Campaign for Wise and Safe Investingª

Source: AARP.org | May 24, 2006

Warren Buffett, one of the most successful stock investors ever, once said, "Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing." He might have said, "It's risky to rely on trust rather than homework."

To help investors do their homework to avoid fraudulent or unsuitable investments, the AARP Foundation has teamed up with the Investor Protection Trust (IPT) in a national campaign to slow the rise in investment scams that are eroding investors' financial security. IPT is an independent organization that provides objective information needed by consumers to make informed investment decisions, and serves as a source of non-commercial investor education materials. It is funded by settlements and fines paid to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a result of its enforcement actions against investment advisers and brokers.

Many state securities regulators will be working with AARP state offices to deliver joint programs and events under the banner of The Campaign for Wise and Safe Investing. The state activities will involve AARP staff, volunteers, and community partners. Watch for announcements of consumer universities, town hall meetings, community forums, and other informative events in the media.

AARP research shows that boomer and older investors—because they have the money to invest—are natural targets for a wide range of unscrupulous marketing practices. The investment might be an outright fraud, like Ponzi schemes, or a completely legitimate product that is unsuitable for the investor's circumstances such as a variable annuity. The product may be sound, but the investor is subjected to aggressive marketing ploys that submerge the risk. Or the pitch is for guaranteed high returns.

Before any investment, each investor needs check with the state securities regulator whether the investment opportunity is registered and if the seller is licensed.

AARP Resources

AARP on Investment Fraud
A series of articles to help you protect yourself.

Other Resources

Investor Protection Trust
In addition to The Campaign for Wise and Safe Investing, IPT also works to improve personal finance and investment savvy among high school students and provides grants to public libraries to enhance their investor education collections and programming.