FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                       99-61

                                                   Press Contact:
                                    John J. Nester (202) 942-7083
                                                                 
                                                                 
         SEC Chairman Arthur Levitt, Oregon Officials to
            Hold Investors' Town Meeting in Portland
                                
 Free program will offer practical tips for saving and investing
                                
     Washington, DC,  June 3, 1999 -- U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission Chairman Arthur Levitt will conduct an
Investors' Town Meeting at the Oregon Convention Center in
Portland on Wednesday, June 23.  The free program of practical
tips for saving and investing wisely will also feature Oregon
Treasurer Jim Hill and Jim Harlan, Deputy Administrator of the
Oregon Division of Finance and Corporate Securities.

     The SEC Chairman will discuss how to make informed
investment decisions, monitor investments, and avoid costly
mistakes.  He will also point out the questions people should ask
before they invest.

     "More Americans than ever before are putting their hard-
earned money in the market, and there are more financial products
and investment professionals than ever to choose from," Levitt
said.  "Educated investors are more likely to achieve financial
security and do a better job of protecting themselves against
potential fraud and abuse."

     The Portland Investors' Town Meeting will be the second of
two in the Pacific Northwest (the other will take place in
Seattle on Tuesday, June 22).  The Portland town meeting will be
the 31st such event in a national series to promote public
understanding of the securities markets and awareness of the
risks and rewards of investing.

     "The Investors' Town Meeting is a great event that has
something to offer everyone, whether you are an experienced
investor or a newcomer to the market," Hill said.  "The Town
Meeting is filled with great information that you can start using
immediately to secure a better future for you and your family."

     Americans have become increasingly responsible for their own
financial security in recent years, especially with the shift
from traditional pensions to self-directed 401(k) plans and other
retirement accounts.

     "A roaring stock market and an increasing number of
investment opportunities, both good and bad, make it even more
important for Oregonians to get all the information they can on
how to invest wisely," Harlan said.

     According to the Securities Industry Association, a trade
group that represents brokers, an estimated 48 percent of
American households now own stock directly or indirectly through
mutual funds or retirement accounts. The Investment Company
Institute, which represents mutual fund companies, reported last
month that Americans have invested a record 5.9 trillion in
mutual funds alone.

     The Investors' Town Meeting will take place at the Oregon
Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in
Portland, from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m., followed by four different
seminars to choose from at both 11:00 a.m. and noon.  The one-
hour seminars will include sessions on stocks, bonds, mutual
funds, and online investing.  Doors will open at 8:00 a.m. so
attendees can browse through educational exhibits and pick up
free brochures.

     Admission is free, but reservations are recommended because
seating is limited.  To reserve a seat, call (877) 823-7519 toll-
free, or send an e-mail to town.meeting@state.or.us. Anyone who
needs auxiliary aids to attend the town meeting, such as a sign
language interpreter or material on tape, should call (360) 902-
8731 by June 15.

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