News Release
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Nancy Condon (202) 728-8379
Herb Perone (202) 728-8464

 

FINRA Expands Investor Education Outreach with Integrated, Multimedia Advertising Campaign Aimed at Baby Boomers

Washington, DC — The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) today announced the launch of its first, broad-based advertising campaign aimed directly at baby boomers, a demographic that its research shows lacks confidence in their investing knowledge and is eager to better understand their investment options.

With 10,000 baby boomers retiring every day over the next quarter century, FINRA believes it is crucial to reach out to baby boomers now, as they approach retirement. Recent FINRA Investor Education Foundation-sponsored research showed that seniors are targeted more frequently by investment fraudsters than younger investors.

"FINRA-sponsored research has consistently shown that the vast majority of investors acknowledge that they need to increase their investing knowledge and have a strong interest in education and information that's unbiased," said FINRA CEO Mary Schapiro. "Large majorities also report being anxious about losing money on their investments, saving for retirement and becoming victims of investment fraud - underscoring the growing need for thorough, accessible, user-friendly investor tools and educational resources.

"FINRA is committed to protecting investors and investor education is the most potent form of investor protection. So, we have committed substantial resources to developing a vast array of online resources for investors," Schapiro said.

FINRA's Advertising Campaign

The integrated advertising campaign, which includes television, radio, print and online advertisements, is designed to drive investors to the many financial tools and educational resources available at www.finra.org. The advertisements use an upbeat tone to make investors comfortable with seeking in-depth information about retirement savings strategies, how the markets work and how to check out the professional backgrounds of brokers and securities firms. "As this ad campaign shows, reaching out to the largest demographic in the United States is a top priority for FINRA," said Schapiro.

FINRA has selected a broad range of multimedia outlets to reach its target demographic:

  • Television advertising will air on HGTV, BusinessWeek TV, the History Channel, CNBC, Discovery and the FOX Business Network in frequent rotation over a seven-week period.
  • Radio advertising will air nationally on MONEYTALK with Bob Brinker on the ABC Radio Network, while also running regionally on news/talk radio stations in the Washington, D.C., West Palm Beach and Phoenix areas.
  • Print advertising will appear in Fortune, Forbes, Kiplinger's, Money, Smart Money, BusinessWeek and US News & World Report.
  • Online ads will run on many of those publications' web sites, while also running on lifestyle sites such as Redbook.com, More.com, Goodhousekeeping.com, Parade.com and the social networking site Gather.com.

The advertising campaign was developed by Doremus, a specialist business communications agency.

FINRA's Tools for Investors

On its Web site, FINRA offers extensive information and multiple tools to help investors save, invest and manage their money. One of the most popular is BrokerCheck, which allows investors to search a database to learn a broker's background - including licenses and registrations held, customer complaints and past disciplinary actions. Other online tools include learning centers focusing on retirement accounts, 529 College Savings Plans, bond investing and more, as well as calculators to assist with investing in mutual funds, ETFs, 529 College Savings Plans and other securities products.

About FINRA

FINRA, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, is the largest non-governmental regulator for all securities firms doing business in the United States. Created in 2007 through the consolidation of NASD and NYSE Member Regulation, FINRA is dedicated to investor protection and market integrity through effective and efficient regulation and complementary compliance and technology-based services. FINRA touches virtually every aspect of the securities business-from registering and educating all industry participants to examining securities firms; writing rules; enforcing those 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. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.finra.org.

 
About The FINRA Investor Education Foundation

The FINRA Investor Education Foundation is the largest Foundation in the United States dedicated to investor education. It supports innovative research and educational projects that give investors the tools they need to better understand the markets and the basic principles of saving and investing. To date, the FINRA Foundation has approved $10.4 million in grants and an additional $10.2 million in direct investor education programming. For details about grant programs and other FINRA Foundation initiatives, visit www.finrafoundation.org.