Where Do You Stand

 

August 2009 Results

 

In each issue of the CFA Institute Centre's newsletter, Advocacy Update, we seek readers' views on a topical issue, hoping to better inform our work on the issues, concerns, and topics of most interest to you and your local financial markets.

 

The August poll sought input on priorities for the U.S. SEC Investor Advisory Committee (IAC), of which Kurt Schacht, managing director of the CFA Institute Centre, is a member. The poll closed on 8 September with 1,130 responses.

 

Question: The IAC was created to provide investors with greater say in the SEC's work − and has agreed to undertake an ambitious and wide-ranging agenda. The Centre will be making recommendations to the IAC on prioritizing and focusing the committee’s efforts for the benefit of investors; please select your top three priorities from among the following areas that the IAC will address:
Responses
61%	Ensuring that disclosures provide investors with sufficient information for investment decision making
49%	Requiring that all types of investment advisers adhere to the same standard of fiduciary duty
44%	Helping investors understand all underlying risks to the value of their investments [e.g., valuation of underlying assets, liquidity risk, counterparty risk]
37%	Determining SEC resource requirements to effectively protect investors
34%	Reforming the proxy-voting process to foster better investor decisions and director accountability
25%	Improving director-investor communications and aligning interests
23%	Using technology to improve the flow of information to and from investors
20%	Mandating that corporate directors at all U.S. companies must receive a majority of shareowner votes
14%	Distinguishing between investor information and investor education and finding the SEC role in promoting financial literacy