Seniors are an extremely important and growing segment of investors whose issues demand attention, and their needs and priorities are a key focus for Ontario’s Investor Office (InvestorOffice.ca).The Ontario Securities Commission’s Investor Office sets the strategic direction and leads the OSC’s efforts in investor engagement, education, outreach and research. The Office also brings the investor perspective to policy-making and operations.
I became the Director of the operating branch last July, and we relaunched the Office in the fall of 2015. Since then, we have made modernizing investor education a priority through new tools and resources that recognize the changing ways that people access and interact with information. One of the ways we are doing this is through Fact Cards – digital cards containing information on investment topics that can be embedded into any website, article or blog post. This format allows organizations and individuals to deliver reputable investor education to their audiences without needing to develop the content themselves. Fact Cards cover topics that include retirement lessons from older Canadians, the basics of mutual funds and the red flags of investment fraud.
More than 20 organizations and individuals are partnering with the Investor Office to distribute and promote Fact Cards, including the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse. It’s a key priority for the Investor Office to develop new resources to help prevent elder abuse, and through the CNPEA’s support of Fact Cards, important information to help prevent seniors’ investment fraud and financial abuse will be distributed and promoted across Canada. We’ve received great support from various organizations who appreciate being able to provide the public with important facts from an unbiased and trusted source, but on their own websites.
All Fact Cards are built for use on desktop, tablet and mobile devices, and are available in English and French. The catalogue of Fact Cards is available at osc.gov.on.ca/factcards and will be continuously updated and expanded. We encourage all organizations or individuals with an interest in our work to contact us at with partnership ideas or thoughts on new education topics to focus on.
Tyler Fleming is the Director of the Investor Office at the Ontario Securities Commission. The Investor Office sets the strategic direction and leads the OSC’s efforts in investor engagement, education, outreach and research. The Office also brings the investor perspective to policy-making and operations.
Tyler Fleming | Ontario Securities Commission | Investor Office | Director | Toronto ON
Phone: 416-593-8092 | | InvestorOffice.ca
