Release: 4112-98

For Release: February 24, 1998

COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION ANNOUNCES

PARTICIPATION IN COSRA INVESTOR EDUCATION WEEK

WASHINGTON -- Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairperson Brooksley Born today announced the CFTC's participation in the Investor Education Week launched by the Council of Securities Regulators of the Americas (COSRA). COSRA is an organization of market regulators from 26 nations in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean that was founded in 1992 to promote market integrity throughout the Hemisphere.

The Investor Education Week is the coordinated effort by COSRA members to identify their own domestic investor education priorities and to conduct investor education activities during the week of March 29 - April 4, 1998. The CFTC will participate by informing the public of the consumer education information available from the CFTC and the futures industry.

CFTC Chairperson Born noted:

"The futures markets generally are not used for investment purposes, but rather for hedging or speculation. It is critically important to be well-informed before using these financial markets."

The CFTC works closely on a day-to-day basis with the futures exchanges and self-regulatory organizations to promote customer protection and market integrity in the futures industry. To this end, the CFTC has developed and maintains an abundance of consumer education and customer protection information that is available to the public. The attached lists identify many of the available resources that can assist the public in becoming educated about the commodity futures and option markets.