ICI Supports Proposal to Provide Investors with Investment Analysis Tool

Washington, DC, April 24, 2003 - The Institute supports an NASD proposal to allow NASD members to make available to their customers an "investment analysis tool," which would help investors evaluate the potential risks and returns associated with various investments.

In a recent comment letter, the Institute states that the investment analysis tool will benefit investors by giving them access to resources for analyzing the wide variety of available investment options, thereby enabling them to make more informed investment decisions. The letter includes recommendations to ensure that conditions imposed for the use of the tool are not so burdensome as to discourage NASD members from offering it.

NASD members would be permitted to offer the investment analysis tool-an interactive, technological feature-provided the member complies with specified disclosure requirements and provides NASD staff access to the tool and any related sales material at least 30 days prior to its use.