WASHINGTON — The Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board is flipping the switch on its education catalog MuniEdPro, making it free for all market participants.
The MSRB announced Wednesday that it would provide unlimited access to its catalog of over 20 interactive continuing education and market education courses for free.
“By eliminating a cost to our MuniEdPro® platform, we are ensuring that all market participants can benefit from the MSRB’s innovative instructional resources,” said Gary Hall, chair of the MSRB Board of Directors. “We also believe that making MuniEdPro® courses freely available will enhance the overall understanding of our market—an important area of the U.S. capital markets system.”
Launched in September 2016, MuniEdPro is a catalog of interactive, online courses designed for municipal market participants that provides content on muni market activities and MSRB regulations. The courses give real-world simulations to help users understand securities transactions and regulations. The program has about 4,000 individuals and is expected to grow now that it’s free.
Earlier this year, the platform received a Brandon Hall Group award for excellence in the category for best advance in learning management technology for compliance training.
Before each course cost $45 for individuals, said Ritta McLaughlin, MSRB chief education officer. In total, there is about $1,000 worth of instructional information now free.
Subscribers are receiving a pro rata portion — proportionate allocation — of fees previously paid for unused courses.
Its most popular courses included topics such as Rule G-42 on the duties of non-solicitor municipal advisors, a course for investors called “Exploring Municipal Bonds” and a course for issuers called “Being an Informed Municipal Bond Issuer,” McLaughlin said.
The courses are available free through the MSRB’s website either on an individual course basis or by establishing access for a firm or organization.
“This is an ongoing commitment that the MSRB has for making sure that all of the resources that we have available are getting to the marketplace and spread as widely as possible to advance fairness and efficiency in our marketplace,” Hall said.
