The Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) has announced the conclusion of World Investor Week 2026 (WIW 2026), an initiative of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) which, for the tenth consecutive year, brought together capital market regulators around the world with the shared aim of promoting financial education and protecting investors.
According to a press release, this year’s campaign ran from 5 to 11 October 2026 and focused on investor resilience, digital deception and vigilance against investment scams.
It also highlighted the basic principles of investing, as well as the importance of educating new investors and the next generation.
Particular emphasis was placed on long-term financial planning, investment diversification and avoiding impulsive decisions. The campaign also underlined the need to critically assess content generated by artificial intelligence (AI), identify manipulated videos and voices, and remain alert to investment scams, including those perpetrated through online relationships.
A key message of the initiative was the need to check that professionals and investment platforms are licensed before committing any money.
Hellenic Capital Market Commission initiatives
As part of WIW 2026, the Hellenic Capital Market Commission carried out a series of significant initiatives during 2026 to systematically promote financial literacy in Greece.
These included:
International conference on financial education: The HCMC organised an international conference entitled “Financial Education: Ensuring Informed Citizens, Trust & Stronger Capital Markets”. Speakers included senior officials from international organisations such as the OECD, representatives of other European Union supervisory authorities, the HCMC’s leadership and staff, and executives from the market and the wider financial sector. The initiative was prompted by the publication of the children’s book “Financial Education Tales – Come and Learn About the Economy”, produced in collaboration with Nomiki Bibliothiki.
Dictionary – Investor Guide: The HCMC published a “Dictionary – Investor Guide” in collaboration with the Institute of Financial Literacy. The publication covers key capital market concepts and aims to familiarise investors with basic financial terms and investment concepts.
Guide to collective investments: The HCMC published an information leaflet on collective investments in Greece, such as mutual funds, entitled “A Guide for Investors”.
Online investment simulators: In collaboration with the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), the HCMC is completing the development of online investment simulators, which will be accompanied by supporting educational material. The material will cover financial data, risk management and portfolio construction using multiple securities.
Interactive investor quiz: The HCMC has published an interactive quiz on its website entitled “How informed an investor are you?”. Through a series of short questions, participants can assess their knowledge of investment risk, how to identify suspicious practices and the basic principles of making an informed investment decision.
Financial literacy outreach: Michail Fekkas, the HCMC’s first vice-chairman, gave an interview to the business and news website Insider.gr, focusing on financial literacy, a long-term investment culture and investor protection.
Educational videos: The HCMC published adapted information and educational videos from the Bank of France (Banque de France) platform “ABC de l’économie”, with the aim of improving the financial knowledge of the Greek public.
Translation and adaptation of educational material: The HCMC also translated and adapted information and educational material for Greek audiences, seeking to provide clear information and support informed financial decisions.
At the same time, the Hellenic Capital Market Commission promotes financial literacy and strengthens investor protection through conference speeches, articles and targeted posts on its website and official communication channels.
Vassiliki Lazarakou’s statement
The chair of the Hellenic Capital Market Commission, Vassiliki Lazarakou, emphasised the importance of financial literacy and investor protection in today’s digital environment, while also highlighting the HCMC’s initiatives to address emerging challenges.
“World Investor Week 2026 highlights the importance of financial literacy and investor protection in an increasingly complex digital environment, where artificial intelligence and the speed at which information spreads create new opportunities, but also new risks.
During 2026, the Hellenic Capital Market Commission developed a wide range of initiatives to inform and protect investors, with an emphasis on identifying investment risks and preventing fraud. At the same time, it is harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence and developing related applications to strengthen its supervisory work and address today’s challenges more effectively.
Empowering investors through knowledge and responsible information remains our priority. Through this year’s initiatives, we aim to make financial knowledge more accessible and practically useful, particularly for those taking their first steps as investors. We continue to strengthen our partnerships in Greece and internationally, with the aim of building a transparent, credible and resilient Greek capital market that inspires confidence and effectively protects investors.”