Alberta Securities Commission (ASC)
The Alberta Securities Commission is the regulatory agency responsible for administering the province’s securities laws. At WSAC, we share the ASC’s mission: to foster a fair and efficient capital market in Alberta and protect investors.
UPDATES FROM OUR FRIENDS AT ASC
As part of our commitment to financial wellness and seniors’ fraud prevention, we’re excited to partner with the ASC to bring you valuable resources and updates. From time to time, we’ll be highlighting investment tips and fraud alerts from their organization to help you make informed decisions and stay safe from financial scams.
Below is the update from the ASC!
Upcoming Virtual Event
Financial Literacy: DIY Investing Fundamentals
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 | 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Self-directed investing is becoming increasingly popular with new and long-time investors. Join us as we walk through assessing if this investing approach is right for you and the fundamentals to opening a trading account, researching and trading investments and avoiding common DIY investing mistakes.
Investor education month: Lessons and insights from hybrid investors
By James MacTavish – October 16, 2025
October marks Investor Education Month, a national initiative that encourages Canadians to take time to strengthen their investing knowledge and make informed investing decisions.
One approach that some Canadians are considering is hybrid investing. A hybrid investor works with an advisor and also manages part of their investments on their own. According to the Canadian Securities Administrators’ (CSA) recently published Hybrid DIY Investing: A Research Summary Report, approximately one in eight Canadian investors use this dual-track investing method.
Understanding how hybrid investors think and act can offer valuable insights to help all investors make suitable and informed investment decisions, whether they are managing their portfolio entirely on their own, working with an advisor, using a robo-advisor or combining the different approaches.
Spot the Spoof
Is that a legitimate investment firm or a spoofed website in disguise? You may think you can distinguish a real firm from a fake, but it’s not that easy. Often, fake sites are promoted to show up in internet searches alongside legitimate firms and use pop-up ads to lure you in.
Test your fraud awareness by exploring First True Investments and see if you can spot all the red flags of fraud.
Investment Terms Fun Fact
What is considered a takeover bid?
A takeover bid happens when an investor or company offers to buy at least 20% of a company’s voting shares, often with the goal of gaining control. These bids can be friendly (welcomed by the company) or hostile (opposed by the company’s management).
Investment Caution List
Did you know The ASC provides a searchable list of companies and individuals that are not registered in Alberta but appear to be engaging in activities that require registration under Alberta securities laws, or may be an investment scam.
This article was originally published on the Alberta Securities Commission’s (ASC) investor education website CheckFirst.ca. The ASC is the regulatory agency responsible for administering the province’s securities laws. It is entrusted with fostering a fair and efficient capital market in Alberta and protecting investors. As a member of the Canadian Securities Administrators, the ASC works to improve, coordinate, and harmonize the regulation of Canada’s capital markets.
