Skip to main content

Company Filings

SEC Emblem
U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission
  • About
    • Careers
    • Commissioners
    • Contact
    • Reports and Publications
    • Securities Laws
    • What We Do
  • Divisions & Offices
    • Corporation Finance
    • Enforcement
    • Investment Management
    • Economic and Risk Analysis
    • Trading and Markets
    • Office of Administrative Law Judges
    • Examinations
    • Regional Offices
    • All Divisions and Offices
  • Enforcement
    • Litigation Releases
    • Administrative Proceedings
    • Opinions and Adjudicatory Orders
    • Accounting and Auditing
    • Trading Suspensions
    • How Investigations Work
    • Receiverships
    • Information for Harmed Investors
  • Regulation
    • Rulemaking Index
    • Proposed Rules
    • Final Rules
    • Interim Final Temporary Rules
    • Other Orders and Notices
    • Self-Regulatory Organizations
    • Staff Interpretations
  • Education
    • Investor Education
    • Capital Raising
    • Small Business
    • Glossaries
  • Filings
    • EDGAR – Search & Access
    • EDGAR – Information for Filers
    • Company Filing Search
    • How to Search EDGAR
    • Requesting Public Documents
    • Forms List
    • About EDGAR
  • News
    • Press Releases
    • Speeches and Statements
    • Spotlight Topics
    • Upcoming Events
    • Webcasts
    • SEC in the News
    • SEC Videos
    • Media Gallery

User account menu

  • Log in
  • U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
    • Divisions & Offices
    • Enforcement
    • Regulation
    • Education
    • Filings
    • Newsroom
  • Newsroom
    • Press Releases
    • Public Statements
    • Speehes
    • Testimony
  • RSS Feeds
    • Press Releases
    • Public Statements
    • Speeches
    • Testimony
  • Social Media
    • @SEC_News
    • SEC Channel
    • SEC Photostream
  • SEC Spotlight
  • 2017 Broker-Dealer Compliance
  • Affinity Fraud
  • Crowdfunding
  • Cybersecurity
  • Disclosure Effectiveness
  • Enforcement Cooperation Initiative
  • Equity Market Structure Roundtables
  • Feds Feed Families
  • Financial Reporting and Audit Group
  • Fireside Chats
  • Fixed Income Market Structure Advisory Committee
  • Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
  • Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs)
  • Implementation of Dodd-Frank Act
  • Interactive Data and XBRL Initiative
  • Investor Advisory Committee
  • Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act
  • Market Structure and Data Analysis
  • Microcap Fraud
  • Money Market Funds
  • Opportunity Zones
  • Regulation SCI
  • SEC and Fintech
  • Short and Long-Term Management of Public Companies
  • Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee
  • Whistleblower Awards
  • SEC Spotlight
  • 2017 Broker-Dealer Compliance
  • Affinity Fraud
  • Crowdfunding
  • Cybersecurity
  • Disclosure Effectiveness
  • Enforcement Cooperation Initiative
  • Equity Market Structure Roundtables
  • Feds Feed Families
  • Financial Reporting and Audit Group
  • Fireside Chats
  • Fixed Income Market Structure Advisory Committee
  • Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
  • Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs)
  • Implementation of Dodd-Frank Act
  • Interactive Data and XBRL Initiative
  • Investor Advisory Committee
  • Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act
  • Market Structure and Data Analysis
  • Microcap Fraud
  • Money Market Funds
  • Opportunity Zones
  • Regulation SCI
  • SEC and Fintech
  • Short and Long-Term Management of Public Companies
  • Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee
  • Whistleblower Awards

Spotlight on Savings and Investing Basics for the Military

SEC and the military header

Investing Basics: Your First Line of Defense

Know Your Surroundings, Get Educated


The best way to invest wisely and avoid falling prey to investment fraud is to get informed. Understanding the risks, researching your financial professional and not being rushed into an investment decision are essential basics to put in your investing rucksack.

  • Understanding the risks: There is no such thing as a guaranteed investment and if someone is telling you they have one available, it is most likely too good to be true. Know the risks associated with investing your money and don’t be afraid to ask questions of your investment professional.
  • Research your investment professional: Investment advisers and broker-dealers are required to register in order to sell securities. A free and easy way to find out if your investment professional is registered is to use the SEC’s database on Investor.gov. If your investment professional is not registered, they cannot sell securities and this should be a red flag. Even better, this database is mobile friendly. Meeting your adviser for the first time? Search his or her name on your mobile device while you wait for your appointment.
  • Don’t be rushed: A fleeting opportunity may be just that. And it might be a scam. Don’t feel pressured by investment offers touting tight timelines or to “Buy right now!” This can be a sign of an investment fraud.
Operation Invest Wisely Header 3

Look Ahead to Retirement


Did you know that you have an investing tool already at your fingertips? The Thrift Savings Plan is a retirement savings plan for federal employees and the military. The TSP is a defined contribution plan, similar to the 401(k) plans that many private companies offer their employees. As with any defined contribution plan, the income you receive from your TSP account will depend on how much you put into the account and the earnings on your investments. If you are in the Blended Retirement System, you can also benefit from matching contributions, up to 5%. You get a tax break when you contribute to the TSP, either now or in the future, depending on whether you contribute to a “traditional” TSP account, or to Roth.

Your TSP funds are fully portable, and can follow you into the private sector if you decide to leave the military. Visit the TSP website for more information.

Need more intel?


  • Attend investor education events offered by your installation’s PFM or the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, and its eleven regional offices. The SEC participates in programs and initiatives aimed at helping members of the military invest wisely and avoid fraud. Interested in hosting one of these events? Contact us.
  • Read investor education materials available on Investor.gov, including Financial Readiness: Saving and Investing for Military Personnel and other specialized resources for members of the military.

Email Updates

Signup for news about this topic.

SEC Investor Training Tips

Markets 101


  • Why Invest?
  • Investing Basics

Tools


  • Broker Check
  • IAPD
  • Military Outreach Toolkit

Office of Investor Education and Advocacy


  • Investor Bulletin: Savings and Investing Basics for Military Personnel
  • Investor Bulletin: Roth TSP for Uniformed Service Members
  • Military Outreach Info

Public Service Announcement:

Check Out Your Investment Professional

Modified: Feb. 28, 2019

STAY CONNECTED
1 Twitter 2 Facebook 3RSS 4YouTube
6LinkedIn 8 Email Updates

About The SEC

  • Budget & Performance
  • Careers
  • Commission Votes
  • Contact
  • Contracts
  • Data Resources

Transparency

  • Accessibility & Disability
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • FOIA
  • Inspector General
  • No FEAR Act & EEO Data
  • Ombudsman
  • Whistleblower Protection

Websites

  • Investor.gov
  • Related Sites
  • USA.gov

Site Information

  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy & Security
  • Site Map
Return to Top