IPT Activities
About the Investor Protection Trust
The Investor Protection Trust (IPT) is a nonprofit organization devoted to investor education. The primary mission of IPT is to provide independent, objective information needed by consumers to make informed investment decisions.
Founded in 1993 as part of a multi-state settlement to resolve charges of misconduct, the Investor Protection Trust serves as an independent source of non-commercial investor education. Since 1993 the IPT has worked with the States and at the national level to provide the independent, objective investor education needed by all Americans to make informed investment decisions.
In April 2003, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, FINRA, and the New York Stock Exchange announced the settlement of enforcement actions involving conflicts of interest between the research and investment banking operations of 10 of the nation’s largest investment firms. Seven of the firms agreed to pay a total of $80 million for investor education purposes. Of that amount, $30 million was paid to State Securities Regulators and those funds comprise the Investor Education Fund overseen by the IPT. Additional State settlements continue to be deposited with IPT.
IPT operates programs under its own auspices and uses grants to underwrite important investor education and protection initiatives carried out by other organizations.
IPT Trustees
IPT functions under the direction of a Board of Trustees which is composed of State Securities Regulators or their designees. Current IPT Trustees are:
Craig A. Goettsch
Director of Investor Education and Consumer Outreach/Securities Counsel
Iowa Insurance Division
IPT President and CEO
Don M. Blandin was appointed President and CEO of the Investor Protection Trust in June 2004.
IPT Financial Information
IPT posts its monthly financial statements as well as information on making contributions to IPT.