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Profiles of IFIE Members' Financial and Investor Education Programs

Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association and Foundation for Investor Education

	Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association and Foundation for Investor Education www.sifma.com www.pathtoinvesting.org

Financial and Investor Education Program Profile:

The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association(SIFMA) represents the industry which powers the global economy. Born of the merger between The Securities Industry Association and The Bond Market Association, SIFMA is the single powerful voice for strengthening markets and supporting investors -- the world over.

Our dynamic, new organization is passionately dedicated to representing more than 650 member firms of all sizes, in all financial markets in the U.S. and around the world. We are committed to enhancing the public’s trust and confidence in the markets, delivering an efficient, enhanced member network of access and forward-looking services, as well as premiere educational resources for the professionals in our industry and the investors whom they serve.

The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) www.sifma.org Mission is to champion policies and practices that benefit investors and issuers, expand and perfect global capital markets, and foster the development of new products and services. Fundamental to achieving this mission is earning, inspiring and upholding the public’s trust in the industry and the markets.

The target audience for SIFMA’s investor education program includes financial advisers, internal training programs at financial intermediaries and the investing public. The initiatives offered by the Investor Education Program are distributed through SIFMA member firms as well as through the Web sites.

In order to encourage increased levels of financial literacy, the Foundation for Investor Education, which is a charitable, educational not-for-profit (501-c-3) organization dedicated to providing investor education in the United States was established. The foundation administers two programs: (1) the Foundation for Investor Education, sponsor of the Stock Market Game Program™ (www.stockmarketgame.org), which combines a stock-trading simulation with classroom curriculum for students in grades four through 12; and (2) the Investor Education Program, which offers the educational Web site, Path To Investing (www.pathtoinvesting.org), as well as print materials aimed at adults of all levels of investing experience. See www.sifma.org/services/publications/publications.html. More information on these programs is also available at: www.foundationforinvestoreducation.org.

What Works Particularly Well and Why:

• One of the most successful components of the Path to Investing Web site is the section called Guided Trips, which contains detailed information from market experts about various financial topics such as managing expectations, allocating assets, demystifying stock research, etc. This section is located on the home page of the Web site. The Web site also contains a section with quizzes and puzzles that are changed on a monthly basis and which, according to testimonials from stockbrokers and teachers, are both fun and useful for their beginning investors and students.

How We Learn About Our Audiences' Investor Education Needs:

• SIFMA has been carrying out surveys of investor's attitudes towards the financial industry and financial advisers for the past 10 years. These surveys include questions about respondents' perceived need for investor education.

Tools We Use in Our Investor Education Programs:

• The Path to Investing Web site has a library of Investor Resources which contains a dictionary, calculators and host of interactive features.

Different Delivery and Marketing Strategies to Reach Our Audiences, Educate and Help Them Use Our Materials:

• The Path to Investing Web site has specialized content for families, for women and for retirement planning. In addition to the Web site, the materials are distribution through SIA member firms as well as schools participating in the Stock Market Game program.



• Outreach is currently done through SIFMA member firms.

How We Measure the Impact of Our Investor Education Programs:

• The content of the Web site is continually evaluated by the Foundation for Investor Education and SIFMA's Investor Education Advisory Committee to assure that current market trends are accurately reflected in the content of the Web site. In addition, online surveys gather user's evaluation of the Web site and comprehensive usability studies further evaluate and strengthen the effectiveness of the Web site.

Other Investor Education Initiatives:

• The Web site includes a section on Resolving Problems that discusses some of the issues investor's may face in resolving disputes.



• The Web site has an entire section on what investors need to know prior to choosing a brokerage firm and another section on what investor's need to know prior to choosing a financial adviser.

A Best Practice Investor Education Case Study:

• Undoubtedly the Foundation's most successful initiative is the Stock Market Game Program™, an online education program used in thousands of classrooms nationwide to help teach math, social studies, business, economics, and language skills while focusing on the importance of long-term savings and investment. Students in grades four through 12 participate in teams and manage a simulated investment portfolio during the school year. Grade and subject-specific curriculum guides, lesson plans, and newsletters are provided for classroom instruction. Teachers receive training to incorporate the program across the curriculum and use the program to help meet educational requirements in core curriculum areas. The Stock Market Game, introduced in 1977 as the first educational stock market simulation, has now reached more than nine million students, making it the most widely used program of its kind. More information about the SMG Program is available at: www.stockmarketgame.org.