The Securities and Exchange Commission wants to help make smarter investors.
On June 23, the federal agency launched a public service campaign featuring videos and advertisements on investing basics, financial planning tools, investment-specific explanations of everything from bonds to hedge funds and more.
The SEC campaign is particularly focused on new investors, including underserved communities, to let them know there is somewhere to go for reliable and free information for making financial and investment decisions.
The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy campaign also directs current and future investors to its website, www.investor.gov. The website first launched in 2009 is continually updated with information on investment products like digital assets and shows how to check out an investment professional's background, registration status and more.
An online calculator demonstrates the power of compound interest, and one video shows how easy it is to diversify a portfolio.
Other campaign videos cover day trading; special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs; environmental, social, and governance investing; index funds; and fractional shares. Fees get a lot of attention, too.
Fees for investment products and services, the website cautions, "may seem small, but over time they can have a major impact on your investment portfolio. Understanding the fees you pay is important to investing wisely."
Recent investor alerts cover "the significant risks of short-term trading based on social media," understanding margin accounts and the risks of leverage accounts.
"Everyone should have access to accurate, useful information to help them invest for their future," said SEC Chairman Gary Gensler in the announcement.
