Strategic Wealth Partners was acquired by Kovitz Investment Group Partners, LLC ("Kovitz"), a registered investment adviser with the SEC on May 1, 2024. Strategic Wealth Partners is now a division of Kovitz and its registered investment adviser. Materials created prior to this date were created by Strategic Wealth Partners and are accurate as of the time of publishing.
Protecting Yourself from Cybercrime: The Second of a Three-Part Series. Read Part One Here
According to the FBI’s 2017 Internet Crime Report, Americans reported losing more than $1.4 billion that year alone because of cybercrime1. In particular, ransomware (malware that locks down your computer or blocks access to files until you pay a ransom) is one of the most common cybercrimes2. The tips below can help you protect yourself from becoming a victim:
Even if a link in an email looks legitimate, it can easily be disguised and contain malware. When in doubt, hover your mouse over the link. A pop up will appear showing the link address. Make sure the pop up shows the URL for the intended destination before clicking.
To help prevent malware from infecting your computer, make sure you have an antivirus program installed and that it is up to date. Norton, Webroot, and F-Secure are among the plethora of options available.
Make sure to use secure websites that begin with “HTTPS” (as opposed to “HTTP”) and have a lock icon in the address bar. Websites that do not have this could contain malware.
Cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated every day, but they rely on people not being vigilant about potential threats, so you are still the best defense against cybercrimes! Using the best practices above and staying alert can help thwart a potential attack – saving you time, money, and stress.
When evaluating an investment portfolio, most people tend to focus on the return it provides. This is certainly understandable, as it is fairly intuitive. “I put in $100; it’s now worth $110. Therefore, my return is 10%.” However, this leaves out a key part of the overall story – taxes.
Broadly speaking, from the standpoint of most investment and tax professionals, investments can generally be classified as either “tax-efficient” or “tax-inefficient.” I’ll loosely define these terms as follows:
We are proud to announce that SWP’s Wealth Advisor, Kathy Klein, received the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Herbert J. Mueller 2024 Outstanding Professional Adviser of the Year award! She was honored...
At the loss of a spouse, particularly one responsible for the family's cash flow and investments, the emotional turmoil can be significantly magnified by the additional responsibility of financial management.
