MSRB NOTICE 2003-40 (October 17, 2003)

FINAL AGENDA FOR MSRB FORUM ON THE 529 COLLEGE SAVINGS PLAN MARKET

            The MSRB is releasing the final agenda, including the list of panelists, for its Forum on the 529 College Savings Plan Market in Washington, DC at the Westin Grand Hotel on October 22, 2003.  The final agenda for the Washington Forum is available at the MSRB website at www.msrb.org/msrb1/mfs/FinalForumAgenda.pdf.  The Washington Forum will begin at 9:30 am and will conclude at 4:00 pm.  Panelists will include several state officials responsible for their 529 plans, industry professionals who manage and market many of the largest 529 plans, attorneys active in the marketplace, regulators and other industry participants.

            The Washington Forum will explore the 529 plan market structure and will focus on current practices, trends and challenges faced by the market, particularly in connection with investor protection issues.  It is designed for professionals from the state plans, primary distributors, investment managers and others active in the 529 plan market with an interest in the continued evolution of a fair, efficient and innovative 529 plan marketplace.

            The Washington Forum is the first in the MSRB’s series of one-day market outreach and educational sessions on the 529 college savings plan market.  In November, the MSRB will host three regional 529 compliance seminars in Boston, Chicago and San Francisco focused on MSRB compliance issues relevant to broker-dealers that market 529 college savings plans, particularly but not limited to selling brokers and primary distributors who may not have significant prior experience with MSRB rules.  The preliminary agenda for the compliance seminars is available at the MSRB’s website at www.msrb.org/msrb1/mfs/SeminarAgenda.pdf.

The registration form for all sessions is available at the MSRB’s website at www.msrb.org/msrb1/mfs/Registration.pdf.