Investor Alerts

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529 Plans
College Savings Plans—School Yourself Before You Invest  
 

Annuities and Insurance
Equity-Indexed Annuities—A Complex Choice Updated  
Seniors Beware: What You Should Know About Life Settlements  
Should You Exchange Your Variable Annuity?  
Variable Annuities: Beyond the Hard Sell  
Should You Exchange Your Life Insurance Policy?  
 

Bonds
Auction Rate Securities: What Happens When Auctions Fail Updated  
Catastrophe Bonds and Other Event-Linked Securities  
 

Frauds and Scams
Well-Traveled Fraud—Advance-Fee Scams Target Non-U.S. Investors Using Fake Regulator Web Sites and False Broker Identities Updated  
Beware of Online Job Classifieds Used to Steal Your Identity  
Keeping Your Account Secure: Tips for Protecting Your Financial Information  
Save Your Energy and Money—Don't Fall for Energy Stock Scams  
"Free Lunch" Investment Seminars—Avoiding the Heartburn of a Hard Sell  
"China" Stocks—Look Beyond the Name Before You Invest  
"I hope this is your email" Scam Offers No Hope of Profits  
"Dash" Gov Sites Part of Ploy to Dash Off With Your Money  
Bird Flu Stock Scam Could Be Hazardous to Your Financial Health  
Beware of Hot Stock Tips on Your Cell Phone  
Beware of Stock Fraud in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina  
Stock Spams and Scams  
"Phishing" and Other Online Identity Theft Scams: Don't Take the Bait  
Fears of Anthrax and Terrorism Spawning Investment Scams  
 

Margin and Borrowing
Investing with Borrowed Funds: No "Margin" for Error Updated  
100% Mortgages: The Low Down on No Money Down  
Betting the Ranch: Risking Your Home to Buy Securities  
Subordination Agreements—Understand the Risks  
 

Mutual Funds
Treasury's Guarantee Program for Money Market Mutual Funds: What You Should Know  
Systematic Investment Plans—Educate Yourself Before You Enlist Updated  
Net Asset Value Transfers: Look Before You Leap Into Another Mutual Fund  
Mutual Fund Breakpoints: Are You Owed a Refund?  
Class B Mutual Fund Shares: Do They Make the Grade?  
Principal-Protected Funds—Security Has a Price  
Understanding Mutual Fund Classes  
Mutual Fund Breakpoints: A Break Worth Taking  
Funds of Hedge Funds—Higher Costs and Risks for Higher Potential Returns  
 

Private Offerings
Brokerage Firm Private Securities Offerings: Buying Your Brokerage  
 

Promissory Notes
Promissory Notes Can Be Less Than Promised  
 

Retirement Accounts
Job Dislocation: Managing the Financial Impact of Unexpected Job Loss  
Weathering Tough Financial Times—The Long-term Costs of Quick Cash  
401(k) Debit Cards—Think Before You Swipe  
Reverse Mortgages: Avoiding a Reversal of Fortune  
Putting Too Much Stock in Your Company—A 401(k) Problem Updated  
Look Before You Leave: Don't Be Misled By Early Retirement Investment Pitches That Promise Too Much  
Think Twice Before Cashing Out Your 401(k)  
"Stretch" IRAs—Too Much of a Stretch for You?  
 

Trading Securities
If a Brokerage Firm Closes Its Doors  
Market Risk: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You  
Customer Advisory Centers: Not Your Typical Securities Firm Call Center  
Protect Your Online Brokerage Account: Safety Should Come First When Logging In and Out  
Bearing Up in a Bear Market: You Still Need to Open Your Account Statements  
10 Tips to Keep Track of Your Investments