Publications & Resources

• Serve Our Seniors (NASAA)
• Senior Investor Resource Center (NASAA)
• Guide for Seniors: Protect Yourself Against Investment Fraud (SEC)
• Stopping Affinity Fraud in Your Community (SEC)
• Research Before You Invest (SEC)
• Protect Your Investments: How to Avoid Fraud (SEC)
• Investing: Employment to Retirement (SEC)
• Investing: Elder Fraud (SEC)
• SaveandInvest.org – Protect Your Money (FINRA)
• Protect Your Money (FINRA)

• Protect Your Future: A Guide to Investment Planning
• Investor Education Resources for Military Service Members (NASAA)
• A Salute to Smart Investing
• Personal Finance for Military Families
• SaveandInvest.org – For the Military (FINRA)
• For Military Personnel and their Families(SEC)
• Educational Outreach to the Military (SEC)

• The Basics of Saving and Investing: Investor Education 2020
  • The Basics of Saving and Investing: Investor Education 2020 is a unique teaching tool that will provide middle and high school students with non-commercial information that they need to know for sound financial decision making and investing throughout their lives. The Basics can be used as a framework for an entire course or as part of a semester or year of instruction. The guide is complete with lesson plans, worksheets, handouts and tests covering each unit.
• Investor Education Resources for Youth and Educators (NASAA)
• Teachers, Classroom Resources (SEC)
• Saving and Investing for Students (SEC)
• Money Math: Lessons for Life (Treasury)
• MyMoney.gov – Resources for Teachers and Educators
• Building Wealth: A Beginner’s Guide to Securing Your Financial Future (Dallas Federal Reserve)
• High School Financial Planning Program Sponsored by the National Endowment for Financial Education

• NASAA Fraud Center (NASAA)
• Protect You Investments: How to Avoid Fraud (SEC)
• Online Publications for Investors: Fraud (SEC)
• Guide for Seniors: Protect Yourself Against Investment Fraud (SEC)
• Stopping Affinity Fraud in Your Community (SEC)
• Protect Your Money: Avoid Fraud (FINRA)
• Scams and Swindles: An Educational Guide to Avoiding Investment Fraud (NFA)
• Avoid Fraud (CFTC)

• Saving and Investing (NASAA)
• Investor Education Resources for Adults and Families (NASAA)
• Understanding Your Brokerage Account Statement (NASAA)
• Introduction to Investing (SEC)
• Investing Basics: Investment Products (SEC)
• Get the Facts: The SEC's Roadmap to Saving and Investing (SEC)
• Online Publications for Investors (SEC)
• Saving and Investing - A Roadmap To Your Financial Security Through Saving and Investing (SEC)
• Saving and Investing for Students (SEC)
• Learn to Invest (FINRA)
• Choose to Save: Brochures (ASEC)

• Saving and Investing (NASAA)
• Investor Education Resources for Adults and Families (NASAA)
• Understanding Your Brokerage Account Statement (NASAA)
• Introduction to Investing (SEC)
• Investing Basics: Investment Products (SEC)
• Get the Facts: The SEC's Roadmap to Saving and Investing (SEC)
• Online Publications for Investors (SEC)
• Saving and Investing - A Roadmap To Your Financial Security Through Saving and Investing (SEC)
• Saving and Investing for Students (SEC)
• Learn to Invest (FINRA)
• Choose to Save: Brochures (ASEC)

• Investing Basics: Stocks (SEC)
• Types of Investments: Stocks (FINRA)
• SEC Publications: Stock (SEC)

• Investing Basics: Bonds (SEC)
• SEC Publications: Bonds (SEC)
• Smart Bond Investing (FINRA)
• Investing in Bonds: Overview  (Project Invested)
  • Project Invested is a rich resource for people at every point on the investing spectrum. Whether you are just beginning to think about investing in bonds or you are a seasoned investor, this site can answer your questions and provide you with the tools you need to invest in the bond market. The site includes bond basics, what you should know about bonds, strategies, bonds for your stage of life, buying and selling bonds, types of bonds including municipal, government, corporate and high yield, and bond markets.

• Investing Basics: Mutual Funds (SEC)
• Mutual Funds and ETFs: A Guide for Investors (SEC)
• SEC Publications: Mutual Funds (SEC)
• Types of Investments: Mutual Funds (FINRA)

• Confidently Planning Your Retirement (NASAA)
• Investing: Employment to Retirement (SEC)
• Managing Retirement Income (FINRA)
• US Department of Labor – Consumer Publications: Retirement (DOL)

• Saving for Education (FINRA)
• An Introduction to 529 Plans (SEC)
• College Savings Plan Network
• Saving for College
• Virginia College Savings Plan

• Crowdfunding (NASAA)
• Small Business Advisory: Crowdfunding (NASAA)

• Be an Informed Franchisee
• A Consumer's Guide to Small Business Investments
• Small Business Advisory: Crowdfunding (NASAA)
• Starting and Managing a Business (SBA)
• A Consumer's Guide to Buying a Franchise (FTC)
• The Franchise Disclosure Document – What Does It Tell You?
• Shall I Invest in a Franchise?
• Small Business Capital Raising Hub - Tools needed to navigate capital raising (SEC)

The Division of Securities and Retail Franchising conducts outreach initiatives to educate Virginia investors.  Similarly, organizations like the SEC’s Office of Investor Education, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), the Investor Protection Trust (IPT) and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) provide a variety of educational online resources for investors.
 
Please take a minute to view the videos below from the above-referenced organizations to learn unbiased information on investment decisions to protect yourself from securities fraud or abuse.

Gen Z & MILLENNIALS

Investomania:
Sometimes investing may look and feel like a game. The SEC’s “Investomania” public service campaign uses a game show concept to educate investors in a playful way that investing is not a game and that they should do their due diligence when making investment decisions. Bottom line - don’t play games with your financial future.

MIDDLE OF THE ROAD: GEN X

Investments involving Crypto Assets
If you are considering an investment opportunity involving crypto assets, you may be wondering if it is legal, if it is right for you, or even whether it might be a scam. Those who are offering crypto-asset related investments or services may not be operating in compliance with applicable law.
 
Use Caution with Celebrity Endorsements
 
MoneyTrack, Money for Life
MoneyTrack is a thirteen-part educational television series created for public television by the Investor Protection Trust with support from state securities regulators. The series features real people dealing with real financial and investment issues. MoneyTrack, Money for Life asks the four key questions every person who wants a secure retirement needs to have the answers to.
  
SENIOR INVESTORS
 
ServeOurSeniors.org
Serve Our Seniors is an initiative of the North American Securities Administrators Association, the voice of state and provincial securities regulators. Senior financial exploitation causes the loss of millions of dollars each year. In this short video, you will hear the stories of some of those affected by this conduct. 
 
Ways to Avoid Investment Fraud
Investment fraudsters often target older people, whom they view as more trusting than younger generations, less likely to say "no," and more apt to have tappable assets after a lifetime of working.

ANYONE & EVERYONE
 
Short Clips to Expand your Securities Knowledge