Who We Are
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) protects investors; maintains fair, orderly and efficient markets, and facilitates capital formation. The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is dedicated to serving the needs of individual investors through education and outreach and by responding to investor questions and complaints.
The SEC is also the national coordinator for World Investor Week 2020! World Investor Week, which runs October 5-11 this year, is a great reminder that it’s never too early for students to start preparing for their financial future, and it’s also an opportunity for educators to think about their own financial future.
What We Offer
For students
These important World Investor Week concepts and SEC resources can help students get started on a lifetime of saving and investing wisely:
- Compound Interest: Thanks to compound interest, even a small amount saved can add up to big money over time – so the earlier you start, the more time you give your money to work for you! Watch the SEC’s “What’s compound interest?” video, and then use the SEC’s Compound Interest Calculator at Investor.gov to find out how the money you save can grow over time.
- Planning for Your Goals: You probably already have many financial goals you hope to achieve someday, like starting your own business or going to college. A concrete plan can help keep you on track! Ask yourself what goals you want to achieve, write them down, then use the SEC’s Savings Goal Calculator at Investor.gov to calculate how much money you’d need to save each month to meet those goals.
- Understanding Risk: It’s important to know that all investments have some degree of risk. One way to minimize risk is to spread your money among different investments so that if one goes down in value, the others might make up for those losses. This is a strategy known as diversification, and it can basically be summed up as “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
For teachers
Teachers, you work hard educating our future generations. World Investor Week is a great reminder that your own financial future is important, too! The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy recently issued the Tips for Teachers: Investing for Retirement investor bulletin to help you make informed investment decisions about 403(b) and 457(b) plans as well as other investments. We also offer Saving and Investing for K-12 Educators, a brochure created just for teachers. You can find both of these resources and more on our Saving and Investing Resources for Teachers page on Investor.gov.
We also urge you to be careful of fraudsters who may try target your retirement savings and to be alert to coronavirus-related investment scams.
Resources:
Investor education doesn’t stop after World Investor Week! You can use these SEC resources throughout the school year:
- Investor.gov, the SEC’s website for Main Street investors
- Saving and Investing for Students brochure
SEC in the Jump$tart Clearinghouse
Connect With SEC
Follow SEC on Social:
- Twitter: @SEC_Investor_Ed
- Facebook: SEC Investor Education
Contact Information:
Office of Investor Education and Advocacy
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
www.Investor.gov
www.sec.gov
Toll free number: 800-732-0330
