Simply Money : Is checking my 401 online safe? By Nathan Bachrach and Ed Finke Nov twenty, 2008. Do I have to read my 401 ( k ) statements? Query : I don't even need to open my 401 ( k ) statements right now. So am I able to just file them as is? Answer : It's definitely better to just put the blinders on when the market is see-sawing as it has lately, but there is a real danger in not scanning your fiscal statements. Whilst we'd love to suspect that all monetary advisers and brokers are fair and good, sadly, there are some bad apples. You must be checking to make certain you have signed off on all the activity in your account. Are your withdrawals or additions correct? Are your dividends ending up where you would like them? Is your portfolio diversified as you'd concluded it should be? Do you see any surprising charges or fees? Brokers aren't perfect, and there were glitches with electronic trades and transfers. If she or he does not correct the issue, take it up with the firm's management or compliance office in writing. If you continue to are sad, report the difficulty to FINRA, the organization that regulates finance advisers. But there are time boundaries set on a few of these things, so you actually need to identify these errors early on, and take action quickly. Is checking my 401 ( k ) account online safe? Query : I have been checking my 401 ( k ) online, but is that safe? How am I able to keep hackers from seeing my account information? Answer : the web has made it far easier to pay bills, do your banking, and handle your investments. But all of that convenience includes a price, particularly if you are logging onto your secure accounts in a country apart from your own home. If you want to test your bank balance or your investments, don't log on using the free WiFi at a public place.

They use PC programs to literally scouse borrow your secret info off your PC, right as you are typing it in.

If you use your PC to check sensitive account info, confirm it has recent encryption software, an anti-virus program, and a good firewall. You must know if yours is an example of them, and then do what you can to keep that from happening. Nathan Bachrach and Ed Finke are the handling partners of The Monetary Network Group, home of Simply Money , your financial stories and cash management resource. For more Simply Money , tune into their daily radio show on WKRC-AM weeknights from 6-7 pm and on the morning and Evening News on WXIX ( Fox19 ).