Like most people, we’re pretty busy here at Hill Investment Group. After dedicating ourselves to family, friends, community and career, it’s hard to find extra time for relaxing and reflecting before we find ourselves fast asleep.

Thank goodness for podcasts. They offer energizing food for thought during our morning commutes (Henry), dog walks (Matt), or while sweating it out on a jog (yours truly). We’ve each got our personal favorites, but Guy Raz’s “How I Built This”  podcast is a HIG-wide hit.

For investing, we typically encourage a steadfast – almost stodgy – buy, hold, and rebalance approach to managing the money you’ve made, emphasizing academic evidence over “lucky breaks.” But first, you’ve got to make some of that money, and sometimes that takes luck and skill alike. So we also love the edgy tales of how some of today’s best-known businesses came to be. To name a few:

Southwest Airlines: Can you believe this airline was initially a side hustle for founder Herb Kelleher?

Starbucks: Founder Howard Schultz tells an incredible story about Bill Gates, Sr. (“The” Bill Gates’ dad), and the role he played in saving Starbucks.

Patagonia: Founder Yves Chouinard became a successful businessman despite himself.

The Home Depot – Being fired may have been the best thing that ever happened to co-founder Arthur Blank.

Next time you’ve got a little downtime of your own, why not tune into “How I Built This”?

Not long ago, keeping your financial stuff secure meant having a safety deposit box at your local bank. Wow, times have changed. A real or virtual safety deposit box still comes in handy, but it’s only the beginning. Not sure where to start building solid cybersecurity? Welcome to our periodic column, “In Your Cyber-Corner.” As Hill Investment Group’s Chief Operating Officer and resident “sheriff,” I’ll be offering one or two take-homes at a time. Today, I’ll take on the role a Trusted Contact Person (TCP) can play in safeguarding your stuff.

Picture this. You’re celebrating your 25^th wedding anniversary on an ocean cruise. Halfway through, your account custodian receives an unusual electronic request from “you,” asking for a substantial cash transfer abroad. Naturally, they would like to confirm whether it’s really you, but they are unable to reach you. They ask us, your advisor, but we can’t confirm your intentions either.

Or here’s another, far less happy, but increasingly common scenario. Unfortunately, your spouse is exhibiting early warning signs of dementia. One day, he contacts your account custodian out of the blue and asks for a cashier’s check on the entire $550,000 balance in his IRA account. Of course it’s his money, but …

What next? Many custodians (including Charles Schwab) allow you to designate TCPs to contact if they suspect you may be subject to financial exploitation, or with questions about your mental or physical well-being. For example, if you’ve named your daughter as a TCP, they can contact her, let her know what has transpired, and seek her input. Spouses also can name one another as TCPs for each other.

Your TCP does NOT have power of attorney (unless you’ve granted that separately). Schwab notes that your TCP “is not authorized to make investment decisions or withdraw funds from your account.” Naming a TCP does enable your custodian to place a temporary hold on suspicious transactions and report the incident to law enforcement agencies.

So go ahead, pack those bags, enjoy your busy life and make the most of your wealth. If you’re interested in more information on designating a TCP, simply email us at service@hillinvestmentgroup, or call us if you’re a Hill Investment Group client and we’ll make it happen.

I’m sure by now you have heard of Equifax’s recent data breach. When faced with situations like this, we like to think about our good friend Carl Richards’ sketch that encourages us to focus on what we can control. With this in mind, we point you toward resources that help protect your data in the post-Equifax-hack world. Also, we’ll share a little backstage information on our own cybersecurity efforts.

What To Do

While there isn’t a magic bullet, below are a few resources we’ve shared with our clients. These resources provide both checklist actions, as well as general information and important questions to consider.

• The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) page is a good start and will likely be kept current over time.
• New York Times “Your Money” columnist Ron Lieber has been covering the beat extensively. Search on “Equifax” and you’ll find his ongoing advice and comments. We like one of his most recent updates from September 21.
• In “Our Thoughts on Security,” Wealthfront provided a helpful overview, including a “What You Can Do For You” list of actions to consider.

As time marches on, the steps you could or should take are likely to evolve. We are staying informed, so keep an eye out for updates in subsequent newsletters.

Here at HIG

While no system is impregnable, we have long been taking strong measures to protect against hackers and identity thieves.

This year, we participated in a 12-week Schwab Cybersecurity Engagement to assess our current readiness, identify room for improvement, and formalize our action plan. Since then, we’ve been upgrading our infrastructure, engaging in ongoing education, and continually implementing checks and updates.

As this wise educator observed in reflecting on the Equifax breach, “Security isn’t a product. It’s a process.” As cybersecurity requirements continuously evolve, so will we. We would be happy to talk with you directly if you would like to learn more about our cybersecurity procedures.