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: 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: How Victims of Securities Law Violations May Recover Money
Jun 21, 2018
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) is informing investors about how they may be able to recover money if they have been harmed by a violation of the federal securities laws.
CategoryEnforcement
Investor Alert: Is Your Broker Selling You Investments Approved for Sale Through the Firm?
May 30, 2018
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) and Retail Strategy Task Force are warning investors about red flags that a broker may be running a side business offering investments that are not approved for sale through the broker’s firm.
CategoryEnforcement
Investor Bulletin: An Introduction to 529 Plans
May 29, 2018
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
Investor Bulletin: 10 Questions to Consider Before Opening a 529 Account
May 29, 2018
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
Investor Bulletin: Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
May 18, 2018
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors information about health savings accounts. We encourage you to also consult Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance before making investment decisions about a health savings account, because receiving favorable tax treatment is an important part of a health savings account.
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Investor Bulletin: FINRA’s New Account Protection Rule - Trusted Contacts
May 8, 2018
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors with information about a new rule from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to help protect investors from financial exploitation and fraud.
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Investor Alert: Ponzi Schemes Targeting Seniors
Apr 9, 2018
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) and Retail Strategy Task Force are warning investors about Ponzi schemes that prey on senior investors.
CategoryEnforcement
Investor Alert: SEC Impersonators Pretend to Help Investors Buy Stock
Apr 4, 2018
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) is warning investors about investment schemes where fraudsters misrepresent that they work for the SEC and pretend to help investors purchase stock or confirm trades – but really just steal investors’ money. If you receive an email or phone call claiming to be from the SEC to “confirm” your purchase of a security or to help you trade a stock, it is likely a scam. Do not send them money or give them your account information.
CategoryEnforcement
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.
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Investor Alert: Credit Cards and Investments – A Risky Combination
Feb 14, 2018
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this alert to inform investors about the risks in using credit cards to purchase an investment or to fund an investment account.
CategoryEnforcement
Updated Investor Bulletin: An Introduction to ABLE Accounts
Jan 30, 2018
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about ABLE accounts.
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Investor Bulletin: Top 10 of 2017
Dec 21, 2017
With 2017 coming to a close, here are the SEC Office of Investor Education and Advocacy’s top 10 most popular Investor Alerts and Bulletins for the year. These resources, all available on Investor.gov, can help you make more informed investment decisions – and avoid investment fraud – in 2018. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at help@sec.gov, our online question form, or on our toll-free investor assistance line at (800) 732-0330.
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Investor Bulletin: Suggestions for How Individual Investors Can Comment on SEC Rulemaking
Dec 12, 2017
From time to time, the SEC seeks comment from the public on a number of matters, including on the SEC’s rulemakings. The Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help explain the rulemaking process and to help promote greater individual investor input in Commission rulemaking proceedings.
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Investor Bulletin: Investment Adviser Sponsored Wrap Fee Programs
Dec 7, 2017
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors information about investment adviser sponsored wrap fee programs. This bulletin provides basic information about wrap fee programs and some questions to consider asking your investment adviser before choosing to open an account in a wrap fee program.
CategoryInvestment Management
Investor Bulletin: Understanding Your Brokerage Account Statement
Dec 5, 2017
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Office of Investor Education and Advocacy and the Office of Public Affairs have created an interactive brokerage account statement to help you better understand the information in your account statement and to highlight certain information to look out for when reviewing this statement.
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Investor Alert: Beware of Paid-To-Click (PTC) Scams
Nov 7, 2017
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is warning investors about investment scams conducted through online paid-to-click (PTC) programs.
CategoryEnforcement
Updated Investor Bulletin: Master Limited Partnerships – An Introduction
Nov 3, 2017
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help investors understand Master Limited Partnerships, or MLPs. Because investing in an MLP may be unfamiliar, investors should carefully consider potential benefits – and risks – before making an investment decision.
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Investor Alert: Celebrity Endorsements
Nov 1, 2017
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) is warning investors not to make investment decisions based solely on celebrity endorsements.
CategoryEnforcement
Investor Alert: Be Vigilant for Possible Investment Scams Related to the California Wildfires
Oct 17, 2017
The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to alert investors, including individuals who may receive lump sum payouts from insurance companies and others as a result of damage from the California wildfires, to investment scams that may take advantage of the disaster.
CategoryEnforcement
Updated Investor Bulletin: The ABCs of Credit Ratings
Oct 12, 2017
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy and Office of Credit Ratings are issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about credit ratings.
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Investor Bulletin: World Investor Week
Oct 2, 2017
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, FINRA (the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), and NASAA (the North American Securities Administrators Association) are issuing this Investor Bulletin to highlight the key messages of World Investor Week, a week-long, global campaign promoted by International Organization of Securities Commissions to raise awareness about the importance of investor education and protection. During World Investor Week (October 2-8, 2017), individual investors, investment professionals, teachers, parents,…
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Investor Bulletin: Opening an Investment Advisory Account
Sep 25, 2017
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide tips on what to consider when opening an investment advisory account. Investment advisory accounts differ from brokerage accounts, which generally are governed by different rules and regulations. For information on opening a brokerage account, please see our bulletin: How to Open a Brokerage Account.
Before opening an account with any financial professional, you should always remember to check the individual or entity’s background and disciplinary history. You can do this using the IAPD…
CategoryInvestment Management
Investor Bulletin: Financial Professionals’ Use of Professional Honors – Awards, Rankings, and Designations
Sep 14, 2017
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate individual investors about the professional awards, rankings, and designations that financial professionals often use to market themselves to prospective clients.
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