CFA writes on behalf of organizations that share the belief that protecting the interests of investors is crucial to the successful functioning of our financial system. The willingness of large numbers of working Americans to participate in our capital markets has given the U.S. economy, and the companies that turn to our markets to raise capital, an advantage that no other nation can match. Investors too have benefited from the ability to harness that economic vitality to help grow their retirement savings and fund other important long-term financial goals. But a seemingly unending series of investment scandals, financial crises, and securities firm abuses has undermined both the well-being of investors and the investor confidence that is so vital to our nation’s economic health.