FGC BOLSA - FGC FINANCIAL MARKETS INFO

Funding your holiday fun Bridget Small Consumer Education Specialist, FTC It’s holiday season; time to visit family and friends, buy gifts and celebrate. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of sales and shopping, but if money is tight right now, you may wonder if you can afford all that holiday cheer. Before you start ringing up holiday expenses, make a  budget  and get a fix on your income, expenses and what you have to spend. Keep your budget — and long-term finances — in mind as you decide how to cover holiday expenses. Read more >

There’s smart. And then there’s CFTC SmartCheck. Joshua Bailes Consumer Content Specialist, Office of Consumer Outreach, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Investors often fail to check the background of their financial professional, making themselves vulnerable to fraudsters. Additionally, investors can sometimes overlook signs that indicate there’s something wrong with the person, and instead focus on just the supposed profit. This can leave them vulnerable to fraud and financial predators. To help, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission launched SmartCheck on November 19, 2014, a campaign designed to encourage investors to check out the background of their financial professional when they invest. Research has shown that much of investment fraud is committed by unregistered or unlicensed financial professionals, or by those with disciplinary history in their background. This information is ready available, but it is often ignored by investors. Read more &