Readers of The Royal Gazette can win a grand prize of a $2,500 Bermuda securities portfolio by reading a series of articles for a Bermuda Stock Exchange-led investor education campaign.

Next week’s series in this newspaper’s Business section will help to mark the International Organisation of Securities Commissions’ (Iosco) World Investor Week (WIW).

Each day, from Monday, October 2 to Saturday, October 7, this newspaper will feature an investment-related article and embedded in the piece will be a WIW Quiz Challenge question.

Participants will be asked to e-mail their answers to wiwqc@bsx.com and all those with six correct answers will be entered into a draw to win a Bermuda securities portfolio valued at $2,500.

David Burt, the Premier and finance minister, has expressed his support for the WIW initiatives taking place on the island.

Greg Wojciechowski, chief executive officer of the BSX, said WIW was a global initiative aimed promoting investor education and protection, as well of the work of securities regulators like the BSX and Bermuda Monetary Authority.

“World Investor Week is an important opportunity for the BSX to collaborate with many of the world’s leading international securities regulators and exchanges and Bermuda will be joining 55 other countries in marking the event,” Mr Wojciechowski said.

“Key among the messages that week will be the importance of investor due diligence, encouraging investors to do their homework before they invest and making sure they clearly understand and accept the risks and rewards of investing.

“It is important in any market for investors to understand the associated risks, to avoid ‘get-rich-quick schemes’ and to plan and invest according to their future long-term goals.”

The Bermuda Monetary Authority (BMA), an ordinary member of Iosco, will also be participating.

Marcia Woolridge-Allwood, the BMA’s managing director of Banking, Trusts and Corporate Services and Investments, said: “The BMA is delighted to be participating in IOSCO’s World Investor Week and congratulates the BSX who has taken the lead in publicising and organising events with our global peers on this very important initiative.”

To mark the week the BMA will be publicising on its website and on social media tips aimed at helping the public to become better informed investors.

BSX representatives also informed the Cabinet Office of the plans to mark WIW and received support from the Premier.

Mr Burt said: “The Government supports such focus on investor education and protection in Bermuda. We are encouraged by the BSX and other stakeholder participation in this global initiative.”

Mr Wojciechowski added: “Following on from the successful of our ‘Own Your Share of Bermuda’ investor education programme, we see the WIW Quiz Challenge as a great way to engage the public further and stimulate even more interest in the domestic market.

“The aim is to get people thinking, researching and ultimately talking about the BSX and its listed issuers, thus broadening their investor education.

“We believe that the grand prize of a $2,500 Bermuda securities portfolio will be a big draw and stimulate interest in investing across the BSX, particularly for newcomers to the market.”

Jonathan Kent, business editor of The Royal Gazette, said: “We believe investor education can only strengthen our community and we are happy to support the BSX in this initiative. Our expert columnists, Martha Myron and Nathan Kowalski, will be among the contributors in a full week of articles that will discuss the opportunities and potential pitfalls of investing.

“Being more financially aware can make a huge difference in people’s lives and we hope our readers will enjoy and learn from this series of articles and try to win a very special prize. All of the articles with the quiz questions embedded will appear online on our website at www.royalgazette.com, as well as in our print edition.”

Entry details for the WIW Quiz Challenge can be found on the BSX website, www.bsx.com