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Globe's Carrick troubled by BCSC investing survey

2024-08-29 08:22 ET - In the News

The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that securities regulators are worried that the growing popularity of do-it-yourself investing exposes people to questionable information found on social media and on-line. The Globe's Rob Carrick writes that a survey commissioned by the B.C. Securities Commission shows the extent to which investors consult or use social media to get advice for investments. The data are eye-opening. Mr. Carrick argues we have more to worry about in the influence of banks -- which are there to sell stuff, not provide advice -- than we do social media. Still, 10 per cent of the 4,272 participants in the March survey purchased an investment they first learned about on social media in the past 12 months, a number that jumps to 24 per cent for DIY investors alone. Comparable numbers from a 2022 survey were 9 per cent for all investors and 20 per cent for DIYers. Young investors, particularly young men, were most likely to buy investments they learned about on social media. Look to the rise of GameStop shares in 2021 as an example of the power of social media in driving investing trends. At worst, people are using social media to flog worthless trading or investing schemes, or commit fraud.

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