The CSA established the CSA Investor Advisory Panel (IAP) as a way to engage with retail investors in a more structured and sustained manner in order to assist in policymaking.

This expert group of individuals acts as advisors to the CSA, while representing the views of retail investors on pan-Canadian policy development initiatives. As part of its mandate, when appropriate, the Panel will:

• Provide advice during initial and subsequent phases of CSA policy development initiatives;
• Advise and comment in writing on existing and proposed national and multilateral instruments and policies;
• Advise and comment in writing on proposed concept papers and discussion drafts;
• In formulating its advice and written submissions to the CSA, consider views representative of a broad range of retail investors across Canada through consultation with and input from investors and organizations representing investors;
• Raise to the CSA policy issues the Panel identifies based on consultations or Panel members’ informed opinions on the subject matter of the issue, and comment on the potential implications for investors posed by those issues;
• Solicit access to background, policy project definition and research information conducted by the CSA on specific policy and rule-making initiatives and engage in research projects as needed; and
• Engage with the CSA regularly to ensure input from the Panel is provided on a timely basis.

The panel will not substitute but complement the work of existing investor panels or committees of individual CSA members.