The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has rapped Westpac over the knuckles for publishing a guide to geared equity investment titled: "Stress-free Strategies to Accelerate Your Wealth".The regulator's view was that it was inappropriate to describe geared investment strategies as "stress-free".In a media release issued yesterday, ASIC said Westpac had agreed to stop using the term in its marketing and to review its marketing of geared products.ASIC commissioner Peter Kell said: "Given recent market volatility, we have been particularly concerned that advertising does not lead consumers to put their money into products that are inappropriate."In August, ASIC issued draft best practice guidance for the advertising of financial products. Kell said a final version of that document would be issued in the next few months.He said: "Some of that guidance will set out what we consider [to be] misleading and deceptive. Some will be best practice, in the sense that it is not a breach of the law if it is not followed."Kell would not be drawn on whether he thought Westpac would be liable if an investor lost money after following the advice in the "stress-free" gearing guide."Investors are very concerned about risk and, increasingly, they have the option of investing in a range of complicated products. In... [such a] climate advertising statements can send very powerful messages."