Fidelity Security is a JOKE

[SaucyJim]

Earlier this week, my Fidelity account presented a "Your account is blocked" message to me and I had to call a number to get it unblocked. "How did I unblock it," you ask? They made me change my password. Unreal.

For those who do not know, forcing changed passwords on people is LESS secure because people end up writing down the new one. Dual authentication (which they do, as well) is good enough. And before everyone starts in the the password keeper advice, I worked in tech for decades am well-versed in such things. But that's not the point here.

Anyway, I got into my account and can access it again.

But then, today, my wife had the same thing happen. We called the number (after verifying it on their site, as I am not getting scammed) and the guy "did some research" only to report back that a ticket has been opened with the back office and they'll be reaching out to us next week. So, my wife is cut off from her funds until Fidelity personnel can find it in their heart of hearts to contact her.

It's end of month. I make transfers from retirement accounts so I can pay bills. Cutting us off from our money is never the answer to security. If someone is trying to hack us, you should have 24x7 support to ensure we can rectify the situation ASAP. Of course, the words coming out of my mouth had the guy on the other end hang up. Unacceptable. Simply inconceivable.

So, buyer beware, I am no longer recommending Fidelity to family and friends as a place to do business -- much less secure my money. That's a good one: Fidelity is so secure that not even I can access my money when I need it.

Go Fidelity!!

NOT.

[manaboutown]

I had a few bad experiences with Fidelity over the years so I no longer use them.

[Boomer]

I have had to call a couple of times, but that was because of in-a-hurry, repeated typos on my end. It was my fault and I am glad they bounced me.

I memorize my important passwords but sometimes I type too fast and hit the wrong keys. (I do have them written down in a place with other info that could be needed, but they are also in my head because that’s my password-keeper of choice.)

I was content when things were simpler and our money was not floating around in cyberspace. But this way is here to stay and Fidelity is as good as any big custodian. They have my voice, too. I am not a fan of that but at least they do not have my face — yet.

I never use public wi-fi or do money stuff on my phone or iPad that I could lose when taking them out of the house. Yeah, I know, some will think that makes no difference but I don’t care. Money stuff happens with me at my desk on my laptop in my house.

I hope you let us know what happened with your account when you find out.

Boomer

[retiredguy123]

I have accounts at Fidelity and Vanguard, and I have been satisfied with the security. Both companies have assured me that they will never transfer money to any third party at any time. I have my checking account linked to Fidelity and Vanguard, and that is the only way they will transfer funds. I also have alerts established that will send me an immediate email whenever there is ever a transaction initiated.

OP, can you suggest another investment company that has better security?

[Caymus]

When I set up monthly withdraws from my 401K, "I think" they told me voice identification was part of the security.

[Pugchief]

Generally speaking, Fidelity is top notch in both customer service and security. Every once in a while, there is some glitch, although the OP's issue seems excessive. Never heard that one before.

Probably not a bad idea to keep a month's worth of expenses in another institution if you can, just in case.

If you don't have an assigned financial advisor at Fidelity, you can go to the LSL office on Monday and try to resolve in person.

[Boomer]

When I set up monthly withdraws from my 401K, "I think" they told me voice identification was part of the security.


You’re right. I really am OK with it. I am sure Fidelity has some kind of sophisticated, ultra high tech thingy to read all the nuances in voices.

My sister, my daughter, and my granddaughter have all been mistaken for me on phone calls. But none of them will try to scam into my Fidelity account — I guess. :undecided:

One of the reasons I stick with Fidelity is because they are not publicly traded so they do not have a. bunch of stockholders in line to be paid from profits. Vanguard has no stockholders, but I like access to a bricks-and-mortar location. Schwab has that but Schwab has stockholders.

I am sticking with Fidelity. Besides, I don’t want to learn a new website.

Boomer



.

[tophcfa]

I have accounts at Fidelity and Vanguard, and I have been satisfied with the security. Both companies have assured me that they will never transfer money to any third party at any time. I have my checking account linked to Fidelity and Vanguard, and that is the only way they will transfer funds. I also have alerts established that will send me an immediate email whenever there is ever a transaction initiated.

OP, can you suggest another investment company that has better security?

Same here, both are outstanding companies and the majority of our retirement investments are split between there two. Never had a security problem, but if I did I would prefer it is them erring on the side of being over cautious.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

change both your user name and your password. wherever possible, my user name is long and somewhat random, and so is the password. The criminals have to find/guess two long unrelated somewhat random strings, and I change both password and username together when I have to

I have Fidelity, Vanguard, and Wells Fargo, plus two checking bank accounts. .

I also use Active Trader Pro for Fidelity, seldom use the website, and I try to avoid the website at all costs.

[rjm1cc]

How would you expect them to verify that someone calling on the phone should have access to your account?
I have had problems with my accounts and they were very good at helping me.
I would keep two brokerage accounts, two checking accounts and several credit cards so if one was hacked or a problem came up life could go on while the problem was fixed. For example my SS check and my wife's goes to different institutions.

[Babufrick]

Use biometric login. No issues

[M2inOR]

Missing from the discussion so far, is to be sure you ha 2 factor authentication.

I've had Fidelity for 7+ years.

Username, complicated password, and 2 factor authentication. Additionally, I get an alert anytime the account is accessed.

I have one account linked to Citizens First Bank, and a Fidelity credit card account linked to pay the monthly bill.

That account only has a small amount available for cash transfers. The other accounts are otherwise locked and require unlocking for any transfers.

Talk to Fidelity to make sure you are using all the available security features.

[Rwirish]

One word about Fidelity - Outstanding.

[huge-pigeons]

Passwords aren’t a big deal? You know because you were in tech? That’s so not true! Passwords are your 1st offense against cyber crimes. Decades ago, you didn’t have 2FA, and a lot of people probably don’t use it today which everybody should.
All passwords should be over 16 characters long, with 1 or 2 special characters like @,%,$,!, a couple uppercase letters, and you should not use the same password for more than 1 login. If you follow this, it will take over 100 years for a program to decipher it.
https://www.euronews.com/next/2024/05/11/how-long-does-it-take-a-hacker-to-crack-a-password-in-2024
Just a moment... (https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2023/05/18/time-taken-for-hackers-to-crack-passwords-revealed/)

Fidelity, Schwab, vanguard, Morgan Stanley, and others are all secure. I’ve used all of these but only use 1 of them now. If you are transferring funds monthly, you should setup an automated schedule to perform these transfers automatically. What happens if you get in an accident and in icu, does your wife know how to transfer? What happens if she’s in the accident with you? Automate! If you know your paying $10,000 in taxes in December, put in the request to transfer money months in advance.

[SaucyJim]

I have accounts at Fidelity and Vanguard, and I have been satisfied with the security. Both companies have assured me that they will never transfer money to any third party at any time. I have my checking account linked to Fidelity and Vanguard, and that is the only way they will transfer funds. I also have alerts established that will send me an immediate email whenever there is ever a transaction initiated.

OP, can you suggest another investment company that has better security?

Why? Sounds like you don’t need that. My statement is about my experience - no one else’s. Locking anyone out of their account, regardless of reason, without 24x7 recourse for resolving the issue, is unacceptable for me. And a JOKE.

[SaucyJim]

When I set up monthly withdraws from my 401K, "I think" they told me voice identification was part of the security.

I draw very little and not the same amount. The majority of my dividends (stocks) and interest (bonds) are reinvested. Nowhere near ready for consistent monthly withdrawals.

The point of my post is about locking something without sufficient support to get it unlocked in a timely manner. That’s a JOKE.

[SaucyJim]

Generally speaking, Fidelity is top notch in both customer service and security. Every once in a while, there is some glitch, although the OP's issue seems excessive. Never heard that one before.

Probably not a bad idea to keep a month's worth of expenses in another institution if you can, just in case.

If you don't have an assigned financial advisor at Fidelity, you can go to the LSL office on Monday and try to resolve in person.

Locked out of my house and locksmith says call me on Monday. So I wait in my driveway for two days. That locksmith would be a JOKE. Same as Fidelity in this case.

Generally speaking, I agree, but my post was not general in nature. It was quite specific.

[SaucyJim]

Same here, both are outstanding companies and the majority of our retirement investments are split between there two. Never had a security problem, but if I did I would prefer it is them erring on the side of being over cautious.

Not supporting their cautious approach is the issue. Not the caution.

Did any of you even read my post? Do you think this is acceptable?

I bet you’d feel differently if it happened to you.

[SaucyJim]

Passwords aren’t a big deal? You know because you were in tech? That’s so not true! Passwords are your 1st offense against cyber crimes. Decades ago, you didn’t have 2FA, and a lot of people probably don’t use it today which everybody should.
All passwords should be over 16 characters long, with 1 or 2 special characters like @,%,$,!, a couple uppercase letters, and you should not use the same password for more than 1 login. If you follow this, it will take over 100 years for a program to decipher it.
https://www.euronews.com/next/2024/05/11/how-long-does-it-take-a-hacker-to-crack-a-password-in-2024
Just a moment... (https://www.itsecurityguru.org/2023/05/18/time-taken-for-hackers-to-crack-passwords-revealed/)

Fidelity, Schwab, vanguard, Morgan Stanley, and others are all secure. I’ve used all of these but only use 1 of them now. If you are transferring funds monthly, you should setup an automated schedule to perform these transfers automatically. What happens if you get in an accident and in icu, does your wife know how to transfer? What happens if she’s in the accident with you? Automate! If you know your paying $10,000 in taxes in December, put in the request to transfer money months in advance.

{yawn}

I did not say passwords were not a big deal. Nice work putting words into my mouth.

My recurring theme this morning: Read My Post.

[pattihopeBB]

Sorry you were inconvenienced, but that’s better than being hacked. We have used Fidelity for over 20 years and have had exceptional customer service and most importantly great investment returns. Wouldn’t trash them or change investments over one bad experience.

[SaucyJim]

Sorry you were inconvenienced, but that’s better than being hacked. We have used Fidelity for over 20 years and have had exceptional customer service and most importantly great investment returns. Wouldn’t trash them or change investments over one bad experience.

Again if you read my post, I did not say that I would’ve rather been hacked. Everyone loves to put words into my mouth on this thread. My premise is simple. Put all the security protocols in place that you like but offer support 24 x 7 so that I can regain access and not wait for the “back office” to get back to me next week.

And again, I do not think any of you would find this acceptable if it happened to you.

[CybrSage]

Let's recap:
1. Someone tried to log into your account and it was not you.
2. The account became locked to protect you.
3. To prevent said person from pretending to be you and resetting your password, Fidelity required you to call them.
4. You consider your inability to remember a new password to be Fidelity's fault and that everyone writes it down.
5. Same thing happened to your wife, and due to there being multiple security alerts from the same address, Fidelity is doing more diligence to keep her money safe.
6. You claim to have worked in tech for decades and still complain about there being a high level of security on access to your retirement savings
7. You incorrectly think money transfers happen on non-business days and therefore demand the ability to do a transfer in a non-business day.
8. You incorrectly think Fidelity security workers are evil and are ignoring your wife on purpose and need to "find it in their hearts" to contact her.
9. You summarize it all by saving that "cutting you off from your money" due to legitimate security alerts "is never the answer to security".
10. You contacted them and they are doing research into the security issues and will contact you with the results next week when they get them, but you want the results instantly so that it taking time is bad
11. Their security is a joke because they stopped both of you from getting robbed

Which part is not correct?

[bilcon]

Earlier this week, my Fidelity account presented a "Your account is blocked" message to me and I had to call a number to get it unblocked. "How did I unblock it," you ask? They made me change my password. Unreal.

For those who do not know, forcing changed passwords on people is LESS secure because people end up writing down the new one. Dual authentication (which they do, as well) is good enough. And before everyone starts in the the password keeper advice, I worked in tech for decades am well-versed in such things. But that's not the point here.

Anyway, I got into my account and can access it again.

But then, today, my wife had the same thing happen. We called the number (after verifying it on their site, as I am not getting scammed) and the guy "did some research" only to report back that a ticket has been opened with the back office and they'll be reaching out to us next week. So, my wife is cut off from her funds until Fidelity personnel can find it in their heart of hearts to contact her.

It's end of month. I make transfers from retirement accounts so I can pay bills. Cutting us off from our money is never the answer to security. If someone is trying to hack us, you should have 24x7 support to ensure we can rectify the situation ASAP. Of course, the words coming out of my mouth had the guy on the other end hang up. Unacceptable. Simply inconceivable.

So, buyer beware, I am no longer recommending Fidelity to family and friends as a place to do business -- much less secure my money. That's a good one: Fidelity is so secure that not even I can access my money when I need it.

Go Fidelity!!

NOT.

I have been with Fidelity for over 40 years and have never had a problem with them. Better safe than sorry.

[SaucyJim]

Let's recap:
1. Someone tried to log into your account and it was not you.
2. The account became locked to protect you.
3. To prevent said person from pretending to be you and resetting your password, Fidelity required you to call them.
4. You consider your inability to remember a new password to be Fidelity's fault and that everyone writes it down.
5. Same thing happened to your wife, and due to there being multiple security alerts from the same address, Fidelity is doing more diligence to keep her money safe.
6. You claim to have worked in tech for decades and still complain about there being a high level of security on access to your retirement savings
7. You incorrectly think money transfers happen on non-business days and therefore demand the ability to do a transfer in a non-business day.
8. You incorrectly think Fidelity security workers are evil and are ignoring your wife on purpose and need to "find it in their hearts" to contact her.
9. You summarize it all by saving that "cutting you off from your money" due to legitimate security alerts "is never the answer to security".
10. You contacted them and they are doing research into the security issues and will contact you with the results next week when they get them, but you want the results instantly so that it taking time is bad
11. Their security is a joke because they stopped both of you from getting robbed

Which part is not correct?

1. Someone tried to log into your account and it was not you.

Incorrect. My account was blocked first and I called. In my case they could only tell me that I needed to reset my password. No other information was known or given. My access was immediately restored for a partially-acceptable outcome. Updating passwords makes accounts less secure. In my wife's case, she called and they told her the "back office" would reach out to her next week. Unacceptable outcome.

2. The account became locked to protect you.

Unknown. As mentioned, no reason for the block was given for either occurrence. To me, if you don't know the reason, why the locked account? Unacceptable.

3. To prevent said person from pretending to be you and resetting your password, Fidelity required you to call them.

Unknown. See response to #2, above.

4. You consider your inability to remember a new password to be Fidelity's fault and that everyone writes it down.

Incorrect. You're putting words into my mouth. I am speaking generally - not about myself. If you note my comment about password keepers, I don't need to remember. But as a practice, requiring password updates is frowned upon: NCSC (https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/blog-post/problems-forcing-regular-password-expiry#:~:text=Attackers%20can%20exploit%20this%20 weakness,down%2C%20which%20represents%20another%20 vulnerability).

5. Same thing happened to your wife, and due to there being multiple security alerts from the same address, Fidelity is doing more diligence to keep her money safe.

Unknown. I know of no security alerts because Fidelity is not being transparent about why they blocked (not locked) the accounts.

6. You claim to have worked in tech for decades and still complain about there being a high level of security on access to your retirement savings

Incorrect. More words into my mouth. {sigh} Working in tech is where I learned that required password updates on a scheduled basis is less secure. Cisco, Linkedin, Yahoo, TiVo, and Siemens have all banned the practice and use higher level methods now. And I am not complaining about high levels of security, as I've said multiple times on this thread. I am complaining about not having 24x7 support to resolve the issue and regain access to the blocked account.

7. You incorrectly think money transfers happen on non-business days and therefore demand the ability to do a transfer in a non-business day.

Incorrect: Wow. MORE words into my mouth. Nowhere in my post did I state that I expected my transfers to happen immediately. However, I have a daily window (as a self-directed investor) where I do my finance work. The initiated transfer would (obviously, but you think I am stupid and make what I consider embarrassing assumption) be executed on Monday. Additionally, nowhere did I state an expectation to execute a transfer on a non-business day. I wanted to schedule the transfer, which, yes, I do expect to be able to do on a non-business day. That I am giving you this much energy is probably my biggest issue at this point.

8. You incorrectly think Fidelity security workers are evil and are ignoring your wife on purpose and need to "find it in their hearts" to contact her.

Incorrect: Now you're just getting ridiculous while you fool yourself into believing you're being clever. You incorrectly think I think a lot of things you've attributed to my thinking. I think there should be 24x7 support to deal with blocked accounts. That's it. The rest is in your head.

9. You summarize it all by saving that "cutting you off from your money" due to legitimate security alerts "is never the answer to security".

Incorrect: I did not "save" anything. I did "say" something. You won't hear it no matter how many times I repeat it.

10. You contacted them and they are doing research into the security issues and will contact you with the results next week when they get them, but you want the results instantly so that it taking time is bad

Incorrect: Not having 24x7 support to unblock my account is the issue. Research away, but restoring secure access is always the first order of business.

11. Their security is a joke because they stopped both of you from getting robbed

Incorrect. Their security is a joke because I cannot access my wife's account because they do not have 24x7 support on blocked accounts. You think thieves take the weekend off? They are a five-nines organization. There are no weekends or holidays for five-nine organizations. That's the joke.

[Jensor17]

I had T Rowe Price since 1988 and built up enough to retire comfortably. Done quite well with Stocks. Never had trouble with logging in, they ask enough personal questions to allow you access to your accounts.

[SaucyJim]

I had T Rowe Price since 1988 and built up enough to retire comfortably. Done quite well with Stocks. Never had trouble with logging in, they ask enough personal questions to allow you access to your accounts.

THANK YOU!

That's all I am asking for. It's not rocket science, right?

[Justputt]

I've been with Fidelity for over 40 years, and I've always had excellent service and support. 2FA is a must, and I do not trust voice ID systems, especially with newer AI. IMO a big hole in security is the cell phone, which unlocks far too easily and gives someone ready access to reset your PW since it is often to 2FA device and most autologin to your email which gives a thief another path to all your accounts. Let's not forget MS pushing for a "quick" numerical login on desktops and laptops, which seems to make a brute force attack mush easier, especially if you only use the default 4-5 numbers.

[bragones]

I worked for Fidelity for over 7 years. I can say that security is their #1 priority. If a fund manager and a security person are in a room with conflicting concerns, the security issue will take priority, hands down. If you haven't done so, take a look at your security profile and just how configurable it is to meet your desires. I do understand your frustration of not having access to your account, but something tells me there's potentially another issue going on here and perhaps Fidelity is concerned that if they share that with you, they may just be giving your account access and info to a perpetrator rather than the legitimate account owner. Fidelity does have 24x7 support. In rare instances, they will restrict access while confirming with undeniable certainty that your account is not at risk. Sorry this happened to you. I've been a Fidelity customer since the 1970's. In the rare event that an issue comes up, you'll find that they are very willing to compensate you for anything deemed to be their fault. Often times, Fidelity will just throw a $100 goodwill gift your way if they feel that they have inappropriately inconvenienced a customer. I do hope that you will tell us the final resolution of your issue. When they restore your wife's account access you should demand to know the reason for the delay.

[SaucyJim]

I worked for Fidelity for over 7 years. I can say that security is their #1 priority. If a fund manager and a security person are in a room with conflicting concerns, the security issue will take priority, hands down. If you haven't done so, take a look at your security profile and just how configurable it is to meet your desires. I do understand your frustration of not having access to your account, but something tells me there's potentially another issue going on here and perhaps Fidelity is concerned that if they share that with you, they may just be giving your account access and info to a perpetrator rather than the legitimate account owner. Fidelity does have 24x7 support. In rare instances, they will restrict access while confirming with undeniable certainty that your account is not at risk. Sorry this happened to you. I've been a Fidelity customer since the 1970's. In the rare event that an issue comes up, you'll find that they are very willing to compensate you for anything deemed to be their fault. Often times, Fidelity will just throw a $100 goodwill gift your way if they feel that they have inappropriately inconvenienced a customer. I do hope that you will tell us the final resolution of your issue. When they restore your wife's account access you should demand to know the reason for the delay.

Thanks for your thoughtful reply - and for not putting words into my mouth. I do, however, still find it unsettling (and inconceivably frustrating) to not have access to a LOT of money for days while I wait. I will, indeed, disclose the final outcome, along with my mother's maiden name, the first girl I "scored" with (they really should have that one on there - LOL!), the last four of my social security number, and the city where I held my first job just as soon as I know what's up. Yeah. Because, according to some on this thread, I am THAT stupid. :)

[Pugchief]

So now the way I understand it, your one and only complaint is that Fidelity doesn't have 24/7/365 coverage in the back office?

So I guess my question to you is what financial institution does have this? Or any institution? Even a hospital ER will be open 24/7/365 but may not have various departments with around the clock coverage.

Fidelity answers the phone 24/7/365 which is more than you can say for many other firms. They can usually answer basic questions in the middle of the night, but maybe not resolve complicated issues. Doesn't seem unreasonable. I understand your frustration and sympathize with your dilemma, but I think you should probably cut them just a bit more slack. JMHO

[SaucyJim]

Hi kids!

Not sure why, but the other thread got closed. Some of you had asked me to share the outcome of the blocked account issue for which Fidelity does not provide 24x7x365 support.

First, once again, they forced me to update the password on my wife's account. I've already provided sufficient evidence to illustrate that this is no longer considered to be a wise security practice. So I strung up a bunch of curse words and added some special symbols to create a password unique only to my wife's Fidelity account. (I'm kidding.) So the account is no longer blocked. For the record, this could not be have been done before they unblocked (it was blocked - not locked) the account.

Next, they could provide no clear reason for the blockage. In other words, they don't know why they blocked us out of our account. Pretty weak, I'd say. One guy earlier this morning (who could not help us because we called before the "back office" was open) said it appeared to be related to some money movement and trades. The last money movement was on 9/3/24. They locked the account on 9/27/24. That's a 24-day response time. Again, not only scary, but extremely weak security protocol.

The "back office" guy mentioned that my managing my wife's account might have been what triggered the block. I asked, "If I'm logging into her account with her account number and password, how would your systems know if was me and not her?" Crickets.

And I've been logging into that account as her for over 12 years. Yeah. Great response time to catch on to that anomaly.

So, there. You're updated. Blocked from our money for no reason and not provided with support to resolve the issue until a regular business day. Yay! I got to worry about a LOT of money not being visible on my radar for a whole weekend.

So, I'll sit back now and allow those who will put words into my mouth and assume I am idiot spew their vitriol. As for me, I will continue using Fidelity (it's a lot of work to move) but, as I said before, I would not recommend them to family or friends going forward.

Spew away!

[SaucyJim]

your one and only complaint is that Fidelity doesn't have 24/7/365 coverage in the back office?

Not quite. My one and only complaint is that Fidelity doesn't have 24/7/365 coverage in the back office for security lockdowns initiated by them -- especially when they can't even explain why it happened. :)

[Maker]

First, once again, they forced me to update the password on my wife's account.
I've already provided sufficient evidence to illustrate that this is no longer considered to be a wise security practice.

Next, they could provide no clear reason for the blockage. In other words, they don't know why they blocked us out of our account. Pretty weak, I'd say.

The last money movement was on 9/3/24. They locked the account on 9/27/24. That's a 24-day response time. Again, not only scary, but extremely weak security protocol.

Spew away!

Clearly your accounts were attempted targets for hackers. Likely your actual names are being used for your account user names. That is a horrible security practice.

When accounts are hacked, it IS RECOMMENDED to change password. It is also recommended to change the username.
What is not recommended is periodic password changes when no evidence of hacking that account it present.

Fidelity will never tell anyone outside of their security group what processes and intelligence is used to capture hacking attempts. That information is highly sought after by hackers. Keeping it confidential IS GOOD security.

Likely the account was locked within sub-seconds of the hacking attempt. That would be hack on 9/27/24, lock 9/27/24.

Many of your assumptions are wrong and are causing you to make invalid conclusions. Then using those mistakes to bash others is wrong.

Some suggestions going ahead.
Change username and password on your Fidelity account(s).
Do you use your actual name on any other accounts? If yes, change those usernames too. You are likely a target now.
Keep more than one month expenses in your checking account.
Diversify your retirement in other than just in Fidelity.
Be happy. Fidelity blocked someone from forcing you to go back to work because all your money could have been stolen.
If you are actually writing down passwords, you need a password manager.

Also, just because it could take 100,000,000 years to guess a password, it could take one day if they make a lucky guess. My passwords are >64 characters long, and would take practically forever to guess programmatically, but yet still could be guessed in one lucky guess. That's why my account user name is not my name, or anything that resembles a name. I want it impossible for a hacker.

Please keep in mind that personal information has been stolen and is on the web. That would include you full name, address, SSN, phone numbers, credit history, etc. Fidelity sees multiple hacks on your account and someone showing quite an attitude when not getting instant access. That triggers many red flags on their end. They have an obligation to safeguard your funds, and not bend over allowing a hacker to impersonate you.

[SaucyJim]

Clearly your accounts were attempted targets for hackers. Likely your actual names are being used for your account user names. That is a horrible security practice. .

Wrong. Logins are account numbers.

Read the thread and my comments. Not going reiterate any longer.

But I will reiterate that my issue is not their security, but their lack of support around it on a 24 hour basis.

[Boomer]

. . .

[Maker]

Wrong. Logins are account numbers.

Read the thread and my comments. Not going reiterate any longer.

But I will reiterate that my issue is not their security, but their lack of support around it on a 24 hour basis.

Using account number as login ID is equally awful as using your name.
Account numbers can be found published in a lot of places. If you were really in security roles, you would know that. It's trivial information covered in all 30 minute long "introduction to account security" classes. BTW your account number is associated with every investment you have, every transfer you make, every buy or sell (that gets reported to SEC), every statement, everything you do. They follow a format and can be guessed easily.

Highly recommend you change that immediately. Then your need for a 24/7 response will never be triggered in the first place.

No need to reply. People here are trying to help you. If you prefer to ignore that advice, we prefer to ignore your reply.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Wrong. Logins are account numbers.


not at the Fidelity Investments I use. .. .

at the Fidelity Investments I use you can set your login name to anything you want.

But your anger is not really about Fidelity, its about you got embarrassed by a security incident at whatever Fidelity you use, and as always, it was at a very inconvenient time, and you wanted instant customer service to stay on schedule and not get embarrassed with a delayed payment. That instant satisfaction didn't happen, and you want to take it out on Fidelity. .

The real fix, as I also worked in IT, and built automation as much as possible, is to automated the process with a time buffer in case something does go wrong. But you already know this, you just go embarrassed for not doing that as well. .

But that is me, a fidelity user for 40+ years, one of the largest Fidelity individual option traders in the early 80s, ie, there were like 10 of us. . and worked in and with IT for 30+ years, including application security. . . who also doesn't use account numbers in my user name, and change long random string passwords with 2 FA, and considering to going to YubiKey for higher level security. however, somehow I am afraid of losing the YubiKey, and then really being locked out of my Fidelity account.

And you are you

YMMV