The Prospectus

Prospectuses are legal documents that explain the financial facts important to an offering. They must precede or accompany the sale of a primary offering. The law requires companies selling primary offerings to send prospectuses to anyone who wants to buy a primary offering. Prospectuses may also be used to solicit orders. Customers should read a prospectus carefully before purchasing any primary offering.

Prospectuses include but are not limited to the following:

Offering price

Legal opinions about the issue

Underwriting method

The history of the company

Other costs related to investing in the stock

The management team

The handling of proceeds

The prospectus must be provided to customers before they complete any transactions. It must also include the SEC's disclaimers that it does not approve or disapprove of the stock being offered, and that it does not judge the prospectus' statements for accuracy.