An encyclopedia of SEC and Investor.gov topics. Each article was written from official government search results. The inline links are the pages that were retrieved.
How investing works
Saving, debt, risk, compounding, allocation, and fees — the sequence Investor.gov teaches before any product.
How do I check if a broker or adviser is registered?
BrokerCheck, IAPD, and the disciplinary history Investor.gov tells people to read first.
How do I avoid investment fraud?
The red flags, promised-return pitches, and checks the SEC tells people to run.
What is a Ponzi scheme?
How later investors are used to pay earlier ones, and why the SEC treats it as fraud.
How do I report a securities scam?
Tips, complaints, and what the SEC can and cannot do after a loss.
How do stocks work?
Ownership, dividends, voting, and why share prices move.
How do bonds work?
Lending to a company or government, interest, maturity, and default risk.
What is a mutual fund?
Pooled money, NAV, professional management, and the fees taken out of returns.
What is an ETF?
Exchange-traded funds, how they differ from mutual funds, and how they trade.
What is diversification?
Spreading money across assets so one loss does not sink the whole portfolio.
What is asset allocation?
The mix of stocks, bonds, and cash that Investor.gov ties to time horizon and risk.
What is compound interest?
Returns earning returns, and why time in the market changes the math.
How do 401(k) plans work?
Payroll deferrals, employer matches, traditional versus Roth, and withdrawal rules.
How do IRAs work?
Traditional and Roth individual retirement accounts, contribution limits, and taxes.
How do I research a company in EDGAR?
10-Ks, 10-Qs, and the SEC filings Investor.gov tells people to read.
What does the SEC do?
Investor protection, fair markets, capital formation, and the 1933 and 1934 acts.
How do I file an SEC complaint?
Investor.gov tips, the Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, and what happens next.
How do investment fees work?
Expense ratios, loads, advisory fees, and how costs compound against returns.
How do I open a brokerage account?
Choosing a firm, cash versus margin, and the account documents the SEC expects.
What is a Form CRS?
The two-page relationship summary brokers and advisers must give retail investors.
How does shareholder voting work?
Registered and beneficial owners, proxies, and how a vote is counted.
What are penny stocks?
Low-priced, thinly traded shares and why the SEC flags them as speculative.
How do I buy savings bonds?
Series EE and I bonds, TreasuryDirect, purchase limits, and early-redemption rules.
What is a 529 plan?
State college-savings plans, tax treatment, and what they can pay for.
What is insider trading?
Trading on material nonpublic information, and how the SEC brings those cases.
How does the SEC treat crypto?
When a digital asset is a security, and what the Commission has said to retail investors.