Stopping Cold Calls

Welcome to Your Money.  Noah T. from Oro Valley, AZ starts us off: 

Q:        Dear Investor Ed,

I receive calls almost every day about investment opportunities.  Is there anyway I can stop these people from calling me? 

A:         These people are, of course, cold callers.  If you want the calls to stop, Noah, there are two things you should do.  First, add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry.  You can add both home and cell phone numbers.  How?  Either go to donotcall.gov or call the following toll free number:  1-888-382-1222.  Keep in mind that you’ll have to re-register your phone number every 5 years to stay on the list. 

The second thing you should do, Noah: tell any cold callers to put your name and telephone number on their “do not call” list.  Will this stop every telemarketing call?  No.  You still may receive calls from political organizations, charities, telephone surveyors, and companies with whom you have an established business relationship.  And a few other exceptions apply.  For example, family members, even long-winded ones, may still call you.

Our second question is a common one and a good one. 

Q:        Does the SEC have jurisdiction over privately-held companies?

A:         A company does not need to file reports with the SEC unless 1) the company makes a public offering of its stock or other securities or 2) has 500 or more shareholders and $10 million in assets.  However, private companies that are not required to file reports with the SEC may still be subject to its jurisdiction under certain anti-fraud provisions of the securities laws.  I’m Investor Ed and that’s what I know. 

Your Money has been brought to you by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  Do you have a comment on this episode or an idea for a future one?  Send an email to podcast@sec.gov.