The Australian Securities and Investments Commission ("ASIC") has issued a consultation paper to “assist promoters and publishers present advertisements that are accurate and balanced and that help investors and financial consumers make decisions that are appropriate for them”. The consultation paper follows on from a number of research projects commissioned by the ASIC into the role of advertising in investor and financial consumer decision making. Among other things, it was found that advertising played a significant role in relation to investment decisions made by investors and financial consumers, who relied heavily on media sources (including internet, financial magazines, daily newspapers, television and radio programmes) to access information on investment opportunities.