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Home > Investor Help Guide

Investor Help Guide

Advice & Information | Topics To Explore | Links & Resources

Do You Have A Case? | 3 Questions | Common Broker Misconduct

Perspectives | Real Life Stories

Advice and Information

No one is born knowing how to spot a bad broker or bad investment advice. But all investors can learn to protect themselves. We encourage you to study up on securities-industry rules and protocols before signing on with any investment advisor. To make learning less cumbersome, we summarize some key investor protection guidelines here, in plain English. And we provide a directory of reliable sources, where you'll find in-depth coverage of these topics.

Topics To Explore

Independent journalists have prepared these reports for investors and their families. Click on a title to read the full article.

How to Make Sense of Acronyms for Financial Advisors

Eyes through a magnifying glass

CFA, CFP, ChFC…How Do Consumers Use Acronyms to Choose a Financial Advisor? more

Is my money being handled badly?

Thinking Man

Red flags that say your broker or advisor may be negligent. more

by Scott Woolgar

Can I try to get my money back?

Coins

What to do if you suspect your money has been mismanaged. more

by Kenneth Honeywell

How to tell a bad broker from a good one.

Eyes through a magnifying glass

Know what to ask when hiring an investment advisor. more

by Deborah Duppstadt

How to interview financial advisors.

Compass

Looking for someone to handle your investments? Ask ten questions, three times. more

by Scott Woolgar


Links and Resources


Where to find…

General investment education

Smart Investing Forum

Your rights as an investor

NASAA - Investor Bill of Rights

News and tips from securities market watchdogs

StockPatrol.com - Investor Resources

Senior investor resource center

NASAA - Senior Investor Resource Center

Broker background check

Broker Background Check

Securities class action clearing house

Stanford Securities Class Action Clearinghouse

Government Resources, Stock Exchanges and Regulators



Top of Page

Lessons Learned

Advice from an investor who's been there.

Physicians often tell patients to seek a second opinion. One Midwestern doctor and his wife learned the hard way that you should also get second opinions when it comes to your financial portfolio. The doctor says he's learned:

  • You've got to be proactive about your investments.

  • Pay attention to what's in your portfolio.

  • Get smart about investments; for example, learn the difference between A and B mutual funds.

  • Attend a seminar or class to learn about investments. When the doctor attended his first seminar, his investment had already shrunk to more than half its size, but he learned in class that his portfolio was just the opposite of what it should have been for a man getting ready to retire.


Important Update

NASD and NYSE Member Regulation merged to form new regulatory body.

On July 30, 2007, NASD commenced operations under a new name: the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

This new, self-regulatory organization, formed by the consolidation of NASD and NYSE Member Regulation, will serve as the largest nongovernmental regulatory organization for all securities brokers and dealers doing business with the public in the United States. FINRA will touch virtually every aspect of the securities business – from registering and educating all industry participants to examining securities firms; writing rules; enforcing rules and the federal securities laws; informing and educating the investing public; providing trade reporting and other industry utilities; and administering the largest dispute resolution forum for investors and registered firms.