ASC launches contest to kick off investor education month

“The ASC has many free investor education resources and tools that can help Albertans learn more about investing and how to protect their money from unsuitable or fraudulent investments,” says Tamera Van Brunt, ASC’s director of communications and investor education. “We hope that this contest will encourage Albertans to ask the ASC questions and check out the information we have available when facing investment decisions.”

Albertans can enter by submitting their questions about investing to the ASC via Twitter or through an online form on the ASC website (www.albertasecurities.com). By the end of the contest period, the ASC will post answers to all eligible questions on the ASC website. Each eligible question submitted will equal one entry into a draw where a lucky winner will receive a BlackBerry 16GB PlayBook with Wi-Fi.

According to recent research, 84% of Albertans said that reliable, unbiased information about investing is important to them. Yet, 22% of Albertans look to potentially biased and unreliable online sources such as blogs, chat rooms, forums and discussion boards for information about investing (Source: CSA Investor Index 2009). The ASC’s goal during Investor Education Month and throughout the year is to encourage investors to use the ASC’s unbiased investor education, investing and fraud prevention resources.

The Everything you always wanted to know about investing, but were afraid to ask contest begins on October 6 and closes on October 31. Albertans can find out how to participate by following ASC on Twitter @ASCUpdates or viewing the contest page and rules on the ASC website.

The ASC is the regulatory agency responsible for administering the province’s securities laws. It is entrusted to foster a fair and efficient capital market in Alberta and to protect investors. As a member of the Canadian Securities Administrators, the ASC works to improve, coordinate and harmonize the regulation of Canada’s capital markets.