You already know that saving and investing are important parts of building retirement readiness. But have you ever considered how protecting your retirement account can be just as important? Scroll through the news, and sooner or later you’ll come across a story on cybercrime or some sort of online security breach. But you don’t have to be a passive victim. You can take steps today to protect your account and the sensitive information associated with it. Here are a few recommendations:
● Register your Empower account – It might seem counterintuitive, but registering your account can reduce the chance that someone else will try to gain access to it. If you haven’t yet registered, log in to your myretirement Plan account at retire.pennstatehealth.org and click Register; choose the I do not have a PIN tab then follow the prompts to create your username and password.
● Add a personal email address to your Empower account – By updating your current contact information on file — including adding a personal email address in addition to your work email address — you can be contacted more quickly if there are unauthorized changes or transactions attempted on your account. You’ll also continue to receive information on your account in the event you change jobs. To update your information, log in to your myretirement Plan account at retire.pennstatehealth.org, click on your initials in the top right corner, and under Profile and settings click Edit to update your personal contact information.
● Sign up for Empower e-delivery – While you are in Profile and settings, under Settings, in the Account documents section, you can update your communication preference for how you would like to receive statements and other important plan documents. When you select E-delivery, you will receive all available documents electronically as soon as they become available — instead of waiting for delivery via traditional mail. E-delivery provides a secure way to access the information you need, and it lessens the likelihood that you’ll misplace a statement or other sensitive information.
● Follow safe online practices – Creating complex passwords, keeping your antivirus and system software up to date, regularly logging in to check your account — there’s a lot you can do to keep your account safe. And when you follow current and prudent online and mobile security practices, you’re automatically eligible for the Empower Security Guarantee.1 That means that Empower will restore losses to your account that occur as a result of unauthorized transactions through no fault of your own.
Protecting your identity and ensuring your privacy is an important part of building a secure financial future. Need some additional tips on security best practices? Visit the Empower Security Center for additional online security practices and make cybersecurity part of your retirement planning journey.
1 For more information regarding account security, including the Empower Security Guarantee, visit empower.com and, from the list of additional links at the bottom of the page, click Security center.
Source – Empower