March 21, 2004
As an investor who has taken 20 years to decipher what questions to ask before purchasing an investment product, I favor the proposed rule to require greater disclosure from brokers. Yes, brokers should tell you about the costs and potential conflicts of interest to investors from their firm. Within many large brokerage companies, brokers are instructed which products to push to their clients. This change would produce more transparency for investors. They would be able to learn the costs, the specific information about fees and expenses before they invest. Please institute the proposed changes in the rules governing the information that brokers are required to disclose to their clients and investors.