New SEC Public Service Campaign: Investing Regularly Really Adds Up

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA) today unveiled a public service campaign (PSC) to educate investors on the benefits of investing and encourage them to use the free financial planning tools and information on the SEC’s online resource − Investor.gov. More than 30 million users have accessed Investor.gov since it launched in October 2009. The SEC expanded its outreach program in 2016 to include PSCs to reach and educate more investors.

As part of the campaign, investors can also test their investing knowledge with a new quiz that will be published each month on Investor.gov/quiz.

“Everyone should have access to accurate, useful information to help them invest for their future,” said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. “Through our outreach efforts and online resources, our hope is to reach as many different audiences and potential investors as possible.”

One of the important goals of the public service campaign is to reach new investors, particularly those who are traditionally underserved, to ensure they are aware of the free resources available to help them make informed financial and investment decisions. The PSC videos highlight useful content on Investor.gov, such as the compound interest calculator to determine how much their money can grow using the power of compound interest, and emphasizes how easy it is to diversify an investment portfolio. Additionally, other videos address investing topics including day trading, SPACs (special purpose acquisition companies), ESG (environmental, social, governance) investing, options, index funds, margin accounts, microcap stocks, and fractional shares.

“This year’s public service campaign focuses on helping investors understand that the real celebration in investing is obtaining the necessary knowledge to make the best investment decisions to reach their financial goals,” said Lori Schock, Director of the OIEA. “The question and answer videos, along with the additional tools on Investor.gov, will help guide investors along their journey to financial success.”

One of the PSC’s 15-second TV spots shows an investor realizing the benefits of a diversified portfolio, saying, “I had no idea it was that easy to diversify my portfolio.” Once the concept is realized, balloons drop into the scene to help the investors celebrate their new investing knowledge.

The other TV spot shows an investor learning about compound interest and the possible financial gains of regularly contributing to investments. saying, “I had no idea investing regularly could add up this much.” As soon as the concept sinks in, cheerleaders pop into the scene to help the investor celebrate her investing knowledge.