Information About the 2017 Equifax Security Breach

To our valued clients:

In light of the recent news regarding a large scale Equifax security breach, we wanted to provide some peace of mind and additional information about what steps can be taken to ensure your information remains secure.

First and foremost, the credit bureau does not have any information on TD Ameritrade accounts. So while they may have personal information about you, they should not have your TD account number. TD Ameritrade will only allow distributions to bank accounts or send checks to your address of record and would require your account number and a verbal request. Anything else would require forms and signatures.

If for any reason these security measures fail and they do access our small client base at Financial Plan, we will serve as another measure of security. We personally monitor all distributions out as well as changes of address, so we are likely to spot suspicious activity rather quickly.

Lastly, TD Ameritrade has an asset protection guarantee so you would be reimbursed for unauthorized activity. https://www.tdameritrade.com/security/asset-protection-guarantee.page

If you don’t anticipate needing credit or rarely change your credit, a credit freeze could further keep your information safe. Fees vary based on where you live, but commonly range from $5 to $10.

For more information about the breach and additional steps you can take including setting up a temporary credit freeze, this article may prove helpful as well:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2017/09/equifax-data-breach-what-do

As always, we are here to help answer any additional questions or concerns you may have.

Sincerely-

Stephanie Wolf, Communications Director