Coordinated by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, National Futures Association and other strategic partners such as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Chicago Board Options Exchange and the CME Group, have come together to organize Money Smart Week. From April 21-28, more than 450 free educational classes, seminars and activities will be offered around the Chicagoland area focusing on financial topics for people of all walks of life.
On Wednesday, April 25, NFA will join other regulatory and enforcement agencies at a Financial Regulators Fair at the State of Illinois Building, Thompson Center. Representatives from twelve agencies, including the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) will distribute information on financial protection, banking, credit and investing. The event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
"When making important financial decisions, even simple actions like asking a few smart questions can help set people on the right course," said CFTC Chairman Gary Gensler. "CFTC exists to protect Americans in financial markets and to ensure the integrity of the marketplace for investors."
On Thursday, April 26, NFA, the CFTC and AARP will co-sponsor a seminar titled "Avoiding Fraud is Your Best Money Strategy". The program will be held at the AARP Illinois office at 222 N. LaSalle St., 4th floor conference room, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Representatives from the CFTC and NFA will provide attendees with advice on how to identify the warning signs and avoid investment fraud. Anyone wishing to attend the program should pre-register with Yelena Yankovskaya by calling (312) 458-3607 or emailing yyankovskaya@aarp.org.
"Trading derivatives also involves having the capability to identify red flags and deals that are too good to be true," said Karen Wuertz, Senior Vice President at National Futures Association. "That's why our investor education initiatives aim to help individuals understand the markets and the basics of derivatives trading."
Finally, on Friday, April 27, NFA will co-sponsor a seminar titled, "Introduction to Trading Futures, Options and How to Avoid Investment Fraud." The program will be held at the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) at 400 S. LaSalle St. from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Representatives from NFA will discuss trading derivatives as well as how to identify warning signs and avoid investment fraud. Anyone wishing to attend the program should pre-register by calling Ruth Hong Brininger at (312) 781-1371 or emailing rhongbrininger@nfa.futures.org.
"As a long-time supporter of Money Smart Week, CBOE is pleased to host NFA's educational seminar this year," Debra Peters, Vice President, CBOE's Options Institute, said. "Literacy programs such as NFA's can help investors become more knowledgeable financial consumers and allow them to better manage their financial portfolios."
For more information on these and other Money Smart Week events, visit www.moneysmartweek.org/Chicago.
