ServeOurSeniors.Org – Preventing Senior Investor Abuse

The North American Securities Administrators Association is the membership organization of state and provincial securities regulators and is the oldest international organization devoted to investor protection.

With at least a third of its members’ enforcement actions involving senior investors, NASAA in 2014 formed a Board-level committee to tackle a wide range of challenges confronting senior investors, regulators and securities industry professionals.

The committee developed www.serveourseniors.org as an outreach effort to provide resources for senior investors, caregivers, industry, and policymakers.

If you work with seniors or have an aging loved one in your life, this website is a great resource.

Thinking Money: Save, Invest and Protect Yourself from Fraud Seminar

Financial Capability Month is upon us! Join the experts from AARP, FINRA, the SEC, the Offices of the Insurance Commissioner, Secretary of State, and the Washington State Department of Financial institutions on April 26^th from 9:00 AM-2:15 PM for a free consumer education seminar.  

The seminar will cover:

• How behavioral biases and emotions impact your financial decisions
• Ways to make your money last
• How to spot the red flags in financial scams
• Steps you can take to achieve greater financial security

Space is limited so register early!

Call toll-free (877) 926-8300 or register online at

http://aarp.cvent.com/ThinkingMoneyWA

Women: Plan for Your Financial Future with Free Community Forums from AARP

Finding the time to focus on your future is important for women, who generally have more years to cover in retirement than men.

That’s why AARP launched a free community forum for women back in May called Women to Women: Living Longer, Living Smarter. The free events are designed by and for women who want to build a successful life strategy for the future.

The free, educational events continue this Saturday, September 28, in Olympia and October 12 in Spokane.

Join AARP at these events and learn about:

• Reducing health care risks
• How to pay for possible long-term care needs
• Financial planning for the future
• Legal issues
• and more

Olympia - Saturday, September 28
St. Martin’s College – Worthington Center
5000 Abbey Way SE
Lacey, WA 98503
Register Online

Spokane - Saturday, October 12
Southside Senior and Community Center
3151 East 27th Avenue
Spokane, WA 99223
Register Online

The Growing Problem of Elder Financial Abuse

New research from the Investor Protection Trust (IPT) identifies the most common types of elder financial abuse and shines a spotlight on who the scammers are.

The IPT surveyed fraud experts across the county asking them the most common financial abuses they see. The top three financial exploitation problems identified by the experts are:

1. Theft or diversion of funds or property by family members
2. Theft or diversion of funds or property by caregivers
3. Financial scams perpetrated by strangers

Scam Alert: Veteran Benefits Scam

King 5’s Get Jesse did a great job this week bringing to light scams targeting veterans.

Scam artists are targeting veterans claiming that they can help them get instant eligibility or additional benefits for a fee. In many cases, this turns out to be a scam.

In fact, many of the services these scammers charge for are offered free of charge by local veteran associations.

Avoid Fraud - Investing Tips for Older Investors

Tomorrow (June 15), is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Unfortunately, recent studies suggest that seniors lose billions each year due to financial abuse.

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) is committed to protecting seniors from financial abuse through both financial education and enforcement.

To help protect seniors, here are some steps we came up with that seniors can take to protect themselves from investment fraud.

New search tool from IRS helps low- and moderate- income taxpayers find free tax preparation sites

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today that they have launched an online tool that makes it easier to find a location for volunteer tax preparation assistance.

The new tool makes it easier than ever for qualified individuals to find free help through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Volunteers at VITA locations generally offer tax preparation for people with incomes of $50,000 or less free of charge. Find a VITA site near you by visiting http://1.usa.gov/AmfCj2.

Fighting Fraud 101 – Smart Tips For Older Investors

Here’s a free investment fraud pamphlet from FINRA, AARP, and DFI . The pamphlet is geared towards older investors, but is a great resource for any investor.

Why are fraudsters targeting seniors who are nearing or already in retirement? Simple. Fraudsters tend to go to where the money is.

If you are thinking about investing, please do your research first. Research the investment, research common types of fraud, and research the background of the investment professional you are working with.