ASEC Mission: To make saving and retirement planning a priority for all Americans.
From the American Savings Education Council (ASEC):
- We realize this goal by educating the public about all aspects of financial security through our coalition of major public- and private-sector partners.
- For more about ASEC, download this brochure
July 2, 2009
New FINRA Investor Alert on Municipal Bonds
FINRA issued a new Alert, "Municipal Bonds—Staying on the Safe Side of the Street in Rough Times", along with a Muni-Bond Investor Checklist (linked to from the Alert).
The Alert outlines the basic characteristics, risks and benefits of investing in municipal bonds and aims to help the investing public better understand and mitigate the risks of investing in these instruments. While muni bonds have historically been considered relatively low-risk investments, investors should be aware that they carry certain risks:
- Defaults, while quite rare, do occur.
- Information about financial problems that affect the bond's issuer has not always been readily available to investors.
FINRA has an online Muni Bond Check List, which provides a step-by-step guide to help investors avoid the most common pitfalls of muni bond investing.
Here’s the link to the News Release, which summarized the alert as well as other actions FINRA is taking in this area:
FINRA Takes Sweeping Action to Protect Muni Bond Investors Regulator Issues Investor Alert, Regulatory Notice, Launches Industry Sweeps
July 2, 2009
NASAA Targets Workplace Affinity Fraud
See NASAA Targets Workplace Affinity Fraud for more information.
July 1, 2009
FINRA Foundation offers free video: Tricks of the Trade: Outsmarting Investment Fraud
Visit SaveAndInvest.org to watch a preview ofTricks of the Trade: Outsmarting Investment Fraud, a free 60-minute documentary on preventing investment fraud. The video uncovers the persuasion tactics con artists use to defraud their victims through compelling stories of victims and perpetrators. It also teaches the basic defenses investors can use to guard against fraud.
Tricks of the Trade: Outsmarting Investment Fraud was developed by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, in partnership with AARP.
Pre-order this free DVD via email (include your full name and street address in the body of the email), or by fax, phone or mail
June 24, 2009
Improving Consumer Financial Literacy under the New Regulatory System -- House Hearing June 25th
The House Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit will be holding a hearing on “Improving Consumer Financial Literacy under the New Regulatory System” June 25th at 2:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. The hearing will be held in room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The link above provides a link to watch a live webcast of the hearing when the hearing starts June 25th at 2:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.
ASEC Chairman Dallas Salisbury will be testifying at the hearing. The witness list will be posted on the web site above as soon as it is available.
June 19, 2009
FINRA Investor Education Foundation web site redesign
The FINRA Investor Education Foundation recently launched its redesigned web site. The new design makes our resources, research and grant information more available and accessible to grant applicants, educators and the investing public.
Our Grant Programs area outlines our General Grant Program as well as our Smart investing@your library®, Financial Education in Your Community and Investor Advocacy Clinic programs. Grant applicants can view instructions and guidelines as well as review descriptions of past grant awards.
The material in our Resources section is now more visible and more accessible. View or download our Educational materials, online tools or our collection of grantee research. Finally, don’t forget to visit our news page to get the latest information on the FINRA Foundation and its grantees.
June 16, 2009
Update on PBS' NewsHour Making Sen$e
Making Sen$e, Edition II has a video clip on the homepage explaining the new features to the web site. We encourage all of you to check it out.
June 16, 2009
Divied We Fail Campaign's Retirement Security Forum -- Webcast
For those of you who cannot come to Washington, DC for the Divided We Fail Campaign’s June 23rd Retirement Security Forum, there will be a webcast of the Forum. Please click on how to register for the webcast. An agenda for the event is also available.
June 16, 2009
EBRI Research on Health Care Reform
June 3, 2009
ASEC Chairman Dallas Salisbury Appointed to SEC Advisory Committee
Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro today (June 3, 2009) announced the formation of an Investor Advisory Committee to give investors a greater voice in the Commission's work. SEC Commissioner Luis A. Aguilar will serve as the Commission's primary sponsor of the Committee.
For further information along with a list of the Investor Advisory Committee members see the June 3, 2009 Press Release from the SEC.
June 1, 2009
MetLife Introduces New Innovative Book For Leveraging Benefits to Maximize Business Results
MetLife is pleased to announce the release of The Benefits Edge: Honing the Competitive Value of Employee Benefits, written by industry expert Dr. Ron Leopold. Grounded in MetLife research, The Benefits Edge contains pragmatic principles and ideas designed to help you make a more strategic investment in employee benefits--one that optimizes return on benefits investment and delivers a greater competitive advantage.
You’ll learn about four distinct employer benefits profiles, how to identify your own organization’s profile and ways you can use the resulting insights to implement a systemic approach within your own company, including how to:
- Assess the competitiveness of your current benefits program
- Reorient the benefits discussion for senior management away from benefits as a necessary cost to a measurable investment in business results
- Craft actionable solutions for challenging economic times in a way that helps direct every benefits dollar towards clearly defined objectives
Visit
http://whymetlife.com/benefitsedge/ to order your complimentary copy of
The Benefits Edge and learn more about creative benefit solutions that address both employee needs and cost control issues. Also on
http://whymetlife.com/, read an excerpt, view a multimedia presentation or listen to a podcast in which Dr. Leopold shares key insights from his exciting new book.
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