Financial Alphabet Soup is Really Not That Filling
Financial professionals often use certifications on business cards, internet portals, and the like to support their expertise. Whether it is CFP (Certified Financial Planner), CSNA (Certified Special Needs Advisor), or CSP (Certified Succession Planner), the abbreviations suggest a course of study, a test, or a series of tests successfully passed. But is this financial alphabet soup of abbreviations really an indication you have found the right financial professional?
When Wall Street Cold Calls You
You see it in movies — an image of slick stock broker in a basement boiler room in Manhattan, Brooklyn or Staten Island cold calling customers. The pitch is standardized. The broker has a secret stock or IPO just for you (the innocent investor), but the catch is you have to act now because the opportunity won’t last and there is a limit to how much you can buy. The broker gains your trust by making you believe you are getting a special opportunity not available to the masses – that you are a part of an exclusive club of savvy investors. This doesn’t just happen in the movies; just ask all of the victims of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. And it still happens today.
Cyber Crimes: The Nightmare Scenario for Your Business
Your company could sustain huge losses due to the compromise of an employee e-mail account. Seemingly legitimate communications and requests may actually be signs of a fraudster attempting to commit a scam called Business E-Mail Compromise (BEC).
