The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy provides a variety of services and tools to address problems you may face as an investor. Investor Alerts, focused on recent investment frauds and scams, and Investor Bulletins, focused on topical issues including recent Commission actions, are provided as a service to investors. They are neither legal interpretations nor statements of SEC policy. If you have questions concerning the meaning or application of a particular law or rule, please consult with an attorney who specializes in securities law. Subscribe to get Investor Alerts and Bulletins by email.

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Date: Title: Investor Alert: Scammers May Try to Take Advantage of the California Wildfires
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to warn investors, including individuals who may receive lump sum payouts from insurance companies and others as a result of damage from the California wildfires, about fraudulent investment scams. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Variable Life Insurance
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Bulletin: Variable Annuities
The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about variable annuities and how they work. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Be Vigilant for Investment Scams Related to Recent Hurricanes
The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to warn investors, including individuals who may receive lump sum payouts from insurance companies and others as a result of damage from recent hurricanes, about fraudulent investment scams. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Watch Out For False Claims About SEC And CFTC Endorsements Used To Promote Digital Asset Investments
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) Office of Customer Education and Outreach warn investors to watch out for false claims about agency actions and endorsements related to digital assets. Fraudsters may use false claims to lure investors into purchasing digital assets and to artificially raise their value. “Digital assets” include crypto-currencies, coins, and tokens such as those offered in so called initial coin offerings (ICOs). 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: World Investor Week 2018
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, FINRA, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) are issuing this Investor Bulletin to highlight key messages from World Investor Week 2018. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Don’t Invite Investment Scams to Find You
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) and Retail Strategy Task Force (RSTF) warn investors that providing your phone number and email address in response to an online investment promotion may make you a target for fraud. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Marijuana Investments and Fraud
Scam artists often exploit “hot” industries to trick investors, including by making false promises of high returns with low risks. The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) and Retail Strategy Task Force are warning investors about these kinds of investment schemes involving marijuana-related companies. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Check the Background of Anyone Selling You an Investment
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) urges investors to check the background of anyone selling or offering them an investment. No matter how good an investment may sound, verify that the person is currently registered or licensed and check his or her background by using the free and simple search tool on Investor.gov. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Self-Directed IRAs and the Risk of Fraud
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. 		Category:Enforcement
Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Smart Beta, Quant Funds and other Non- Traditional Index Funds
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Index Funds
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors basic information about index funds. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: How Victims of Securities Law Violations May Recover Money
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about how they may be able to recover money if they have been harmed by a violation of the federal securities laws. 		Category:Enforcement
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Is Your Broker Selling You Investments Approved for Sale Through the Firm?
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: 10 Questions to Consider Before Opening a 529 Account
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Understanding Margin Accounts
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is publishing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about the use of margin accounts to buy securities, including the related risks. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Ponzi Schemes Targeting Seniors
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: SEC Impersonators Pretend to Help Investors Buy Stock<br/>(Listen to Audio)
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Bulletin: Top Tips for Selecting a Financial Professional
Choosing a financial 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 a financial professional are listed at the end of this Bulletin. 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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Investment Clubs
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Credit Cards and Investments – A Risky Combination
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Municipal Bonds – Asset Allocation, Diversification, and Risk
The SEC’s Offices of Investor Education and Advocacy and Municipal Securities are issuing a series of three Investor Bulletins to help educate investors about the municipal securities market. This Bulletin provides a general overview on asset allocation and diversification in an investment portfolio, with a focus on the role of municipal bonds. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: The Municipal Securities Market
The SEC’s Offices of Investor Education and Advocacy and Municipal Securities are issuing a series of three Investor Bulletins to help educate investors about the municipal securities market. This Bulletin provides an overview of the municipal securities market, including the different types of municipal issuers, how the municipal securities market is regulated, and what types of disclosures investors may be able to obtain about municipal securities. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Municipal Bonds – An Overview
The SEC’s Offices of Investor Education and Advocacy and Municipal Securities are issuing a series of three Investor Bulletins to help educate investors about the municipal securities market. This Bulletin provides an overview of municipal bonds, including the different types of municipal bonds, what information an investor should review before investing in municipal bonds and where investors can find information about them. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Bulletin: An Introduction to ABLE Accounts
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about ABLE accounts. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Top 10 of 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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Suggestions for How Individual Investors Can Comment on SEC Rulemaking
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Investment Adviser Sponsored Wrap Fee Programs
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Beware of Paid-To-Click (PTC) Scams
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is warning investors about investment scams conducted through online paid-to-click (PTC) programs. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Bulletin: Master Limited Partnerships – An Introduction
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Celebrity Endorsements
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) is warning investors not to make investment decisions based solely on celebrity endorsements. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Be Vigilant for Possible Investment Scams Related to the California Wildfires
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Bulletin: The ABCs of Credit Ratings
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: World Investor Week
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, researchers, and other interested individuals, firms, regulators, and organizations are encouraged to make a special effort to communicate these key investor education messages: 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Opening an Investment Advisory Account
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 database found at Investor.gov. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Financial Professionals’ Use of Professional Honors – Awards, Rankings, and Designations
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Bulletin: Trading in Cash Accounts
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help educate investors regarding the rules that apply to trading securities in cash accounts and to highlight the 90-day account freeze which may arise with certain trading activities in these type of accounts. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Be Vigilant for Investment Scams Related to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma
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 Hurricanes Harvey or Irma, to investment scams that may take advantage of the disaster. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Public Companies Making ICO-Related Claims
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is warning investors about potential scams involving stock of companies claiming to be related to, or asserting they are engaging in, Initial Coin Offerings (or ICOs). Fraudsters often try to use the lure of new and emerging technologies to convince potential victims to invest their money in scams. These frauds include “pump-and-dump” and market manipulation schemes involving publicly traded companies that claim to provide exposure to these new technologies. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Bulletin: New “T+2” Settlement Cycle – What Investors Need To Know
On March 22, 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission amended Exchange Act Rule 15c6-1 to shorten the standard settlement cycle for broker-dealers transaction from “T+3” to “T+2,” subject to certain exceptions. The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) is issuing this investor bulletin to explain the new “T+2” settlement cycle and how it will affect certain transactions you place with your full-service or online brokerage firm. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Fraudsters May Target Federal Government Employee Retirement Plan Participants
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) and Broker-Dealer Task Force are warning the more than 5 million Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) participants, and investors in other federal government employee retirement plans, that investment scam artists may pretend to be affiliated with a government agency. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Initial Coin Offerings
Developers, businesses, and individuals increasingly are using initial coin offerings, also called ICOs or token sales, to raise capital. These activities may provide fair and lawful investment opportunities. However, new technologies and financial products, such as those associated with ICOs, can be used improperly to entice investors with the promise of high returns in a new investment space. The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to make investors aware of potential risks of participating in ICOs. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Retirement Investing Through 403(b) and 457(b) Plans
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors with educational information about the basics of retirement investing through 403(b) and 457(b) plans. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Stop, Stop-Limit, and Trailing Stop Orders
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help educate investors about the difference between using “stop,” “stop limit” and “trailing stop” orders to buy and sell stocks. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Understanding Order Types
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help educate investors about the different types of orders they can use to buy and sell stocks through a brokerage firm. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Bulletin: Crowdfunding for Investors
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Be Cautious of SAFEs in Crowdfunding
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about a type of security, often described as a SAFE (a “Simple Agreement for Future Equity”), that may be offered in crowdfunding offerings. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Help for Adult Protective Services (APS) Workers Encountering Senior Investor Fraud
It can be tricky to tell if a senior has been a victim of investment fraud or to know what to do when it happens. The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help Adult Protective Services (APS) workers and others identify when a senior has been a victim of investment fraud and to explain what APS workers and others can do about it. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Crowdfunding Investment Limits Increase
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. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Bulletin: Protecting Your Online Investment Accounts from Fraud
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help investors protect their online investment accounts from fraud. As with all web-based accounts, investors should take precautions to help ensure that their online brokerage accounts remain secure. These online security tips can help. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Investor Complaints
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) is issuing this Investor Bulletin to inform investors about how OIEA handles investor complaints and other ways investors may be able to resolve a securities-related dispute. 		Category:Enforcement
Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Beware of Stock Recommendations on Investment Research Websites
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to warn investors that seemingly independent commentary on investment research websites may in fact be part of paid stock promotion campaigns. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Ten Ways to Use Investor.gov
Whether you are investing on your own, working with a financial professional, planning your retirement, or just interested in learning more about investing generally, here are ten ways you can use Investor.gov to become a more informed investor and avoid fraud. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Robo-Advisers
The last few years have seen the growth in availability and popularity of automated digital investment advisory programs (often called “robo-advisers”). These programs allow individual investors to create and manage their investment accounts through a web portal or mobile application, sometimes with little or no interaction with a human being with the potential benefit of lower costs than traditional investment advisory programs. The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about these programs, and to help investors using robo-advisers to make informed decisions in meeting their investment goals. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Savings and Investing Basics for Military Personnel
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help military personnel make more informed savings and investing decisions and avoid common scams. Below is a list of ten suggestions that may help military personnel – and any investor – make better investments and avoid fraud. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Alternative Mutual Funds
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to inform you about features, and some potential risks, of alternative mutual funds. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Bulletin: Focus on Money Market Funds
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help educate investors about money market funds, including money market funds’ investment objectives and risks. For additional assistance, investors can call the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy at 1-800-SEC-0330, or ask a question using this online form. 		Category:Investment Management
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Excessive Trading at Investors’ Expense
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) and Broker-Dealer Task Force are jointly issuing this Investor Alert to help investors identify excessive trading in their brokerage accounts and to educate investors about steps they should take if their brokerage firm notifies them of a high volume of trade activity in their accounts. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: 10 Investment Tips for 2017
Whether you are a first-time investor or have been investing for years, here are 10 tips from the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy to help you make better informed investment decisions and avoid common scams in 2017. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Broker-Dealer/Customer Arbitration
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help educate investors about the arbitration and mediation processes involving a customer dispute with a broker-dealer. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Binary Options Websites May Be Used for Fraudulent Schemes
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to warn investors that fraudsters may conduct investment schemes through purported online binary options trading platforms. While some binary options are listed on registered exchanges or traded on a designated contract market that are subject to oversight by U.S. regulators such as the SEC or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, respectively, this is only a portion of the binary options market. Much of the binary options market operates through Internet-based trading platforms that are not necessarily complying with applicable U.S. regulatory requirements. For a comprehensive overview of binary options, including information about investing in binary options that are subject to U.S. regulatory oversight, read our Investor Alert: Binary Options and Fraud. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Investment Scams Involving Fake Forms 4
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to warn investors about potential investment schemes in which fraudsters send fake Forms 4 to investors who paid for the purported purchase of shares. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Microcap Stock Basics (Part 3 of 3: Risk)
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing a series of three Investor Bulletins to provide investors with important information to consider before investing in microcap stocks, often known as penny stocks. The Bulletins provide a general overview of microcap stocks and their marketplaces, a list of sources to research microcap stocks, and a list of “red flags” of fraud and other important factors to consider before making an investment in microcap stocks. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Microcap Stock Basics (Part 2 of 3: Research)
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing a series of three Investor Bulletins to provide investors with important information to consider before investing in microcap stocks often known as penny stocks. The Bulletins provide a general overview of microcap stocks and their marketplaces, a list of sources to research microcap stocks, and a list of “red flags” of fraud and other important factors to consider before making an investment in microcap stocks. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Be on the Lookout for Investment Scams Related to Hurricane Matthew
The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to help educate investors, including individuals who may receive lump sum payouts from insurance companies and others as a result of damage from Hurricane Matthew, about investment fraud. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Tick Size Pilot Program – What Investors Need To Know
Beginning October 3, 2016, a new National Market System (NMS) Plan to implement a Tick Size Pilot Program (the “pilot”) will widen the minimum quoting and trading increment —sometimes called the “tick size” — for some small capitalization stocks. The goal of the pilot is to study the effect of tick size on liquidity and trading of small capitalization stocks.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) are issuing this investor alert to explain the pilot and how it might affect certain orders you place with your full-service or online brokerage firm. We also provide some background on the pilot and why it is being implemented. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Microcap Stock Basics (Part 1 of 3: General Information)
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing a series of three Investor Bulletins to provide investors with important information to consider before investing in microcap stocks, often known as penny stocks. The Bulletins provide a general overview of microcap stocks and their marketplaces, a list of sources to research microcap stocks, and a list of “red flags” of fraud and other important factors to consider before making an investment in microcap stocks. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Alert: Be on the Lookout for Advance Fee Fraud
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to help educate investors about advance fee fraud. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Bulletin: How Fees and Expenses Affect Your Investment Portfolio
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this updated bulletin to educate investors about how fees can impact the value of an investment portfolio. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Publicly Traded REITs
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this bulletin to educate investors about investing in publicly traded REITs. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Performance Claims
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 things to consider. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Alert: Be on the Lookout for Investment Scams Related to the Recent Historic Rain and Flooding
The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to help educate investors, including individuals who may receive lump sum payouts from insurance companies and others following the recent historic rainfall and flooding in and around South Carolina, about investment fraud. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: What You Should Know About Asset Recovery Companies
Third party asset recovery companies solicit victims of scams, including investment frauds, with promises to file complaints with regulatory agencies and to help recover victims’ money for a fee. The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to urge investors and fraud victims to think carefully before paying money for asset recovery services that may be fruitless. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Mutual Fund Classes
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors information about mutual fund classes. This bulletin addresses some of the fees that may apply to certain common mutual fund classes, but please note that mutual funds may have other fees and expenses that you should take into account when making an investment decision. For more information on mutual fund fees and expenses, read our Investor Bulletin: Mutual Fund Fees and Expenses. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Alert for Seniors: Five Red Flags of Investment Fraud
Older Americans are often targets of investment fraud. The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Updated Investor Alert to help seniors identify signs that what is offered as an investment may actually be a fraud. Below are five “red flags” seniors should look out for when making an investment decision. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Variable Annuities-Should You Accept a Buyout Offer?
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about some of the pros and cons of variable annuity buyout offers. This bulletin will provide information to help you consider whether a buyout is right for you. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Beware of Government Impersonators Targeting Fraud Victims
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) is issuing this Investor Alert because we are aware of communications, including official looking documents, that falsely claim to be issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission and seek money from investors who have already been victims of fraud. 		Category:Enforcement
Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Form ADV – Investment Adviser Brochure and Brochure Supplement
Investment advisers provide a wide range of advisory services and play an important role in helping individuals and institutions make significant financial decisions. To allow clients and prospective clients to evaluate the risks associated with a particular investment adviser, its business practices, and its investment strategies, it is essential that clients and prospective clients have clear disclosure that they are likely to read and understand. Part 2 of Form ADV requires investment advisers to provide new and prospective clients with a brochure and brochure supplements written in plain English. The requirements of Part 2 are designed to provide new and prospective clients with clearly written, meaningful current disclosure of the business practices, conflicts of interest, and background of the investment adviser firm and the firm’s employees who provide advice. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: How to Read a Mutual Fund Prospectus (Part 1 of 3: Investment Objective, Strategies, and Risks)
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing a series of three Investor Bulletins to help inform investors about key information in a prospectus. You should note, however, that a prospectus contains additional information that may assist investors in making an investment decision. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: How to Read a Mutual Fund Prospectus (Part 2 of 3: Fee Table and Performance)
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing a series of three Investor Bulletins to help inform investors about key information in a prospectus. You should note, however, that a prospectus contains additional information that may assist investors in making an investment decision. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: How to Read a Mutual Fund Prospectus (Part 3 of 3: Management, Shareholder Information, and Statement of Additional Information)
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing a series of three Investor Bulletins to help inform investors about key information in a prospectus. You should note, however, that a prospectus contains additional information that may assist investors in making an investment decision. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Alert: Fraudulent Stock Promotions
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this updated Investor Alert to warn investors about fraudsters who promote a stock to drive up the stock price and then sell their own shares at the inflated price, making money at investors’ expense. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Zika Crisis May Give Rise to Investment Scams
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to warn investors about potential investment scams involving companies that claim their products or services relate to the Zika virus. 		Category:Enforcement
Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Alert: SEC Warns of Government Impersonators
SEC staff is issuing this updated Investor Alert because we are aware of continuing fraudulent solicitations that purport to be affiliated with or sponsored by the Securities and Exchange Commission, including scams that make phony claims of endorsement by senior officials at the SEC. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: 10 Investment Tips for 2016
Whether you are a first-time investor or have been investing for years, here are ten tips from the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy to help you make more informed investing decisions and avoid common scams in 2016. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Securities-Backed Lines of Credit
An increasing number of securities firms are marketing and offering securities-backed lines of credit, or SBLOCs, to investors. SBLOCs can be a key revenue source for securities firms, especially in times of solid market returns and growing investment portfolios, when investors may feel more comfortable leveraging their assets. Firms market SBLOCs as a type of financing and liquidity strategy that can unlock the value of your investment portfolio. Between 2012 and 2014, one large brokerage firm that offers these programs reported a 70 percent increase in its securities-based lending business, while another firm reported an over 50 percent increase.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) are issuing this investor alert to provide information about the basics of SBLOCs, how they may be marketed to you, and what risks you should consider before posting your investment portfolio as collateral. SBLOCs may seem like an attractive way to access extra capital when markets are producing positive returns, but market volatility can magnify your potential losses, placing your financial future at greater risk. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs)
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”). ETNs are unsecured debt obligations of financial institutions that trade on a securities exchange. ETN payment terms are linked to the performance of a reference index or benchmark, representing the ETN’s investment objective. You should understand that ETNs are complex and involve many risks for interested investors, and can result in the loss of your entire investment. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Variable Annuities – An Introduction
This SEC Office of Investor Education and Advocacy Investor Bulletin provides some basic facts about variable annuities and how they work. Variable annuities are complex products, and this Investor Bulletin focuses solely on the basics. 		Category:Investment Management
Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Alert: Social Media and Investing -- Stock Rumors
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (“OIEA”) is issuing this Investor Alert to warn investors about fraudsters who may attempt to manipulate share prices by using social media to spread false or misleading information about stocks. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: An Introduction to Short Sales
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin for investors to provide them with the basics, including some of the potential risks, of short sales. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Be on the Lookout for Investment Scams Related to the Recent Historic Rain and Flooding
The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to help educate investors, including individuals who may receive lump sum payouts from insurance companies and others following the recent historic rainfall and flooding in and around South Carolina, about investment fraud. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Investment-Related Radio Programs Used to Defraud
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to provide investors with an overview of fraudulent schemes that may be carried out through radio programs. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Alert: Identity Theft, Data Breaches and Your Investment Accounts
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. Investors should always take steps to safeguard their personal financial information (e.g., social security number, financial account numbers, phone number, e-mail address, or usernames and passwords for online financial accounts). However, if identity theft or a data breach compromises your personal financial information, here are some important steps to take immediately. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Non-traded REITs
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this bulletin to educate investors about investing in non-traded REITs. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: 10 Things to Know About Receivers
The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to help investors understand the role of receivers in SEC cases. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: An Introduction to The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission – Rulemaking and Laws
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors with an overview of the SEC’s rulemaking functions and a brief description of the laws that govern the securities industry. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: An Introduction to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission – Organization and Mission
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors with a general overview of the SEC’s mission, responsibilities, and organizational structure. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Updated Investor Alert: SEC Warns of Government Impersonators Demanding Money
SEC staff is issuing this updated Investor Alert because we are

aware of fraudulent communications, including official looking documents

such as bogus subpoenas, that purport to be from the Securities and

Exchange Commission demanding money for fictitious securities law

violations. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
Date: Title: Investor Bulletin: Regulation A
The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about Regulation A. The SEC has recently amended Regulation A in order to implement the part of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act that makes Regulation A a more compelling option for smaller companies to use to raise money. 		Category:Investor Education and Advocacy
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