NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Investools Inc., the investor education division of thinkorswim Group Inc. (Nasdaq:SWIM), a leading provider of trading technology and online brokerage services, empowers consumers to rely on their own investing knowledge. Given today's unpredictable market and economic concerns, people are looking for answers as to where and how to invest their money, whether in stocks, options, currencies and other instruments. It's becoming more and more evident that, in this uncertain economy, investors need to help themselves by pursuing a deeper level of education and awareness about how to invest properly.
"We believe that the everyday investor needs to understand the markets now more than ever. Investools is dedicated to educating consumers from all age and demographic groups so they can make smarter investment decisions and are better prepared for their financial future," states Lee Barba, Chairman and CEO of thinkorswim Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:SWIM). "Investools fills the financial education gap that exists in our education systems by providing access to market commentary, educational content, self-selecting communities, analytical tools, paperMoney(r) trading accounts to simulate dedicated portfolios, and a full schedule of live workshops and online personal coaching experiences to make the markets transparent to everyone."
Investools has been supplying investors with the information they need to navigate any market, regardless of its direction, for over 25 years. Having educated over 400,000 people, the company helps individual investors learn how to turn market volatility into opportunity by providing self-directed investors with the firsthand knowledge and tools they need to make more disciplined investment decisions.
Through the Investools Investing Education program, a new generation of investors who are looking for a better understanding of how to secure their own financial futures can enroll in a variety of courses, including:
* Investing Foundation Course - Provides both beginning and experienced investors with ways to streamline the stock selection process and actively manage their investment portfolios using the Investools Method(r). This course helps every investor get started by setting a plan with clearly defined investment goals and objectives; teaching them basic fundamental and technical analysis; providing strategies for preserving capital through prudent risk management; and organizing a paperMoney(r) account to simulate real-world investing that trades tick-for-tick with live markets using $100,000 of "paper" money granted as part of the training. * Basic Options - Teaches a range of strategies that can create additional cash flow from a portfolio through the use of simple options structures. * Advanced Technical Analysis - Shows investors how to use technical analysis and advanced charting techniques to select entry and exit points for each investment, in order to increase profit potential in diverse market conditions. * Advanced Options - Helps investors increase their probability of trading success in all market conditions by applying simple and complex options trading methods like debit, credit, diagonal and butterfly spreads, index options, straddles and strangles. * Forex - Highlights how the global foreign exchange markets function and how to identify the currencies you want to trade. * Advanced Forex - Goes beyond a basic understanding of currency analysis and teaches you more advanced methods using an expanded range of technical analysis tools.
For more information, please visit www.investools.com.
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Lee Barba, CEO, thinkorswim, is available for interview.
Press passes available upon request.
About thinkorswim Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:SWIM)
thinkorswim Group, Inc., (www.thinkorswim.com) offers market-leading online brokerage, investor education and related financial products and services for self-directed investors and active traders. thinkorswim, Inc., our award-winning online brokerage division, provides a suite of trading platforms serving self-directed and institutional traders and money managers. thinkorswim platforms have easy-to-use interfaces, sophisticated analytical and research tools, and fast and efficient order execution for even the most complex trading strategies. thinkorswim customers trade a broad range of products, including stocks and stock options, index options, futures and futures options, forex, mutual funds and fixed income. Investools Education Group offers a full range of investor education products and services that provide lifelong learning in a variety of interactive delivery formats. Investools graduates are able to apply what they've learned by trading with thinkorswim's online brokerage platforms.
Safe Harbor
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "believe," "intend," "expect," "may," "could," "would," "will," "should," "plan" or similar statements. All forward-looking statements are based largely on current expectations, beliefs and assumptions concerning future events that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: general changes in economic conditions and changes in conditions affecting the financial services industry specifically, regulatory developments that affect the way we market or sell our products and services, our inability to protect our proprietary technology, our ability to sell existing products and services in both new and existing markets, and other factors which are more fully described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may vary in material aspects from those currently anticipated.
The forward-looking statements made in this press release relate only to events as of the date of this release. We undertake no ongoing obligation to update these statements.
Copyright 2009 (c) Investools Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of use apply. Reproduction, adaptation, distribution, public display, exhibition for profit, or storage in any electronic storage media in whole or in part is prohibited under penalty of law. Neither Investools nor its educational subsidiaries nor any of their respective officers, personnel, representatives, agents or independent contractors are, in such capacities, licensed financial advisers, registered investment advisers or registered broker-dealers. Neither Investools nor such educational subsidiaries provide investment or financial advice or make investment recommendations, nor are they in the business of transacting trades, nor do they direct client futures accounts or give futures trading advice tailored to any particular client's situation. Nothing contained in this communication constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, promotion, endorsement or offer by Investools, or others described above, of any particular security, transaction or investment.
The risk of loss in trading securities, options, futures and forex can be substantial. Customers must consider all relevant risk factors, including their own personal financial situation, before trading. Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. See the Options Disclosure Document: Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. A copy can be requested from Scott Garland, Compliance Officer, at 773.435.3270 or at 600 W. Chicago Ave., #100, Chicago, IL 60654-2597 or by email at sgarland@thinkorswim.com. Trading foreign exchange on margin carries a high level of risk as well as its own unique risk factors. Please read the following risk disclosure before considering the trading of this product: Forex Risk Disclosure. thinkorswim is compensated through a portion of the forex dealing spread.