Crawford: Education is an Investor’s Best Defense Against Investment Fraud
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 12, 2010) – In recognition of National Financial Literacy Month, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) is reminding investors of the resources available from state securities regulators to educate and protect themselves from investment fraud.
“Education is an investor’s best defense against investment fraud,” NASAA President and Texas Securities Commissioner Denise Voigt Crawford said.
President Obama has declared April “National Financial Literacy Month,” noting that the nation’s increasingly complex financial system has “left too many Americans behind, unable to build a secure financial future for themselves and their families. For many, financial literacy can mean economic prosperity and protection against fraud and predatory banking practices.”
State securities regulators offer a wealth of investor education programs and tools to help Americans learn how to avoid investment fraud and answer the president’s call “to improve their understanding of financial principles and practices” during National Financial Literacy Month, Crawford said.
“A crucial factor in becoming financially literate is learning how to invest wisely and avoid fraud,” Crawford said. “NASAA members are using National Financial Literacy Month to educate investors about the services their local state securities regulators provide, including educational materials on today’s common scams and background information on investment professionals.”
Visit NASAA’s Investor Education webpage to access education resources for investors of all ages, such as the NASAA Senior Resource Center, the “FSI: Fraud Scene Investigator” interactive game for students and details on NASAA’s newest investor education initiative, a workplace retirement planning outreach program called “Planning Your Retirement with Confidence.”
Investors can contact their state securities regulator directly to make sure their investment professional is properly registered and has a clean disciplinary history, as well as to learn more about the investor education programs and resources available in their state. Contact information for all state securities regulators is available here.
For more information:
Leah Szarek
Assistant Manager, Communications & Investor Education
(202) 737-0900
Bob Webster
Director of Communications
(202) 737-0900
