Are you closer to 22, 42 or 72 years old? Regardless, a 2018 Charles Schwab Consumer Digital Demands Survey found an interesting common denominator across investors of all ages. Whether online automation is your native tongue, or you’d rather get a root canal than spend time managing your own investments, almost every investor would prefer to have it all: easy online tools, plus easy access to a financial professional when assistance is in order.

Schwab hired an independent research firm to conduct its survey this summer, polling 1,000 U.S. adults. One data point I found particularly interesting: 70% of those surveyed agreed that “robos are a good start, but they expect to need more personal service for more complex situations.” If you break that down among age groups, agreement remained strong:

• 78% of millennials, 72% of Gen X and 64% of Boomers somewhat or strongly agreed they still highly valued the human touch.
• 80% of those surveyed agreed that “Ease of use” was important, making it the top driver of trust in digital experiences.
• 79% of those surveyed agreed that “Easy access to human customer service” was important, which means it came in a very close second.

In short, investors understandably want the best of both worlds: accessible automation and personalized client care. That’s why we’ve developed Hillfolio, an affordable solution for extending evidence-based investing to a wider audience. What are your financial goals? Are you saving toward retirement? Funding your kids’ college costs? Filling up that rainy-day fund? By helping you automate your excellent saving and investment habits, while offering the hands-on advice every family requires to make confident financial calls, our aim is to put the odds of success on your side. We don’t think that’s too much to ask for!

Phishing. It can happen to almost anyone. Phishing emails try to trick you into clicking on their fraudulent links or attachments, which can inject your computer with malware or otherwise con you into giving away credit card numbers, login credentials and similar personal information.

For example, there’s been a fake email making the rounds lately, posing as an urgent notice from Schwab, and promising the recipient a “Security Benefits Award.” All you have to do (so they say), is click on the link provided and your account will be credited.

Unfortunately, those who fall for phishing schemes are far more likely to lose money than be credited any. Sheriff Schiffer here, with three solid suggestions on how to avoid getting hooked by a phisher.

1. Don’t Click. Your first and strongest line of defense is to never click on any links or open any attachments in a phishing email. If you don’t take their bait, they won’t be able to reel you in.
2. Don’t Trust. While it’s too bad we must always be on guard, today’s online environment essentially requires it. Rest assured, if Schwab or any other reputable service provider requires follow up from you, this is NOT how they’ll go about requesting it. Be especially wary of:
   • Unsolicited emails arriving out of the blue, even if they’re supposedly from a familiar source
   • Enticing offers or scary alerts with a sense of urgency; phishers know people tend to throw caution to the wind when greed or fear takes over; they literally bank on it
   • Typos, bad grammar or generic salutations; not all phishing emails contain these, but many do
3. Do Verify. Believe me, your family, friends and professional alliances would much rather hear from you directly if anything they have supposedly sent to you seems suspicious. It’s always a good idea to be in touch by calling or sending a separate email (don’t hit “reply”), and asking the alleged sender if they really did send it.

A bonus tip: If an email smells “phishy” to you but you’re not sure either way, you should also be able to reach out to your financial advisor or a similar reputable source, asking for extra input. Here at Hill Investment Group, we’re happy to assist our clients with these sorts of questions. It’s in everyone’s best interest if we all join forces against phishers.

You know all those tax season emails you get from Charles Schwab, informing you that your Form 1099s are ready to download and share with your tax professionals?

Hill Investment Group clients can largely disregard those notices, because we take care of this busy-work for them. We aggregate the 1099s for the accounts we manage for them, and send the documents to those who need them, safely, securely and without our clients having to lift a finger. (Unless you count that single click to delete the email notifications.)

This is just one way we strive to simplify our clients’ busy lives, so they can focus on the things that are important to them.