Whether you are a beginner investor or a seasoned pro, staying on top of the mountains of investment information available online is a constant challenge.  The sheer quantity of information often makes it difficult to find quality, reliable sources to turn to. With so many opinions to wade through  investors have to constantly be cautious about where their information is coming from, and what the intent is of the person/organization providing it.

The issue of making quality investment information available to Canadian investors has not gone unnoticed by the regulatory agencies that oversee the Canadian securities markets.  While collectively the different provincial securities regulators have embraced the cause of providing quality and timely educational materials and resources to investors, there are some who are more proactively trying to connect with investors than are others. As such, the reality of the Canadian investor is that what information you get and how you get it may be impacted by where you live.

Know the Rules of the Investing Road

Just as drivers on the road need to understand and follow the rules of the road, being a participant in the securities market (such as the stock market) comes with the responsibility of following the rules and regulations of the marketplace.  Regardless of portfolio size, investors in the securities markets are all considered participants and are all bound to play by the same set of rules. As such, the resources and information provided by securities regulators are in-line with securities rules and regulations set forth within each agency’s region.

For retail investors, knowing the rules is beneficial not just to avoid overstepping the lines, but also to recognize when investment ‘opportunities’ and the people peddling them might be offside or unscrupulous.  Canadian securities regulators constantly monitor the marketplace as a whole, including the conduct of the companies and people participating in it.  If or when securities learn of suspicious or fraudulent activity, are able to investigate it and provide reliable news regarding the status of any investigations or disciplinary decisions.  In other words, they are a valuable resource to learn and stay current on the rules of the securities marketplace as well as the possible types of fraudulent activities targeted towards investors.

How to Stay Informed on the Securities Marketplace

While all Canadian securities regulators have websites, the information contained on those websites varies from region to region.  Some provinces have allocated more resources to providing investor-focused content in a highly accessible fashion compared to others.  For example, the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), Alberta Securities Commission (ASC), British Columbia Securities Commission (BSCS) and the Nova Scotia Securities Commission (NSSC) have each put together excellent resource sites for investors.

Some of the online strategies you can use to stay informed are:

• Visiting Canadian securities regulators’ websites regularly
• Registering for a newsletter/email alert service (if available)
• Following them on social media (if available)

To help make the process of staying informed easier, we’ve created a special section on SparxTrading.com that lists of all the different securities regulators’ website sections for investors, as well as created a twitter channel of Canadian securities regulators (and their investor-oriented partners) that are on twitter and put together a Youtube channel that contains many of the investor focused materials produced by the various agencies.

Staying informed about the Canadian securities markets, the rules of the marketplace and the activities (good and bad) of the market participants is one way to be proactively informed about investing – something Canadian securities regulators are actively trying to encourage.  Not only will being a better informed investor help to protect your portfolio, it can also help to ensure that all participants are playing on a level playing field.

To visit our special section on Canadian securities regulators’ resources for investors click here.