Happy Halloween – Beware of Tricks! (ADV)
🎃 Happy Halloween! 🎃
It’s that spooky time of year filled with tricks and treats. But my treat for you is to keep this musing short and sweet! 😊
The Trick: How not to be tricked! October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, and it’s crucial to stay vigilant, especially for seniors who are often targeted by scammers. Here are some common tricks to watch out for:
Beware of Phishing Scams
Many of us, including myself, have received emails from what appear to be reputable companies like Apple or Comcast, claiming your account has been closed due to nonpayment. These emails often include a link to “restore your service.” NEVER, NEVER CLICK on these links or call the provided phone numbers. Instead, look up the company’s contact information on your statements or their official website. Check the email address carefully; fraudulent emails often have subtle differences. When in doubt, IGNORE the email and contact the provider directly using the number on your statements.
Real-Life Example
One of our clients received a message stating her autopay was terminated. She clicked the link before realizing it might be a scam. Thankfully, she called our office immediately. After extensive efforts with Jessica, our Practice Business Manager, the client was assured that her accounts at Comcast and Raymond James were fully protected.
Package Delivery Scams
Another common trick involves receiving a text from an unknown company like “On Trac,” claiming your package couldn’t be delivered due to incorrect information. Again, NEVER, NEVER CLICK on the link or call the number provided. It’s better to miss a package than fall victim to a scam, which is highly unlikely anyway.
An Easy Treat
Sign up for E-delivery of your statements, whether from Raymond James or other financial institutions. This eliminates the possibility of your statements getting into the wrong hands or being stolen. Even better, you can access your account information at anytime from anywhere (safe devices, of course).
Additional Tips for Cyber Safety
- Use Strong Passwords: Encourage the use of strong, unique passwords for each account. A strong password typically includes a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters. Consider using a password manager to keep track of them securely.
- Request Alerts for Charges: Always request alerts for any charges on your credit or debit cards. With immediate notice, you can quickly spot fraudulent charges and report them to your card provider.
- Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Whenever possible, enable multi-factor authentication on your accounts. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, such as a text message code or an authentication app.
- Be Cautious with Public Wi-Fi: Avoid conducting any transactions involving personal information while using public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks. If you must use public Wi-Fi, consider using a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your connection.
- Regularly Update Software: Keep your devices and software up to date. Regular updates often include security patches that protect against the latest threats. Enable automatic updates if possible.
- Monitor Your Accounts: Regularly check your financial and online accounts for any suspicious activity. Early detection can help prevent significant damage.
- Educate Yourself and Others: Stay informed about the latest cyber threats and share this knowledge with friends and family. Awareness is a powerful tool in preventing cybercrime.
- Backup Your Data: Regularly back up important data to an external hard drive or a secure cloud service. This ensures you can recover your information in case of a cyber attack or hardware failure.
Closing with a Treat – picture of the Starner Group Team celebrating Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
Stay safe and enjoy the Halloween season
without falling for these tricks! 🎃👻
BARRON'S Hall Of Fame Advisor - Inducted in 2019
Forbes 2024 BEST-IN-STATE Wealth Advisor list
Forbes 2024 Top Women Wealth Advisors
Barron’s 2023 Top 1200 Financial Advisor
BARRON’S 2023 Top 100 Women Financial Advisors
Investment News 2020 Lifetime Achievement in
Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Award
Nominees for the 2020 InvestmentNews Diversity & Inclusion Lifetime Achievement Award must currently be working as financial planners, registered representatives or registered investment advisers, or as industry professionals in a role that supports financial advisers. Judges will consider management, team development, achievement and a minimum 15-year commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion. InvestmentNews received about 130 nominations for the Diversity & Inclusions awards and selected 1 individual for the Lifetime Achievement award. The ranking may not be representative of any one client's experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of future performance. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating nor is Raymond James affiliated with InvestmentNews.
Barron's Hall of Fame Award, 2019. Barron's is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. "Barron's Hall of Fame" is an award honoring a group of advisors who exemplify long-term success and commitment to their clients. Each member of the Hall of Fame has appeared in 10 or more of Barron's annual Top 100 Advisor rankings, and their long-looking commitment to excellence is a hopeful example for the industry to follow. The Top 100 Advisor rankings are based on data provided by individual advisors and their firms and include qualitative and quantitative criteria. Data points that relate to quality of practice include professionals with a minimum of 7 years financial services experience, acceptable compliance records (no criminal U4 issues), client retention reports, charitable and philanthropic work, quality of practice, designations held, offering services beyond investments offered including estates and trusts, and more. Financial Advisors are quantitatively rated based on varying types of revenues produced and assets under management by the financial professional, with weightings associated for each. Investment performance is not an explicit component because not all advisors have audited results and because performance figures often are influenced more by clients' risk tolerance than by an advisor's investment picking abilities. The ranking may not be representative of any one client's experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of an advisor's future performance. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Barron's is not affiliated with Raymond James.
Source: Barron's “Top 1,200 Financial Advisors,” March 2023. Barron's is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. The rankings are based on data provided by 5,630 individual advisors and their firms and include qualitative and quantitative criteria. Time period upon which the rating is based is from 09/30/2021 to 09/30/2022, and was released on 03/15/2023. Factors included in the rankings: assets under management, revenue produced for the firm, regulatory record, quality of practice and philanthropic work. Investment performance is not an explicit component because not all advisors have audited results and because performance figures often are influenced more by clients' risk tolerance than by an advisor's investment picking abilities. The ranking may not be representative of any one client's experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of advisor's future performance. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Barron's is not affiliated with Raymond James.
The Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors 2024 ranking, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, mostly gained through telephone and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. This ranking is based upon the period from 6/30/2022 to 6/30/2023 and was released on 4/3/2024. Those advisors that are considered have a minimum of seven years of experience, and the algorithm weighs factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their practices and approach to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Out of approximately 44,990 nominations, roughly 8,500 advisors received the award. This ranking is not indicative of an advisor's future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients' experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Compensation provided for using the rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please visit https://www.forbes.com/best-in-state-wealth-advisors for more info.
The Forbes ranking of America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors, developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative and quantitative data, rating thousands of wealth advisors with a minimum of seven years of experience and weighing factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and best practices learned through telephone and in-person interviews. Portfolio performance is not a criteria due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. This ranking is based upon the period from 9/30/22 to 9/30/23 and was released on 02/08/2024. Research Summary (as of February 2024): 44,028 nominations were received and 100 women won. This ranking is not indicative of an advisor's future performance, is not an endorsement, and may not be representative of individual clients' experience. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors or RIA firms pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Raymond James is not affiliated with Forbes or Shook Research, LLC. Please visit https://www.forbes.com/lists/top-women-advisors/?sh=36214c902a8f for more info.
Barron's Top 100 Women Financial Advisors (2023) Barron's is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. The rankings are based on data provided by individual advisors and their firms and include qualitative and quantitative criteria. There were a total of 1,028 applicants and data points that relate to quality of practice included professionals with a minimum of 7 years financial services experience, acceptable compliance records (no criminal U4 issues), client retention reports, charitable and philanthropic work, quality of practice, designations held, offering services beyond investments offered including estates and trusts, and more. Financial Advisors are quantitatively rated based on varying types of revenues produced and assets under management by the financial professional, with weightings associated for each. Investment performance is not an explicit component because not all advisors have audited results and because performance figures often are influenced more by clients' risk tolerance than by an advisor's investment picking abilities. This ranking is based upon the period from 03/01/2022 to 03/31/2023 and was released on 06/16/2023. The ranking may not be representative of any one client's experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of an advisor's future performance. Neither Raymond James nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Barron's is not affiliated with Raymond James.
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