When it comes to investing and planning for your financial future, here are some important tips to keep in mind:

1) Do background checks at  on investment professionals and firms to verify they are currently licensed or registered.

2) Assign a trusted contact person to your brokerage account — someone to be a backup contact in case you can’t be reached, are sick, or are suffering from diminished capacity.

3) Resist FOMO — the fear of missing out. Don’t rush into an investment opportunity just because everyone else is. Take your time and do your research.

4) Always use strong passwords, minimize personal information you make available online, and check your privacy settings on your accounts. Learn more at , your unbiased resource for investing information, free tools, and tips.