The contentious debate in Washington concerning the debt ceiling has already had profound consequences for the economy of the United States, effects that will likely be felt for years to come as the country attempts to recover from the credit crisis that paralyzed the global financial system in 2008. (more…)

In response to the recent exposure of several Ponzi schemes and other fraudulent investment offers, as well as in order to guide online investors who are looking for unbiased information on how to invest online, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has launched Investor.gov. Investor.gov is a comprehensive site which provides detailed information about different types of online investments, advice for investing online, alerts regarding potential scams, and general consumer information regarding common investment techniques and products.

As the site is dedicated to the online investor, Investor.gov includes advice regarding online identity theft and how online investors, as well as users of online banking and credit products, can protect against it. The website advises online investors to use common methods of improving online security such as firewalls and personal security packages as well as recommending less well-known security methods such as requesting security tokens from online brokerage firms and banks. Most of all, it warns investors about responding to phishing and other scam E-mails and about participation in online investment scams.

Online investing programs range from those offered by the most renowned names in investment fund and brokerage services, to more speculative investments, to out-and-out fraudulent investment offers, and because of the openness of the Internet, all types of programs are available online to novice investors. Investor.gov promotes safe investment by suggesting questions to ask of any firm or individual which offers investment products or programs online.

The site recommends that investors find out about the track record of any investment advisor and firm as well as listing procedures for handling complaints, including how to report problems to the SEC and how the SEC handles these complaints. Other tools available on the site include fraud alerts, notices of changes in SEC and treasury rules that might affect how investments can be carried out online, and investor bulletins that include specific information about specific types of investments.

Alerts and bulletins also include practical financial advice regarding such general topics as interest rates and returns of various loan and savings programs as well as how to deal with specific types of investments such as retirement plans. These are provided as links to the FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) site which focuses on general investments, whereas the Investor.gov site has an online investment focus.

The Investor.gov site also includes links to FINRA investor tools which allow users to analyze their financial situation as well as to compute interest rates and otherwise simplify quantitative analysis of various investment offers and programs. Among the FINRA links included are games which teach simple investment skills and familiarize new investors with common investment concepts and methods.

Investor.gov is an unbiased online resource for online investors and others who turn to the Internet for investment advice. As it is managed by the SEC, it focuses on avoiding fraud and on recommending legitimate and worthy methods of investing and saving online.

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