Security/Privacy

Q. How does GuidedChoice handle security within GuidedSavings?
A. GuidedChoice has many levels of security protecting the user's information. Each person has to log on with a personal PIN. The data is protected by 128-bit encryption and then sent across the internet. All information is stored on a secure server located within a data center. The data center has redundant environmental systems and redundant connection to the internet.

Q. Is GuidedSavings 128-bit encrypted?
A. Yes

Q. What is encryption?
A. Encryption is the process of converting information into a more secure format for transmission. In other words, the plain text is converted to scrambled code while being transmitted, and then decrypted back to plain text at the receiving end of the transmission. It is comparable to writing a letter, converting it to code, putting it in an envelope and mailing it with the recipient unscrambling the code. Currently, there are two levels of encryption generally available in web browsers: 40-bit encryption, and 128-bit encryption. Most commonly available browsers use 40-bit encryption. However, the 128-bit browser offers the highest level of encryption generally available in North America today and provides the best protection when transmitting confidential data over the internet.

Q. What does the message about this being a secure site mean?
A. GuidedChoice has many levels of security protecting the users information. Each person has to log on with a PIN. The data is protected by 128-bit encryption and then sent across the internet. All information is stored on a secure server located within a data center. The data center has redundant environmental systems and redundant connection to the internet.

Q. I feel uncomfortable giving you my personal account information. Will it be kept confidential?
A. Yes, the information is kept confidential. We do not share any individual savings or personal information with your employer or record keeper except for what they already have in their records. Note: we don't ask for your account details, so GuidedChoice won't know what accounts you have and where they are located.

Q. Will my employer have access to the information in the GuidedChoice system?
A. Your employer will not have access to any of the data in the GuidedChoice system except for that data they already own, for example your address and 401(k) account information. So, they will not know when you plan to retire or how much money you have unless you tell them, for example.

Q. Can someone else get my assets if I tell you all about them? It makes me nervous to put all my financial information in here.
A. Please note that in order to further protect you, we will ask you for information on your assets, but we do not ask you for any other account information. For example, you may have an IRA account at Charles Schwab in which you have purchased Apple Computer, Inc. stock. We will only need to know about your Apple stock and that it is in an IRA, but we will not ask where the asset is held (in this example Charles Schwab). We will not have any information that would allow us to get into your accounts.