(Washington, DC) - With the slowdown in the economy and an increase in the number of home foreclosures in the DC area, the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) invites District residents to discuss their concerns in a one-on-one conversation with the agency, and representatives from federal government agencies at a town hall meeting.

In this climate of economic uncertainty, DISB continues to work to strike a balance between the effective regulation of the financial-services industries, and providing consumer protection, advocacy and education. To this end, DISB will host the first of many community-based town hall meetings throughout the city. The first town hall meeting will be this month, Black History Month, at Ward 8’s THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Avenue, SE, on Thursday, February 25, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. At the event, DISB Commissioner Gennet Purcell will be introduced to the community. She will be joined by federal government panelists including representatives from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the US Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Federal Reserve Bank. Commissioner Purcell, appointed August 2009 by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and confirmed by the Council of the District of Columbia in November 2009, will answer residents’ regulatory or consumer-based questions.

“This town hall meeting is an educational opportunity for city residents, to bring them face-to-face with DISB and federal financial regulators,” said Commissioner Purcell. “In a conversational format, we will discuss with residents issues such as choosing the right insurance based on their families’ needs, finding local banking services, spotting financial fraud and the tools to avoid it, preventing home foreclosures, and the availability of various financial literacy and investor education resources.”

DISB is a local government regulator and consumer protection agency.

For more information, residents are encouraged to call (202) 442-7832 or email [email protected].