Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Arthur Levitt will appear at a free Investors’ Town Meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday, Nov. 21, alongside U.S. Representative Greg Ganske and Craig Goettsch, Iowa’s Superintendent of Securities, the SEC said in a press release.
The meeting will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 101 E. Locust Street, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. More than 800 investors are expected to attend, according to the release.
Program
One-hour investment seminars will follow from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. The SEC listed three seminar topics: “Tips for Successful Investing,” “Power Investing–You’re in Control,” and “Money 2000–Setting Financial Goals.”
The release said Levitt will offer basic tips and answer questions on how to make informed investment decisions, monitor investments and avoid problems, and will identify questions people should ask before they invest.
Admission is free, but the SEC said reservations are recommended because seating is limited. Reservations can be made with Cecilee Smart-Griffin by telephone at 1-800-418-3055, by fax at (312) 353-7398, or by e-mail at GriffinC@sec.gov.
Part of a national series
The Des Moines event is the 21st in a national series the SEC describes as intended to promote public understanding of the securities markets and awareness of the risks and rewards of investing. The release said the town meeting format also allows securities officials to hear directly from investors on how government can better serve the investing public.
The release stated that more American households are investing in the markets than ever before, and cited a record $4 trillion invested in mutual funds. It did not give a date or source for that figure.
What the officials said
“More Americans than ever are putting their hard-earned money in the market. It’s critical that they understand their investments,” Levitt said in the release. “Educated investors create stronger markets, and they are better able to protect themselves against potential fraud and abuse.”
“We’re bringing Wall Street to Main Street,” Ganske said. “The Town Meeting is for experienced investors and for those looking to get into the market for the first time.”
Goettsch, the state securities regulator, said: “We are excited to work on this grassroots investor education project, and to have the opportunity to demystify the investment marketplace for Iowa consumers.”
Steering committee
The SEC listed more than 20 organizations with representatives on the town meeting’s steering committee, including the Alliance for Investor Education, the American Association of Retired Persons, the American Association of Individual Investors, the American Savings Education Council, The Bond Market Association, the Bureau of the Public Debt, the Greater Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, the Institute of Certified Financial Planners, the Investment Company Institute, the Iowa Society of Financial Analysts, the Iowa Society of the Institute of Certified Financial Planners, the National Association of Investors Corporation, the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., NASD Regulation, Inc., the National Investor Relations Institute, the New York Stock Exchange, the North American Securities Administrators Association, Inc., the 100% No-Load Mutual Fund Council, the Securities Industry Association, the Securities Industry Foundation for Economic Education and The NASDAQ Stock Market.
Source: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC CHAIRMAN ARTHUR LEVITT, IOWA OFFICIALS TO HOLD INVESTORS’ TOWN MEETING IN DES MOINES” (press release 97-99), released Nov. 5, 2026. The release does not identify the date, period or source of the $4 trillion mutual fund figure, and the attendance number is an estimate.