# Investor Alerts and Bulletins

The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy provides a variety of services and tools to address problems you may face as an investor. Investor Alerts, focused on recent investment frauds and scams, and Investor Bulletins, focused on topical issues including recent Commission actions, are provided as a service to investors. They are neither legal interpretations nor statements of SEC policy. If you have questions concerning the meaning or application of a particular law or rule, please consult with an attorney who specializes in securities law. Subscribe to get Investor Alerts and Bulletins by email.

- New “T+1” Settlement Cycle – What Investors Need To Know: Investor Bulletin 
- Investment Scams Involving Fake Form 4 Filings: Updated Investor Alert The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this updated Investor Alert to warn about fraudsters sending investors fake Form 4 filings as part of a scam.  Fraudsters often use official-looking forms to try to establish credibility with potential victims. One example is Form 4, which is a type of form filed with the SEC to make the public aware of a corporate insider’s purchases and sales of the company’s securities.
- Updated Investor Bulletin: How to Read a Mutual Fund or ETF Shareholder Report 
- Brokered CDs: Investor Bulletin 
- Investor Resilience, Crypto Assets, and Sustainable Finance: World Investor Week 2023 — Investor Bulletin 
- Updated Investor Bulletin: An Introduction to ABLE Accounts The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to educate investors about ABLE accounts.
- Subscription-based Advisory Fees: Investor Bulletin 
- Updated Investor Bulletin: An Introduction to 529 Plans This publication provides an overviewof 529 plans and comparison of the two types of these plans: prepaid tuition andcollege savings.  You will gain some insight as to the advantages anddisadvantages associated with the plans, the investment choices and options, thetax implications, and the questions to ask before investing in a 529 plan.
- Updated Investor Bulletin: 10 Questions to Consider Before Opening a 529 Account The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to answer questions that may arise when investing in a 529 plan account. Please also see our companion Bulletin, An Introduction to 529 Plans, for background information on the plans.
- Updated Investor Bulletin: Leveraged and Inverse ETFs The SEC staff and FINRA are issuing this Alert because we believe individual investors may be confused about the performance objectives of leveraged and inverse exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
- Natural Disasters and Investment Scams – Investor Alert 
- Investors in the Crypto Asset Markets Should Exercise Caution With Alternatives to Financial Statement Audits: Investor Bulletin 
- Investor Bulletin: Holding Your Securities 
- Investor Bulletin: Holding Your Securities This publication explains in detail the choices you have when it comes to holding your securities including the advantages and disadvantages. It also answers many of your frequently asked questions.
- Investor Bulletin: SIPC Protection (Part 1: SIPC Basics) 
- Investor Bulletin: SIPC Protection (Part 2: Filing a SIPC Claim) 
- Protect Your Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Account From Fraud -- Investor Alert 
- What You Need to Know About the End of LIBOR – Investor Bulletin 
- Exercise Caution with Crypto Asset Securities: Investor Alert 
- Investor Alert: Self-Directed IRAs and the Risk of Fraud The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Alert to warn investors of risks associated with self-directed Individual Retirement Accounts (self-directed IRAs). Self-directed IRAs allow investment in a broader—and potentially riskier—portfolio of assets than other types of IRAs.  While a broader set of investment options may have appeal, investors should be mindful that investments in self-directed IRAs raise risks including fraudulent schemes, high fees, and volatile performance.
- Trading Prohibitions on Foreign Companies Under the HFCAA: Updated Investor Bulletin 
- Investor Alert: Identity Theft, Data Breaches and Your Investment Accounts 
- Investment Adviser Advertisements 
- Updated Investor Bulletin: Investing in an IPO 
- Updated Investor Bulletin: Crowdfunding Investment Limits Increase The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this Investor Bulletin to advise investors about the inflation-adjusted increase in the investment limits for securities-based crowdfunding.