In the Autumn 2009 Issue ...

CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE
FOCUS ON: IFIE/JSDA INVESTOR EDUCATION SEMINAR
INVESTOR EDUCATION AROUND THE GLOBE
IFIE MEMBER PROFILE

President's Message

As we start to see the seeds of recovery in the global economy and policymakers continue to take actions to support the new growth, now is a good time to assess the effectiveness of your investor education progammes and suggest new ideas to policymakers.

The International Forum for Investor Education (IFIE) charter states: "The primary objective of IFIE is to improve the global standard of investor education in order to help investors in all financial markets to better understand the risks and opportunities associated with various types of investments and the process of investment." IFIE strives to create a foundation for information sharing among investor education organizations around the world to help them become more effective. Most recently, it has launched its first global "State of Investor Education Survey" and we'd like your help. We believe that the survey will provide the foundation to help many organizations create new and innovative programmes and will form the basis for benchmarks of excellence for investor education programmes. Please take the time to complete the survey by 21 October 2009. If your organization has not received the survey and wishes to participate, please email Ailis Aaron Wolf in the IFIE Secretariat at aawolf@hastingsgroup.com and she will provide it.

We plan to conduct this survey on an annual basis. As regulators, financial institutions, associations, and educators look for ways to restore investor confidence, we hope our survey will provide a clearer picture of efforts around the world today… and where programmes plan to go in the coming years.

Yours,

Steve Joachim
Chairman
International Forum for Investor Education

Focus on: IFIE/JSDA Investor Education Seminar

IFIE is co-sponsoring a regional investor education seminar with the Japan Securities Dealers Association on 22 October 2009 in Tokyo for international and Japanese participants and a smaller session on 23 October 2009 in Osaka for Japanese participants. The program will range from case studies in investor education programmes in Asia, Japan, the UK and the U.S. to investor education for the elderly and in schools.

For more information, including a draft program, please visit http://www.jsda.or.jp/html/eigo/090717e.html.

Investor education around the globe

JSE Ltd (the Johannesburg Stock Exchange or “JSE,” for short) is licensed as an exchange under the Securities Services Act, 2004 and Africa's premier exchange. It has operated as a market place for the trading of financial products for nearly 120 years. In this time, the JSE has evolved from a traditional floor based equities trading market to a modern securities exchange providing fully electronic trading, clearing and settlement in equities, financial and agricultural derivatives and other associated instruments and has extensive surveillance capabilities. The JSE is also a major provider of financial information. In everything it does, the JSE strives to be a responsible corporate citizen. In addition to educational materials found on its Web site, JSE also partners with Liberty Life to administer the JSE/Liberty Life Investment Challenge both to school age and university age students. The program is an investment game open to all students to teach them about investing and how the JSE works.

The Capital Market Development Authority (CMDA) is responsible for developing and regulating the capital market in the Maldives. It has statutory powers to license securities market intermediaries including brokers, dealers, investment advisers, as well as stock exchanges and central depositories. The CMDA was established under the Maldives Securities Act, 2006 and commenced operations on 26thJanuary 2006. Market awareness programs are conducted by the Investor Education and Market Awareness Section of the Capital Market Development Authority (CMDA). The purpose of Investor Education Programs are to sensitize the Maldivian population on the objectives of developing a fully fledge stock exchange, the nature and the type of tradable instruments, market intermediaries such as brokers, investing in the market and the role of the regulators.

IFIE member 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. The 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.

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.