What's New in Investor Education

When you think of investments and brokerage firms, you probably think of opening an account and buying stocks, bonds or mutual funds. But when you enter into a subordination agreement, the investment you’re making is in the brokerage firm itself. This investment can be very risky and isn’t suitable for everyone.

Trade date is the day your order to buy or sell a security is executed; settlement date is the day on which funds and the securities must be delivered. Beginning on May 28, 2024, the new standard for settlement will become the next business day after a trade, or T+1.

The SEC, NASAA and FINRA are jointly issuing this Investor Alert to make investors aware of the increase of investment frauds involving the purported use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies. Bad actors are using the growing popularity and complexity of AI to lure victims into scams. Here are a few things to look out for to help you keep your money safe from these frauds.

Low-priced securities are often known as “microcap stocks” or “penny stocks.” While these securities can be legitimate investments, they’re also high-risk and should be approached with caution by the average investor.

If putting all your financial information online in one place sounds like a good idea, there are many companies ready to help you organize your financial life. However, before you share your financial details with data aggregators, it pays to know how these services operate and how to protect yourself from potential privacy and security risks.

FINRA has seen a recent significant spike in investor complaints resulting from recommendations made by fraudulent “investment groups” promoted through social media channels. Complaints describe bad actors, posing as registered investment advisers, who advertise “stock investment groups” on Instagram and other social media channels and then turn to encrypted group chats on WhatsApp to communicate with interested investors and pitch investments.

Navigating your finances might seem impossible at first—maybe you’re facing student loan debt, low income, expensive housing costs or all of the above. But taking a few key steps, like setting financial goals, paying off debt and starting your retirement savings, can help you feel more in control.

Lenders often promote securities-backed lines of credit as an easy way to access extra cash by borrowing against the assets in your investment portfolio without having to liquidate these securities. While they might seem attractive when markets

If you’re not careful, holiday expenses—including non-gift items and entertainment costs—can add up quickly. Follow these four steps to set a thorough holiday budget and keep spending under control.

If you’re interested in over-the-counter (OTC) trading, you might have heard about dark pools, a type of alternative trading system (ATS) that was designed to handle large trades for institutional investors anonymously. Dark pools allow large buyers and sellers to trade large blocks of shares without causing the market to move against them.

On March 16, 2023, FINRA published responses to frequently asked questions concerning the MMTLP corporate action and trading halt (March 16, 2023, MMTLP FAQ). In that corporate action, the issuer decided that MMTLP shares would be cancelled and investors in those shares would receive a distribution of shares of Next Bridge Hydrocarbons, Inc. (Next Bridge). FINRA has continued to receive questions regarding the circumstances surrounding these events. In particular, some have questioned the level of short selling in MMTLP and suggested that there was a substantial amount of “counterfeit shares.” Although it is not clear what is meant by the term “counterfeit shares,” it has been used in social media when discussing “naked” short selling in a security and failures-to-deliver (FTDs). Some investors have expressed concern that, even though their brokerage account statements include shares of Next Bridge in their account, these shares may not have actually been delivered to their broker-dealer.

Service members or dependents may receive one-time lump sum payments for injuries, loss of life, insurance, or lawsuit proceeds. These payments can replace lost future income, so take steps to ensure they provide a long-term benefit for your family. To make the most of military benefits and lump sum payments consider these tips.

Pretexting is a tactic that hinges on telling a compelling—but fake—story. Hackers attempt to deceive their targets by establishing a false sense of trust, using a fabricated story, or pretext, to get you to download malware, send money or share sensitive information, to name a few examples. Here are some of ways you might be targeted—and how you can thwart an attempt to coax you into believing a bogus story.

This Friday the 13th, you might take some extra precautions to ward off bad luck. But even if you’re not superstitious, it’s worthwhile to consider how to safeguard your financial situation—not just today, but every day. Use these four tips to ward off bad luck when it comes to your finances.

The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the National Futures Association (NFA), the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) and the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) are issuing this Investor Bulletin to provide investors with information about the three themes of World Investor Week 2023, a global campaign promoted by the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO): investor resilience, crypto assets and sustainable finance.

When you enter an order to buy or sell a stock, your registered financial professional must decide where to route your order. The most familiar type of execution venue is a traditional exchange. However, other execution venues, including alternative trading systems, single-dealer platforms and wholesalers, have risen in popularity in recent years.

The majority of investment professionals are trustworthy individuals who act with integrity. Unfortunately, some are not. Certain behaviors that FINRA has observed raise red flags and often warrant disciplinary action. Here are five behaviors that should have you asking questions.

Exchange-traded products (ETPs) including exchange-traded funds (ETFs), exchange-traded notes (ETNs), and commodity and currency ETPs have surged in popularity over the last decade. Risks vary for each product, with some types of ETPs exposing investors to both complexity and significant danger of losses. Volatility-linked ETPs are one such example.

Uninvested cash is a potentially valuable part of your investment portfolio. So it pays to pay attention to it, especially when interest rates move up or down. Understand the facts about your uninvested cash, the different cash management programs available and questions to ask.

When securities are listed on a centralized exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq, transaction information such as price and trade history is readily available to investors through the exchange. But how can you get information about bonds and other fixed income securities that are not listed on a national securities exchange? Information about these securities, known as over-the-counter (OTC) debt securities, is provided by TRACE®—the Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine®.

Invest in what you know. It’s a common investing adage, and employees might think they know their employer better than anyone else. But should you invest in your company’s stock? Owning a stake in the company you work for might have some advantages. However, there are risks you should consider.

If you’re just starting your career, planning for retirement might be the last thing on your mind. However, the choices you make now can significantly affect your finances in the future. You don’t want to overlook is the 401(k), which can be a powerful resource for building a secure retirement.

A life settlement involves selling an existing life insurance policy to a third party—a person or an entity other than the company that issued the policy. The policy holder (seller) receives an immediate payment from the third-party offering the settlement.

As an individual investor, there are several ways in which you can hold securities, including through direct registration. Direct registration allows you to have your securities registered in your name—rather than in the name of a brokerage firm—without the need for a physical certificate.

A "convertible security" is a security, such as a bond, that can be converted into a different security, like shares of the issuing company's common stock. Reverse convertibles are debt obligations of an issuer tied to the performance of one or more assets that have no relation to the issuer.