Binge-watching college hoops during “March Madness” has become a national obsession (and while we’re at it, good luck in your office pool), but understanding the ins and outs of financial regulations can sometimes, let’s face it, feel like being put through hoops. Now “financial regulation is set to become part of March Madness this year, in the form of television commercials during college basketball broadcasts touting the Securities and Exchange Commission’s adviser database,” writes Mark Schoeff Jr, in an interesting investmentnews.com piece. “The multimedia campaign will include 30-second television and radio spots as well as online and print advertising encouraging use of the agency’s website to delve into the background of people purporting to be investment advisers.” Other excerpts from the article:
“In addition to appearing during sporting events, the TV ads will run on business channels. The total ad buy is approximately $900,000 and will last until August.
“The ads are meant to drive traffic to the newly redesigned and mobile-friendly Investor.gov website, which includes a link to the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database.
“The SEC database includes the latest Form ADV for registered advisers. If investors search for a broker on the SEC site, they will be automatically transferred to BrokerCheck, a similar site maintained by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc.
“Last summer, Finra launched an ad campaign for BrokerCheck, which contains employment and disciplinary history for registered brokers. In October, the SEC approved a rule requiring brokerages to include a link to BrokerCheck on their home pages and broker profiles.”