BBB Smart Investing
Investors lose millions every year to risky investments and fraudulent scams, and the problem is getting worse as more people manage their own retirement savings. BBB has partnered with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, part of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, to help combat investment fraud and through the BBB Smart Investing program.
Ask & Check
Have you received a pitch from a salesperson (or maybe even a friend) promoting an investment product? Were you tempted to take advantage of the opportunity? Not so fast! Always ask and check. Smart Investing has great resources and tools – all available online, for free – to help every individual assess their vulnerability to investment scams.
For more information, visit Ask and Check.
Check Out the Investment
Are you pondering an investment? Before you go any further, do your homework. An important first step is to check if the investment is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). For more information, click on this link and follow these steps for researching an investment.
Always remember to check the investment.
Check Out the Broker
Before you sign on the dotted line and commit to any investment, use FINRA BrokerCheck, an online tool that will help you research a brokerage firm or an investment professional. At no cost to you, you can search for information about brokers and adviser firms, obtain reports and get additional educational tools.
Never commit to an investment without FINRA BrokerCheck.
- To search for a business in the U.S. or Canada, or to find your local BBB, go to BBB.org
- For information on charities, go to Give.org
- For more information on scams, go to BBB Scamstopper and BBB Smart Investing
- For information on U.S. government services, go to: USA.gov
- For information on Canadian government services, go to Service Canada
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The BBB is dedicated to fostering honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers in the U.S. and Canada, instilling consumer confidence and contributing to a trustworthy marketplace for all.
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