can be exceptionally volatile and speculative, and the platforms where investors buy, sell, borrow, or lend these securities may lack important protections for investors.
CategoryEnforcement

Look Out for High-Yield Investment Program Scams -- Investor Alert

Mar 15, 2023
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy warns investors that websites promoting High-Yield Investment Programs are likely scams.
CategoryEnforcement

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

Investor Alert: Self-Directed IRAs and the Risk of Fraud

Feb 7, 2023
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to warn investors of risks associated with self-directed Individual Retirement Accounts (self-directed IRAs).  Self-directed IRAs allow investment in a broader—and potentially riskier—portfolio of assets than other types of IRAs.  While a broader set of investment options may have appeal, investors should be mindful that investments in self-directed IRAs raise risks including fraudulent schemes, high fees, and volatile performance.
CategoryEnforcement

Trading Prohibitions on Foreign Companies Under the HFCAA: Updated Investor Bulletin

Jan 9, 2023
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, along with the Office of International Affairs, the Office of the Chief Accountant, the Division of Corporation Finance, and the Division of Trading and Markets, are issuing this Investor Bulletin to highlight for investors of affected companies the consequences under the HFCAA.
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Investor Alert: Identity Theft, Data Breaches and Your Investment Accounts

Nov 17, 2022
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to provide investors with important steps to take regarding their investment accounts if they become victims of identity theft or a data breach.
CategoryEnforcement
Trading and Markets

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

Updated Investor Bulletin: Regulation Crowdfunding for Investors

Oct 14, 2022
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about a new investing   opportunity in the form of securities-based crowdfunding.
CategoryCorporation Finance

Updated Investor Bulletin: Crowdfunding Investment Limits Increase

Oct 14, 2022
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to advise investors about the inflation-adjusted increase in the investment limits for securities-based crowdfunding.
CategoryCorporation Finance

Updated Investor Bulletin: Investing in an IPO

Oct 14, 2022
Historically, an initial public offering, or IPO, has referred to the first time a company offers its shares of capital stock to the general public. Under the federal securities laws, a company may not lawfully offer or sell shares unless the transaction has been registered with the SEC or an exemption applies...
CategoryCorporation Finance

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

Social Media and Investment Fraud – Investor Alert

Aug 29, 2022
Fraudsters often use social media to scam investors.  The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy encourages you to be skeptical and never make investment decisions based solely on information from social media platforms or apps.
CategoryEnforcement

Private Placements under Regulation D – Updated Investor Bulletin

Aug 17, 2022
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about investing in unregistered securities offerings, sometimes called private placements, under Regulation D of the Securities Act. 
CategoryCorporation Finance