SPRINGFIELD ––
Secretary of State Jesse White is kicking off an investor education campaign during April to help teach people about saving and investing and help them recognize and avoid securities fraud.
As part of the fourth annual Facts on the Savings and Investing Campaign, White's office will be airing radio and newspaper advertisements that speak to the importance of financial knowledge and responsibility.
"The goal of this campaign is to help investors understand their financial needs and develop a reasonable strategy for meeting them," said Secretary White. "Stock market volatility has people looking for a safe place for their investments. But people who are expecting the double-digit returns they saw over the last decade should beware. Con artists prey on this, so they promise high returns with low risk."
To educate investors, state securities regulators will join a broad-based coalition of consumer groups, industry representatives and regulators to focus on youth financial literacy, ways to guard against fraud and how to prepare for retirement.
The effort will include distribution of educational materials at the Central Illinois Auto Show and a senior's fair and in the Rotunda of the Capitol. Radio public service announcements that air will target investment fraud and how to avoid it. Newspaper ads in Chicago neighborhood newspapers will also provide tips to avoid fraud in Spanish.
While investment expertise is now available at the click of a mouse, state securities regulators remain investors' first line of defense against fraud. They investigate complaints, bring enforcement actions, register brokers and educate investors at the grass-roots level. Investors wishing to check the disciplinary history of a broker or investment advisor or the registration of securities they are considering should contact White's Securities Department at (800) 628-7937.
