New online resources were released Thursday by the New Brunswick Securities Commission in response to concerns by investors for the need for reliable unbiased information about investing.

The resources include brochures and new website content, which will be promoted through an online contest to be held in October as part Investor Education Month.

“One of the best ways we can help protect investors is to ensure the information needed to make informed investment decisions is readily available,” says Rick Hancox, executive director of the NBSC. “We hope that, by providing the information in various convenient formats, investors will take time to learn about investing and plan for their financial future.”

To promote this information, and in recognition of Investor Education Month, the NBSC will be holding an online trivia contest. New Brunswickers can enter the contest by answering the questions on the commission’s website or via Twitter (@NBSecuritiesCom). Each week, the NBSC will release information on its website about different topics, including stock markets, investment types, questions to ask financial advisers and tips for understanding and dealing with volatile markets.

The trivia questions will be based on the topic for each week. New Brunswickers will be able to submit one entry per day for weekly prizes and one grand prize, which will be drawn from eligible entries at the end of the month.

The Canadian Securities Administrators 2009 Investor Index identified several important issues for New Brunswick investors, including:

> the need for reliable unbiased information about investing (84% of respondents);
> the uncertainty of returns in the market (82% of respondents); and
> knowing how to choose a financial adviser (78% of respondents).

The study also indicated that 80% of New Brunswickers believe it is the responsibility of the individual to acquire the skills needed to make sound investment decisions. Further, 85% agreed that investors should never make decisions without doing independent research.

IE