Security is a joint effort. As soon as possible after opening an account, we encourage investors to:
1. Create a smart, custom password.
Tip: An easy way for an investor to make a memorable password is to create a sentence or phrase incorporating letters, numbers and symbols.
Example: IL0veTac0s:)
Use our single sheet to help clients register their accounts online.
2. Activate account activity and security notifications and keep their email address up to date.
These notifications are automatically activated the first time your clients log in to their account. Notifications help investors monitor their account and respond more quickly to prevent fraud because we alert them immediately by email if changes to their account are initiated online. We notify them again when a change is processed.
Account activity notifications — Alert clients to transactions (e.g., withdrawals) or other account changes (e.g., bank information changes).
Security notifications — Alert clients to changes to personal information: physical address, email address, statement delivery preference, username or password.
3. Sign up for paperless delivery of important documents.
For clients who turn off paper delivery of statements, tax forms and other documents, we will notify them by email as soon as those documents are available to access through secure login. With paperless delivery, your clients don't have to worry about shredding papers, and documents will never get lost in the mail.
Be observant
Keep computers secure
Avoid public computers and Wi-Fi
See how American Funds protects your clients’ online accounts.
Review types of online fraud and how to recognize them.