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The Trinidad and Tobago Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) was established by the Securities Industry Act 1995 (the Act) to regulate the securities market in Trinidad and Tobago. Through its services to the public the Commission provides protection to investors from unfair, improper and fraudulent practices, and fosters fair and efficient capital markets and confidence in their integrity.
As global markets become more complex and volatile, investors require access to more reliable information in order to guide their investment decisions. Our Investor Education programme has generally focused on developing a more literate financial consumer who can make informed and suitable personal investment decisions, while avoiding the pitfalls and dangers that can arise in the form of unregistered financial products as well as various scams and fraudulent investment schemes.
We cannot tell investors what investments to make but through our programme we will provide information on the role and function of the SEC, the rights and responsibilities of investors, a guide to making wise investment decisions and much more. Our initiatives aim to demystify financial concepts and are designed to equip ordinary investors with the tools they need to understand and evaluate the risks and benefits of various financial products and to recognize, avoid and report illegal investment schemes.
It is the Commission’s view that investors and potential investors hold the key to and even more importantly bear the responsibility for their own financial futures. Our vision is for a better informed, educated and more confident citizenry, able to take greater responsibility for their investment and financial affairs, with the ability to play a more active role in the market for financial services.
Our Investor Education Outreach programmes are conducted by staff of the Commission and take place throughout Trinidad and Tobago. The focus of the programmes will be on investors’ rights and responsibilities through discussions and presentations on:
Our target audiences include:
Young adults (16-25), who are furthering or have completed higher education or training, getting that first real job or aiming to do so. As they move into adulthood, they will take on more responsibility for their own personal finances.
Adults in the workplace. Recruitment, promotion, relocation, parental leave, flexible working hours, redundancy and retirement all have an impact on one’s finances and ought to be the trigger for a review one’s financial arrangements. The workplace is therefore a natural channel for reaching people with specific investor education needs
Persons preparing for Retirement. Retirement is one of those activities that should be carefully planned for, but its attention is often postponed. More complex financial solutions and a greater emphasis on people taking personal responsibility for their finances make this target group a priority.
Sessions will be uniquely created with the target audience in mind. At the end of the sessions a questionnaire will be administered to the group to determine:
As a result of the exposure to our programme beneficiaries are expected to make sensible decisions about their money, take control of their finances and demand better services from the industry.
Feel free to contact the Commission’s Communications Unit at 624-2991 Ext.1275 or 1259 if you are interested in having an outreach session for your group or fill out the form below.
