Manifesto

Most therapists see a therapist.

The Seattle Seahawks have almost as many coaches as players.

And even the most seasoned climber doesn’t summit Everest without a Sherpa.

You know why?

Because having a guide helps.

If you don’t know the way, a guide is indispensable.

But even if you’re an expert or well on your way, a guide can offer assurance, show you a few shortcuts and make sure you don’t stray off course.

We are guides.

And we help people navigate something far more compelling than a trail or path or investment opportunities and the market.

We don’t start a relationship by offering hot stock tips and patent-pending investment strategies.

We sit down and get to know our clients.

Where are they in their lives?

What makes them happy and fulfilled?

What do they want from their future?

Once we know where they are and where they want to go, we can set out on a journey to get there together.

And hey, if we decide we want to change where we’re going or take a different route, that’s okay too.

We’re expert guides, so we can help even the most sophisticated investor, but we pride ourselves on making the complicated easy to understand for everyone.

So we don’t put our arms around a client’s portfolio and drag it over to our side of the table and tell them we’ll take it from here.

We work with our clients to make sure they understand and are invested in the decisions we make.

We don’t sell our clients products; we help them make choices.

About the kind of life they want to live.

About when and how they want to retire.

And what kind of legacy they want to leave behind for their families, their communities, and the world.

We are Summit.

And we know it’s a bit cheesy, but darn it, we believe this to be true.

We guide our clients towards their dreams.

 

Are You Making These Security Mistakes with Your Smartphone?

Presented by Edward W. Grogan, IV

It’s tough to remember how we managed our daily lives without smartphones. How did we get around town without quick access to Google Maps? Pay our bills on time before we had credit card and banking apps? Or let someone know we were running late without text messaging?

Because completing tasks on smartphones is so easy, we tend to overlook the sensitivity of the data we store on them. And that could be a recipe for disaster. To help you safeguard your confidential data, we’re sharing five mistakes that most of us make when using our smartphones, along with some simple fixes that you can put in place today.

 

1) Not auto-locking our phones or using passwords

Most smartphone users don’t password-protect their devices, making information vulnerable if phones are lost or stolen.

What can you do?

  • Change your settings to require your phone to lock after a certain period of inactivity. This way, you’ll have to enter a password to get back in.
  • Set a strong PIN or password. Although having a password is the most basic form of security, it will serve as a first line of defense, giving you the opportunity to remotely wipe or track your phone if it is lost or stolen.

 

2) Connecting to public or unsecure Wi-Fi networks

Public Wi-Fi networks pose a major security risk. Cyber criminals connected to the same network can view your activity and any information you send over the network, including usernames, passwords, account information, credit card information, and e-mail messages.

What can you do? Turn off auto-discovery if your phone has that function! If you need to go online, just use cellular data instead of connecting to an unsecure network.

 

3) Using out-of-date apps and software

Outdated apps and mobile operating system software leave your phone open to security vulnerabilities.

What can you do?

  • Keep apps up to date. This mitigates risks by patching up holes that hackers could exploit to access your data. Most smartphones have an automatic update option for apps; use it!
  • Update your mobile OS software as soon as you are notified that an update is available.

 

4) Staying logged in to apps that store your financial information

Although certainly more convenient than entering your credentials every time you need access, staying logged in to Amazon, Capital One, or some other shopping or banking service provider could leave you vulnerable to some serious financial risk. If your phone is lost or stolen, you’re basically handing a criminal your wallet.

What can you do? Don’t stay logged into apps, and clear your device’s browser history regularly.

 

5) Clicking on links sent through unsolicited texts or e-mails

Cyber criminals have crossed over from the desktop to the mobile world. They now deploy their phishing attempts through text messages or e-mails, hoping that you’ll click on their bogus links and provide them with your credentials or financial information.

What can you do? Just as with you desktop or laptop, be wary of clicking links and downloading attachments on your smartphone—don’t do it. Viruses can infect smartphones, too.

 

What the future holds

As more of us use mobile devices to communicate and transact business, more of our information will be out there tempting hackers to steal it. Don’t let your smartphone lull you into a false sense of security. Follow the simple advice shared here to help ensure the security of your personal data.