Advocacy, Industry Groups Launch Unique Investor Education Web Site

Site Features Unparalleled Blend of Best Investor Education Materials;
Far-Reaching Coalition Effort Reflects Concerns About Financial Illiteracy

Washington, D.C.///October 28, 1997/// Responding to mounting evidence that financial consumers need and want more quality information about investing from sources that they know and trust, a coalition effort known as the Alliance for Investor Education (AIE) today launched a novel Web-based resource center, www.investoreducation.org.

Drawing on the best of investor education materials from such diverse groups as the Investment Company Institute, the National Association of Securities Dealers, the American Association of Individual Investors, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Securities Industry Association, the AIE Web site includes a number of novel features, including an interactive investment knowledge quiz that directs those who supply wrong answers where to get more information. The site also features a keyword topic area with two dozen subheadings directing visitors to the best information available from the Alliance’s 17 members. Web site content will grow over the coming months as new information from members and non-members (who will undergo full content screening) is added.

“Extensive research has shown us that many investors are not always aware of their educational needs,” said AIE President Morton J. Wagner, who also serves as co-chair of the Securities Industry Association’s Investor Education Committee. “The site will direct investors to educational materials on specific investor topics, and, at the same time, provide individuals with a better understanding of the full range of information they need to make informed investment decisions.”

The site, which will be updated on a regular basis, also provides investors with highlights of investor related events, links to the latest investor news, and profiles of member educational initiatives.

“Both the novice and sophisticated investor will be able to find useful information on the Alliance Web site,” said John Markese, president of the American Association of Individual Investors and a member of the AIE subcommittee that designed the Web site. “But it’s not just for individuals. Organizations serving investor needs will also find useful information on the site.”

Dedicated to facilitate a greater understanding of investing, the Alliance for Investor Education was established in 1996 as a coalition of leading financial services industry and investor advocacy groups. Member constituencies comprise the entire investment community, ranging from individuals to financial institutions. The Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the North American Securities Administrators Association are among the government and quasi-governmental advisors to the Alliance.

CONTACT: Ailis Aaron Wolf, (703) 276-3265 or .