In the ever-evolving environment of cybercrime, we enjoy our partnership with Schwab Institutional in being vigilant about protecting client’s data, privacy and of course, a lifetime of savings. Both Schwab and Total Wealth Planning have heavily invested in technology, training and monitoring to achieve this peace of mind for clients.
If you have not already done so, we recommend that you should consider the following resources to enhance your account protection.
- Two-step verification for https://client.schwab.com/. Enhanced authentication adds a layer of security to your Schwab login ID and password. Clients can sign up by logging in at https://client.schwab.com/Areas/Access/Login and selecting Manage Two-step Verification. From there, two options will be available:
- “Only on untrusted devices” – will only request two-step verification when you login from a device that is public, shared, unknown, or otherwise untrusted.
OR
- “Always on login” – will request two-step verification at every login, on all devices.
- Enable a unique password or your biometric VoiceID to prevent someone who may have your personal information (think Identity Theft) from calling Schwab to impersonate you. You can do this by calling the Schwab Alliance team at 800-515-2157, but this feature is only available after you have established your online login with Schwab.
- Visit SchwabSafe to learn more about how you and Schwab can further safeguard your information.
At the end of the day, it’s all about trust. We enjoy our partnership with Schwab Institutional to provide our clients unparalleled protection, peace of mind, and a robust toolkit for investing and managing your life’s savings. We take this honor very seriously and so does Schwab. If all of the above protections fail, you should know that Schwab’s Security Guarantee states: Schwab will cover 100% of any losses in any of your Schwab accounts due to unauthorized activity. Unauthorized activity is defined as any party accessing your account that was not approved by you to access your accounts. With this in mind, it is important to consider who has access to your account credentials either as an “aggregator” or a remote access party. If you give your credentials to another app, software, or individual, they become an “authorized” user and their actions are no longer protected by the Schwab Security Guarantee. It is important to do your due diligence before giving your login credentials to any party.
You can read more on the terms and other fine print here.
We’re honored to be your trusted advisor. Our team is here to serve you if you have any questions.
Author: Rob Siegmann is a partner and chief operating officer of Total Wealth Planning, a fee-only fiduciary financial planning firm in Cincinnati (Blue Ash), Ohio. He is often quoted in industry publications such as The Cincinnati Business Courier, Wall Street Journal, Yahoo finance, Financial Planning Magazine, Cincinnati Enquirer as well as others. Rob is grateful to serve others, including his team of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioners and the clients they serve, so they can live their greatest life through well informed and prudent financial decisions. Rob can be reached at rsiegmann@twpteam.com.