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Financial Capability Month, which is observed during the month of April every year, is a time to highlight the value of high-quality financial education to improve your financial capability.

Social isolation, whether voluntary or involuntary, has long been a leading factor contributing to the financial exploitation of older investors. While financial abuse can happen at any time, perpetrators often strike during times in a senior’s life when they might be more vulnerable, such as during a health crisis or after the death of a loved one. Scammers often gather personal details from obituaries and social media posts and use this information to target their victims. Some also might attempt to exploit trust within seniors’ social and support groups to become more involved in their lives.

Why is credit education important? Because credit, and credit scores, can oftentimes be confusing. The best way to understand your current credit situation is to see how your credit score compares to the national average. Determining whether your score is above or below that average will provide insight into what actions should be taken to manage your credit in the future.

The SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy (OIEA), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Office of Customer Education and Outreach (OCEO), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) are issuing this Investor Alert to warn investors about relationship investment scams, where fraudsters — including criminals and other bad actors — often hide their true identities, reach out to unsuspecting targets (often online or through text messages), gain their trust over time, and then defraud them through fake investments. Relationship investment scams are sometimes referred to by various terms including romance scams, “cryptocurrency” investment scams, financial grooming scams, and even the distasteful term “pig butchering scams.” These scams also sometimes involve “catfishing,” where fraudsters might set up fake online identities to carry out crimes.

Real world bitcoin ATMs are playing a bigger role in the proliferation of online Bitcoin scams than ever before. Data from the Federal Trade Commission shows consumers reporting over $110 million in losses to scams involving Bitcoin ATM machines in 2023, a tenfold increase since 2020.

Pig Butchering is a term or metaphor that describes a scam perpetrated over a long period of time to steal the victim's money repeatedly via online apps.

Investment professionals in the United States and Canada are required to provide important documents to their customers and clients so that the public has access to material information about the professionals’ backgrounds. Different categories of financial professionals have different disclosure requirements, but investors should pay careful attention to every document that they receive regardless of who they consider working with.

The holidays can be a busy, expensive time of year – which makes it especially difficult to stick to your budget and avoid overspending.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Division of Securities is dedicated to ensuring our nation’s service members and their families have the resources they need to increase and further enhance their financial stability.

While the month of October may conjure images of little boos and ghouls trick-or-treating from door to door, here at the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s Securities Division, we’re conjuring several tips and tricks to improve your credit score in celebration of National Get Smart About Credit Day!

Technology allows businesses to expand their operations, increase efficiency and save money. One increasingly common area into which financial service providers inject technology is customer service. While this may be a solution for some companies, reliance on technology-based customer service comes with risks, both for investors and for financial services companies themselves. Two ways these risks can materialize is through spoofing and phishing attacks by scammers

National Senior Citizens Day recognizes seniors who have spent their lives contributing to society and have impacted everyone’s lives for the better. So how can we show our appreciation and gratitude for the older generations? By keeping a watchful eye for signs of elder financial exploitation.

Here at the Securities Division, we hope you’ll use this day as a reminder of how important financial planning is for your, and your family’s, future.

Mobile apps: they’re everywhere. With millions to explore, browsing can be overwhelming for consumers looking for apps to provide entertainment, business services, self-improvement, and more. App stores may not have the resources or expertise to verify that every single app uploaded to their store is safe for consumers to use. This includes apps that provide investing services, so investors should be cautious when providing money or personal information.

This month raises awareness about the vulnerabilities children can face if they do not have a guardian and/or mentor role model in their lives to guide them. Studies show that children are more likely to pursue higher studies if they have these positive influences in their lives.