United State

Office of

Personnel Management

The Federal Government’s Human Resources Agency

Retirement and Insurance Service

Benefits Administration Letter

Number: 99-702 Date: October 27, 1999

Subject: Free Investors’ Town Hall Meeting, Albuquerque, NM

Background: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Bond

Market Association are sponsoring a free Investors’ Town Meeting in

Albuquerque, NM. This seminar will allow you the chance to ask

questions about your investments. Instructors for the seminars are

members of the Steering Committee for the Investors’ Town Meeting.

The featured speakers will be Arthur Levitt, Chairman, U.S. Securities

and Exchange Commission; William Verant, Acting Director of New

Mexico Securities Division, U.S. Representative Heather Wilson, and

U.S. Representative Michael Oxley.

Where: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Why

Participate To get the facts on how to invest wisely and plan for your financial

future. At the Investors’ Town Meeting, you’ll hear tips from the

experts on how to make informed investment decisions, monitor

your current investments, and avoid problems. And you’ll learn

how to make your hard-earned money work harder for you.

Members of the audience will also be able to ask the experts

questions and attend informative seminars on saving and investing.
Seminar

Specifics: The Town Meeting is FREE.

When: Saturday, November 20, 1999

9:00 to 10:00 a.m.-- Registration and Investor Education Displays

10:00 to 11:00 a.m. – Town Meeting and Q and A session

11:45 to 12:00 a.m. -- Break and Complimentary Refreshments

 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. -- Investment Seminars

Where: The Radison Hotel and Conference Center

2500 Carlisle Northeast

Albuquerque, NM

RSVP: Fred Chavez

By phone: (800) 216-6667 or

By fax: (303) 844-1010 or

By e-mail: chavezf@sec.gov

Scheduled, are eight one-hour seminars from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

after the Town Meeting. You may attend one seminar in each time

slot, space permitting. When you RSVP, be sure to indicate which

seminars you would like to attend. The seminars are as follows:

12:00 p.m.

a. Successful Investing -– Basic Principles For New Investors

What are the ten most common mistakes that investors make?

What 10 principles should you follow to avoid those mistakes?

Presented by: Securities Industry Association

b. Investment Strategy – For Experienced Investors

Learn how to evaluate the three key elements of investment

strategy— market conditions, investment policy, and asset

allocation – and how to apply these elements to your personal

investment strategy.

Presented by: Association for Investment Management and

Research

c. Choosing a Broker – Online? Or Not?

Full service brokers, discount brokers, on-line brokers – How do

investors decided what’s right for them? Advice from your State

securities regulator.

Presented by: New Mexico Securities Division
d. Understanding Bonds (to be repeated at 1:00 p.m.)

Learn about the bond markets, how bonds might fit into your

portfolio, and how to buy bonds. This seminar is for investors with

some investing experience who want to learn about bonds.

Presented by: The Bond Market Association

1:00 p.m.

e. Introduction to Mutual Funds -- For Beginning Investors

You’ll leave with a list of nine questions you should ask before you

buy a mutual fund, so you can choose funds that match your goals.

Presented by: Investment Company Institute

f. Want to Work Forever? If Not, Choose To Save!

Bring your calculator to this hands-on workshop to get a Ballpark

Estimate of how much you will need to save for your retirement.

You’ll also learn about tools to help you along the way.

Presented by: American Savings Education Council

g. Selecting Stocks for the Long Term

Want to invest in stocks, but don’t know where to start? Learn how

to look at company revenues and earnings, where to find

information about companies, and five tests to choose a promising

stock. 

Presented by: National Association of Investors

h. Understanding Bonds (repeated from 12:00 p.m.)

Learn about the bond markets, how bonds might fit into your

portfolio, and how to buy bonds. This seminar is for investors with

some investing experience who want to learn more about bonds.

Presented by: The Bond Market Association Corporation

The Town Meeting is free so we encourage all agencies to participate.

Reservations are being made on a first come first served basis, so

make your reservations today. For those attendees who require

auxiliary aids, such as a sign language interpreter, please call Fred

Chavez at (303) 844-1035, or through TDD relay service by first

dialing (800) 877-8339.

Mary M. Sugar, Chief

Agency Services Division

Retirement and Insurance Service